TCR The Club of Riverdale

Sorry to say, but this gym is so lame. It feels like you’re working out in your grandparents basement on equipment that’s just as old as your grandparents. It caters to senior citizens (and hey — good for them), but it’s not a motivating place whatsoever. Lame music. Lame vibe. Lame equipment. Hardly any sunlight. And what’s with the gross carpeting and fake lanterns on the walls? Unless you’re 60+, steer clear. Not worth the money. I find it totally depressing.

When my Sister died of pancreatic Cancer in 2014 I decided to stay, in the Bronx to try to be of help to my family. I, had been a member of TCR over the decade every time I went home. I thought I was friends with the Family who ran the Club and loved going swimming there. In fact it was, a, saving grace for me. The last time I was there after a few months of membership my Brother called me and said I was «banned from the Club. We immediately went over and the membership director Sandra said I was hanging out there too much, talking with people and that I was nasty to Children. Total, lies. I, just could not, believe, this, and, it, gnawed, on me, over, the months. I was allowed, to, go, back, to, use the Café, and continued to do so. After a few monthsz I approached the owner and asked, for an explanation and requested to be reinstated as a mover. He said that a, line had to, be, drawn somewhere and, I was, perplexed even more. Imwwrote, him a, letter stating that I had been a loyal member and couldn’t believe what had transpired. When he did not answer me I felt more upset. One, day I, went to have Coffee at the Café and passed his office .The door was opened and I, yelled, at, him for, not, responding to m letter. He ha a manager fill out an arrest form further fabricating that I, had made harassing calls, to, the, cell, of the, manager a charge that was called aggravated harrassment. I was forced, to, go, to, the, police station, where, I, was, books, finger printed and, had my picture taken. I, was given a, court date almost, three months away. Needless to say, they dropped, the, charge as, they had lie, about, it, from the start. They knew they would upset me by having me arrested. Even though the swimming pool is great and the people employed there are very nice I would say, tosavoid this place and especially the people who run it. They are vis ions and obviously, will, stoop, to, any, low, level, to, make life miserable.

My husband And I were looking for a club where we can both enjoy our favorite activities: swimming, basket ball and tennis! We were so exited, I went to do a massage with my friend than I asked for a tour!!! I really liked the place until I was told that you have to pay extra for tennis court + you have to pay each time for the parking or you can park outside well if you see the street is where all car are bump or you have to seat half hour in your car for a parking space !!! No thanks for the price !!! Like come on …
We had never heard such things, specially when you are club members! Really disappointed of the club specially for a place like Riverdale!

With regards to Josh’s review below, I was just called by the clubs manager who complained that my guest posted a negative review of his club. I didn’t know that it was forbidden to have an opinion!
Let me state upfront that I have loved being a member of TCR until all this pettiness began.
I was always treated well and they went above and beyond in being accomodating.
When I first joined TCR I was told by the salesperson that I could bring a guest anytime I wanted. Over the last three years I have brought guests perhaps 6 times — if that many. I have NEVER abused the privilege. Now I am being told that there NEVER was an unlimited guest policy and that all guests must now pay a $ 20 fee. Fine. But I wasn’t told that BEFORE I brought my two guests there. To the Clubs credit, they comped one of my two guests after embarrassing me in front of them with all this pettiness about a guest fee, practically calling me a liar that there ever was a time when guests were allowed in without a fee (which is not true since in the next sentence I was told that I DID have guest passes but had used them all up). But why couldn’t it have waited until after we left and someone made a phone call or sent me an email telling me of the change in policy instead of treating me like a child trying to sneak his buddy in past the guard? Is TCR so hard up for a Guest fee? If there’s a fee, then there’s a fee, I can’t change that, petty as it seems, but to treat someone who is paying top dollar for a membership like this is pretty sad.
During the phone call, which I imagine was meant to placate me after a rude exchange of emails with another person there, I mentioned to the caller that I was dissatisfied with the recent services at the club (a feeling I see echoed by some other reviews here). I was told that I had directly insulted the caller and he is «providing excellent customer service as are his staff and if I don’t think so…»
Really?
I was SO upset that I had to advise him that I was ending the call. Not very good Customer relations. I am feeling very stressed about this now.
And Mr. Manager, had you not told me that my friend posted a negative review which you and TCR don’t like, I never would have seen it, nor would I have posted this reply.

This place used to be a lot better!
I’ve been going here as a guest of regular club members for years now. I don’t live in the area, but I do tend to visit my friends at least once a month who DO happen to live close by. I would say I would visit this gym with them, on average, once every other month at most. And before, today, the staff was friendly enough and NEVER pressured me into purchasing a membership as they KNEW I didn’t live in the area and was simply hanging out with my friends who had been members for years!
But today, as a GUEST, the staff wanted to CHARGE ME?! $ 20?! Is this how you treat your GUESTS now? But I said fine, I know it’s an exclusive club, perhaps the amenities have gotten better. Boy, was I WRONG!
When I went before, towels were always provided. NOT ANYMORE. When I went before, the steam room would produce more steam every 30 seconds. NOT ANYMORE! (I was in the room for 10 minutes without a single dose of eucalyptus steam, yet I had set the timer to 20 minutes!) The staff used to treat my like a GUEST! NOT ANYMORE! They were rude and they were practically talking down to me as if I was invading their territory. I had never been so embarrassed at the gym before, and I’m out of shape!
Look, I understand if you want to be exclusive and for «members only,» but if you’re going to take away a member’s «guest passes,» at least make the amenities better, not WORSE! There was practically NO ONE THERE, which makes me wonder if membership has gone down for the wrong reasons…
Needless to say, after today, I will NOT be going back to this club anymore! They can keep their uppity exclusive membership as I refuse to step foot in a place where I can’t be treated like a proper guest…

I was reasonably happy here until my gorgeous diamond and gold necklace was stolen from my locked locket. It was during the day and there was only one other woman client in the women’s area with me. Despite my calling the police the club refused to go through their video takes to see who entered the locker room in the 45 minutes I was in the pool. They absolutely knew who did it.
Subsequently I was told by a now former employee that her cash tips were stolen routinely. The manager Sean was nice and tried to make it up to me but I never felt safe there again and quit the club a year later.
The new restaurant is excellent though!

I have been a member of TCR for a little over 4 years and, to this day, I could not see myself belonging to any other gym/​fitness facility. The atmosphere is cozy and much less hectic than most of the big chain gyms (Planet Fitness, NYSC) where you find yourself waiting/​fighting for machines or weights. At TCR, you don’t feel like anyone is «watching or judging», it’s very relaxed and care free.
The facilities are maintained to the standards of most 5-​star hotels, the staff is courteous and helpful with all requests or concerns, and the fitness equipment is top of the line.
Trainers are always on hand to answer any and all questions regarding proper technique, but to also offer words of encouragement to the members.
The pool, spa and sundeck offer a place to «get away» following a tough workout, while also providing a place to unwind following a long day at work. I personally enjoy a quick swim on weeknights and try to make a point of heading over on weekends to enjoy the a few hours of relaxing by the pool.
I would recommend TCR to any and all friends and family (many of whom are already members) and would suggest that anyone interested in improving their lifestyle visit the facility to see for yourself. It’s well worth it.

In response to a comment left by TCR on my review, I want to say that in my complaint which I brought to them directly, the hours of the club was listed #3 so for them to say that it was my primary reason was at best their own opinion. They addressed my concerns by cleaning the place and fixing the audio jacks on the treadmills a few days after the complaint. To their credit, they responded. But I was sold that this was an exclusive, high-​end club and I don’t think cleanliness should be brought to their attention if that is indeed the case. I expressed my dissatisfaction and asked to be released from my membership — when the response was NO, I said thank you and kept paying but stopped using the gym. The rest of my family is still using the gym — because someone should, considering what we pay for it. Once our memberships expire, it is highly unlikely we will renew.
To be fair, I will upgrade my rating to a 2 star review since the place is not horrible. But I remain unconvinced that this is the premier club experience that they bill it to be.

My wife and I recently joined this gym after visiting in December 2013. I worked in the fitness industry for 10 years and have visited gyms and been a member of a variety of national and international gyms over the years.
Positives:
–The staff greet you when you enter. The staff is professional, respectful, and welcoming.
–The gym is cleaned regularly and well maintained. Every time I go I never have to wait for a machine (aerobic, or free weights) to workout.
–The gym is never crowded.
–The equipment is fairly new and well maintained.
–I regularly see staff cleaning the gym.
–There is a separate locker room for kids.
–You can purchase lockers for the year: small, medium, or large if you so choose or you can use a free locker daily.
–The bathroom, shower, pool, steam room, sauna are all well maintained and cleaned regularly.
–I was very impressed by Manny Amarillo, Social Director at TCR. He provided my wife and I with a very detailed tour of the facility. He was attentive, courteous, and professional. He also followed up with us at the conclusion of our guest privileges.
–Equipment and weights are put away regularly and the fitness center is kept tidy.
–The fitness center is equipped with treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, rowing machines, kettle bells, bosu balls, medicine balls, phsyio balls, wobble boards, punching bags and boxing equipment., along with ample free weights and machines.
–Overall it’s a classy gym that is well maintained.
I don’t have anything negative to say but worth noting:
Parking can be a bit difficult, but not too bad. The garage offers a discount to members of TCR if you choose to park there.

I’m surprised by all the negative reviews although they all seem to be from 2012 and I have only been a member since February of 2013.
The facilities are kept immaculately clean. The equipment is state of the art and well maintained. The locker rooms provide showers with multiple jets that feel great on your back after a serious work out.
The staff is attentive friendly. If you need help with something all you need to do is ask.
The pool is great for relaxing or lap swimming. And, the restaurant (Grill 26) serves a varied menu and the food is ALWAYS good.
I cannot leave out the SPA because I am also a massage regular and have brought friends and family to enjoy.
Its a great place to workout, relax and unwind. I enjoy going there just for those reasons after a long day at the office or a great way to start a weekend day.
As a bonus, I have lost more than 20 lbs and built some muscle along the way over the past six months.
You can try it for free and its worth the look.

The Travelzoo deal seemed easy enough — 2 hours at a golf simulator … little did I know that this best suits those with access to a car on which to travel to said location. After a lengthy metro ride, 2 legs of a bus ride, and a short hike up a hill, we arrived at what appeared to be a residential complex. With no signage and no clear indication of the facilities, we wandered through the grand lobby, to be directed through a maze of prison-​color walls into the basement, down through more corridors, and finally into a rec area. Once into the actual golf arena, we were welcomed by a slightly bored attendant who gave us free reign of the place — 2 hours and change later, we emerged. The actual toy was great — getting to it was almost worth it … just map this place before you make a plan of it!

I am currently a member and living in the building.
Yoga classes
I have tried their yoga classes– Patrick is great. There really was no reason to cancel one of his summer classes at the 6:15am time as the other reviewer said. Some other instructors need to explain better accomodations for difficult exercises the way Patrick does.
Staff politeness
I have always found the staff polite– not necessarily always welcoming, but polite. I have dealt several times with Robin– the
Membership director– and she was always pleasant and highly energetic.
Spa
I have had good services at the spa –though the facial was very thorough, she was a bit rough. Kristen gave an excellent massage– one ofnthe best I have ever had! While the spa isn’t always open or doesn’t always have someone available– I have found them to be polite and nice to deal with.
Pool
The pool is kept clean and managed by a lifeguard who told me he gets regular training and explained some of the chemistry and mechanics behind the pool operation, such as the sand trap and pH levels. I found the life guards i have dealt with to be polite and mostly very willing to be helpful or explain things.
Grill 26
I have found the new owner Kim to be lovely and the ladies at the bar to be very sweet. However, sometimes the food quality varies and they do make little mistakes with orders.
TCR is lacking the little things in comparison to an excellent club like equinox. It needs to be micromanaged.
— several places could do with a paint job.
— yoga mats, stretch mats and kick boards in the pool need replacing.
— sometimes it is too kid friendly for my liking — maybe there should be children hours or maybe they should actually open that children’s pool.
— equipment hygiene wipes should never run out in the weight room and I should never find a machine covered in someone elses sweat!
— I get the impression everyone is doing their own thing and not enough people are accountable.

I’ve been a member here more out of habit and proximity to my home than because it is worth it.
Incident #1 — This weekend I went to their deck for the BBQ they advertised for memorial day weekend. Yet again, it was another disaster. Every time i try to take advantage of the so called benefits of this «club» I am disappointed over and over. We arrived at the deck where there was nowhere to sit. It was a hot day and with our 19 month old, we opted for eating indoors at the café. We ordered our food — after a 40 min wait we asked about our order and we were asked what our order was. When we told them, they said they were going to make it right then. 15 min later we asked again, again same response, «we will make that right up». After an hour I canceled the order and left. We ended up at Yo Burger instead. The facilities are poorly maintained. The deck isn’t pleasant. There isn’t enough green and people/​workers are probably underpaid and poorly trained. This is one of several times where we had terrible experiences in the café. We just don’t learn our lesson. But this time we have. Never again. It’s not like the food is any better than the typical diner.
Incident #2 — Now that daylight savings time is on and the summer is approaching, morning classes, especially the 6am classes are more appealing than ever. I started the yoga class at 6:15. It’s a wonderful start to the day and Patrick is amazing. Unfortunately, management decided that the Tuesday yoga class was not necessary in the summer months and was going to get cut. This class is well attended. Both Tuesday and Thursday yoga has loyal followers (i quickly learned) and I became one as well. The class is always well attended. Now that it is so easy to wake up earlier why would management think that cutting a class that is already well attended would be a logical move? Again, who in the world is running this place?
I’ve been paying a lot of money to attend this place for a long time. It is so disappointing — They have little competition in the neighborhood and this is why they get away with what they do. Shameful.

I’ve been a member of this facility on and off since 2002. About 4 years ago I found myself unable to do any exercise due to several injuries, but kept my membership in order to use the sun deck, then let it lapse last summer. A couple of weeks ago a glossy card arrived in my mailbox offering me a free 1 week trial membership. Since my injuries have been slowly healing, I decided to give it a try by taking a few group exercise classes, particularly Pilates, since I know that it was developed by its creator to help injured soldiers recover. I had to fill out a registration form that asked me the reason for my interest in joining and I wrote «Recovery from injury». A thoroughly unpleasant and cantankerous «membership director», who obviously did not bother to read the form beyond my telephone number, then contacted me on the phone to tell me that she was denying me my free 1 week pass because I am a former member and the offer on the card was only for individuals new to the facility.
When I pointed out that this is deceptive advertising, since the postcard did not have anything written on it to that effect, she became downright nasty and asked what I hoped I would experience there that wasn’t there when I was a member; every time I tried to answer, she would cut me off to counter whatever I was saying in a way that did not even make any sense. Clearly, this person did not even know that her job was to sell memberships, and if she did, then she was a disgruntled employee who was undermining her employer’s business by turning away as many potential members as possible. Well done — I will not be rejoining any time soon.

I’m grateful that I waited to check out TCR with the help of a Groupon deal. The Groupon I purchased allowed me to check out the club for 3 months and book at 60 min. swedish massage. Overall, I found TCR to be underwhelming and incredibly expensive for what they offer. Some points below–
* very kid-​friendly… perhaps to a fault? I just felt a little out of place.
* If you like convenience of having a pool, sauna, gym space, some classes & spa services, consider TCR.
* carpeted locker rooms– feels grainy on my feet and smelly.
* Steam and dry sauna is great!
* Spa services very professional, relaxing but a bit on the pricey side.
* small exercise class room
Finally, I wasn’t too impressed with some of the older ladies that man the check in desk at TCR. I found them to be nonchalant and incredibly rude when a new *hello.pointing to me!!* patron brings up a concern. It’s all about attitude and you m’dear helped nail the coffin shut.
I don’t think I’ll miss much about TCR. TCR reels you into their services because there isn’t a whole heck of a lot in the Riverdale neighborhood. I highly advise that you exhaust all other options before settling for TCR. For your typical 20 somethings, TCR may not be the best place.

i bought a groupon for a massage and it was my first time going. I loved it. They also have an amazing golf center and transportation from manhattan. i live on the upper west side and its amazingly convenient to get there and back for an afternoon of fun

Whoa there folks, my and my significant other’s experience at TCR, where we have a reasonably priced, annual, family membership, is completely different from what most of the other reviewers describe.
We live next door to TCR and use it a lot. I go at least 4X week in the winter months (less in the summer) for general fitness, and specifically, triathlon training. I use the pool (+5 mi/​wk), gym (multiple hr workouts on bikes and ellipticals), men’s lockers (quite luxurious), showers, sauna and steam. I have seen the tennis courts (incredible!), basketball courts and other facilities. Everything is bigger and better than it looks in the pictures accompanying this Unilocal entry. All the facilities are clean and well maintained. I’ve never been to TCR when any of the facilities that I was using were overcrowded.
The staff, administrative, athletic and coaching, couldn’t be nicer or more helpful. I’ve participated in many of the good variety of no-​extra-​charge fitness classes. They are led by friendly, motivating, professional instructors, who care about the health of their charges, but will work you ’til you drop if that’s what you’re looking for — if you can keep up with Susan you’re an ironman.
I cannot comment on the quality of the after-​school and children’s classes, other than to note that the many kids and young families who use the facilities look like they’re having a lot of fun and staying in shape. But it’s kind of nice to see all those kids having fun.
It’s possible that the coffee at TCR could be better; don’t know. I go there to workout or relieve stress, not to eat. (Ever hear the old one about eating in a hotel and sleeping in a restaurant?). Also, can’t comment about the aromatherapy and facials.

I had purchased a massage at TCR through Groupon and I was excited to use it. I had to call more than once to get an appointment for my massage because they had few spots open. Every time I called, the staff members on the phone were rude. I finally was able to get an appointment and had to give my credit card number to hold my appointment, a normal policy for a spa. I went for my massage and it seemed like a nice, relaxing facility that were clean, however my robe had no belt and a hole in the sleeve and I was given slippers with 2 right feet. My massage was excellent until I went home. I checked my credit card statement and noticed a $ 900 charge from TCR. I have called them and this charge is yet to be reversed. Somehow, before I visited the spa, my credit card was linked to someone else’s account. No one at TCR seems to be moving too fast to correct this situation. When I call, I am never allowed to speak to a manager either, which is odd. Also, you have to pay for parking at this health club/​spa. There are many better spas in the area with free parking and not charging $ 900 to your credit card for no reason.