New York Sports Clubs

Still dealing with corporate… still trying to get my money back for months I was charged without attending the gym

This place gets more and more disgusting with each visit. Tonight there was literally human feces in one of the showers. And several others had drains that were so clogged that while you’re showering, you are literally standing in other people’s dirty bath water. How can all of this not be in violation of at least seven health codes? They don’t do anything to improve, and I pay month after month. Who is the bigger asshole? I’m honestly not even sure but I have a feeling it’s still NYSC.

This place is alright.
I like the fact that they have a power sled (wish they had a prowler) and a lot of kettle bells and a platform with bumper plates that they let you drop. Other than that, they really do seem to have an issue fixing broken equipment. The two air dyne’s they have, have been broken for going on two months now and they have to fix them. I even voiced my concern to a manager. All they said was that they had a ticket in.
Their classes are also limited, which I honestly found surprising since most of them are packed. I really want to try cycling since I tend to slack on my cardio, but the schedule doesn’t take into consideration people that don’t get off work at 5:30 by the latest.
For $ 70 a month I don’t really expect Equinox, but I still expect a certain level of quality. Disappointingly they’re the best in the area. Still better than Crunch and Planet Fitness by a long shot, which is not saying much.

Useless club!!! apparently with the $ 20 membership, you don’t get a towel and you are able to register for classes only 12 hours prior to the class (wtf???)… and the sad story about them is that they don’t tell you the limitations with the classes… so now they ask you to upgrade the membership to 40 bucks a month to be able to register to classes without limitations.
A very idiotic rule and it’s told you only after you purchase the membership. So, now if you want to cancel, you also need to pay them a cancellation fee.
I would rather pay the cancellation fee and go to a different gym… better options out there.

Largest out of any of the other NYSC so I’ll give it a 3 instead of a 2. There are definitely more options than other clubs but the machines are so close together and as a result, it’s a little uncomfortable at times.
Other Amenities:
Although the showers are much larger than any of the other NYSC I’ve visited, they’re oftentimes clogged so by the end of your shower, you’re ankle deep in disgusting muck water.
One of their women’s bathrooms has been out of service for at least a month. The sauna doesn’t get hot enough.
Lastly, why the hell is the front door always so difficult to open?! Guess I need to keep lifting…
Speaking to NYSC more generally:
I had cancelled my PTM (personal training subscription) back in December of 2012 yet they slapped an extra month of sessions onto my account, without asking or warning me. I had to fight with corporate for 6 months to get them to take that charge off. As a result, it’s affected my experience since every single time I’ve gone, there’s a «hold» on my account due to their error, and I’ve been stopped. I spoke with multiple club managers at different locations (including this 36^th and Mad location), spoke to corporate multiple times, and nothing was done. In fact, they sent me to collections, after telling me it was being taken off my account! It wasn’t until I threatened calling the Better Business Bureau that corporate IMMEDIATELY took it off my account, after 6 months of fighting.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of someone get robbed by NYSC over charging clients, whether it be on their monthly statements or through personal training memberships. Please please please stay on top of checking your statements.
Feel free to contact my directly if you’re experiencing something similar and I’m happy to lend some advice on how I handled it and finally got it resolved.

Let me preface this review by giving some background. I’ve been lifting for more than 10 years and have worked out at hundreds of gyms not just in New York but around the world so I speak with some experience when it comes to fitness. In addition to this, I’ve been a New York sports club member for about 6 years and have tried over 50 different clubs throughout the network including clubs in Boston and Philadelphia.
This is my home gym right now because it’s a few blocks from where I live and I absolutely love this gym! From a weight lifters perspective, this is a well designed gym. The equipment oriented according to body part (for example if you’re working out legs, there is a whole section dedicated to it so you don’t have to walk all around the gym to have a complete workout). In addition to this, the variety of equipment they have is unmatched. Only complaint on this end is that they’re Dumbbells only go up to 130lbs which is limiting for me but for most this wouldn’t be an issue.
The gym has a sauna, clean locker room, fresh towel. The staff is great! Super friendly and helpful! Highly recommend this gym to others. But keep in mind this is a lifters gym. In terms of cardio equipment I believe it’s on par but this is not my expertise.
I give this review a ⁴⁄₅ because of the need for heavier Dumbbells and typical city NYSC limitations (no pool, basketball court, etc) but this is easily one of my most favorite NYSCs

Not bad location. High ceilings, two levels and a lot of open space to walk around which can be rare in NYC, and clean and modern. The locker rooms are nice but unfortunately the bathrooms are pretty nasty. Probably could use a little help in maintenance but I think NYSC as a business is struggling due to defections to low cost providers like Blink. Not a bad option though if your company subsidizes it like my membership.

Worst gym ever, the manger a black women is terrible and rude, I am glad that I cancelled my gym membership now, before they told me I can’t do it and I have to pay $ 150 dollar cancellation fee, plus they had the wrong information in their system, I was never informed about the change of my membership status till one day I found out by myself, which already cost a huge waste for me.

I had a pass to go to all of the New York sports clubs in Manhattan and I tried them all and I have to say that they all absolutely stink! I mean literally their gross inside their machines are always broken. I’ve had nothing but problems with almost every single instructor there, and I am yoga instructor myself, but the level of unprofessionalism from their staff is astounding.
I tried to contact the management several times about my concerns and was totally ignored every single time. Shake my head… I decided I was going to cancel my membership and of course they had some dumbass loophole for that too, they were going to charge me an extra month because of my «contract». Avoid this club at all costs trust me!

Staff is wonderful. especially Ms. Bennett… she got a bad rap for an incident with a hot head xfit doosh but she is a fantastic trainer

I am writing about an incident that occurred a couple days ago that resulted in the termination of my NYSC Passport membership. Admittedly, I had an uncomfortable interaction with a trainer at the gym. About 10 hours later, I was informed my membership to this NYSC, and all others, had been terminated. I have been a member of NYSC for the last eight years and am an active gym member. I am disappointed and a quite hurt by the actions of the 200 Madison location NYSC. I am also quite disappointed that the actions of a single branch of NYSC (more accurately a single employee of a particular NYSC branch) adversely affected my long term relationship with NYSC.
I went there and I warmed-​up for about 10 minutes and completed some exercises using free weights. I engage in circuit training which requires me to move through a few stations. It is a workout that combines some lifting and cardio so that I can kill several birds with one stone. It also requires that I move fairly quickly through the movements (to reap cardiovascular benefits). I began a circuit training workout that involved a form of Olympic weightlifting exercise called a «hang clean.» As a longtime Olympic weightlifter I am quite comfortable with this movement (especially at the 95 lb weight load I was using). Comfortable with the load that I was using I decided to load a bar and perform that portion of my workout on the turf in the gym.
I began my workout. I was about half way through a 10 minute circuit workout when I was approached by a trainer. She told me — mid lift — that I couldn’t do «that there» (meaning a hang clean on the turf). I had maintained control of the bar throughout the movement, not dropping the bumper plates, etc. So I was surprised. As a trainer, I also assumed that she would understand that interrupting someone mid-​lift regardless of the weight, can result in injury. After she told me to stop. I asked her if I could continue on the rubber floor as I moved the bar there. She responded «No, there is a platform for that.» I was confused as I had done this type of workout numerous times previously (in front of other trainers) and had never been interrupted, much less made to feel accused of being disrespectful of the gym. Also nowhere is it posted that you cannot use weights/​equipment on the green turf area, and I, as well as other members and trainers, regularly utilize this area for this very reason. I was a bit confused and irritated.
Having given up on completing this movement, I moved to my next station. I went to do a set of pull-​ups when she again approached me and sarcastically exclaimed «Thank you!» To which, I muttered under my breath «F – k».
I am embarrassed that I let my temper get the best of me, but I was getting frustrated at this point, especially given the fact that I could have strained a muscle, or worse, when interrupted to begin with. She then began to make a scene demanding (directly in my face) «Excuse me?! Excuse me?! Excuse me?!» Embarrassed, I tried to move-​on and complete my workout. I had moved the barbell to another area and began to finish.
A couple minutes later, she and the manager approached me. I asked if this could wait until I finished as I had was a little miffed that the situation had escalated to this point in the first place. He said it could not wait and claimed she said I told her to «F – k off» to which I responded, I didn’t say that. I had muttered the «F – K». I did not intend it to be an attack. I was just voicing my frustration with a person who appeared to have a bone to pick with me. I stated that it is a case of «he said, she said» and that I have never had an issue at the club before. I asked again if I could please finish my workout as I’m only trying to finish so I can go to work. He said «OK» I finished my workout.
I went to shower and on the way out I saw the manager again and explained that I am in retail and I too deal with customer service. I said that this behavior would have been unacceptable at my job and that I was considering canceling my membership at that point, as I was.
I left and my desire to cancel my membership had subsided. Though the experience made me uncomfortable, I considered that my gym. However, at 7 PM I got an email from the very same head trainer informing me that my membership was canceled. The fact that it was from the same individual, again made me feel like she had made it her mission to start trouble with me.
As someone in customer service, I am surprised by this decision. I pay about four times as much as the prices I see NYSC advertise. I do it because I enjoy the convenience there and, excluding this incident, the atmosphere. I will of course, take my business elsewhere as required by NYSC. I come from a fitness background, I work around the corner and I have many clients who often ask me how I stay in shape. Well, I can tell you that I will never again refer anyone to NYSC.

We’ve used the Mercer and Avenue A locations. Have had very good experiences — the staff is always friendly and professional and we never have trouble finding an open machine.
I’ll dock them one star for the TVs at Mercer, quite a few of which don’t work. Other than that, a great operation.

The best NYSC I have seen this far/​this NYSC has a steam room, and is remarkably clean

Ive been a member for many years. Being a local business owner have recruited a lot of my friends and customers to join in. In the begining the club was kept up and managed well, but lately… its a disaster. If there is anything broken, it takes weeks to fix. Current manager Justin is responding to customer needs. Quit the club. Going La Fitness. Lers go guys there! No ego to deal with, no bulls hit.

THIS PLACE IS DIRTY AND UNSANITARY.
The showers are nasty, you have to stand in backed-​up water. Totally gross
the towels should have been replaced years ago. There are roaches in the sauna.

Probably one of my favorite NYSC locations. Its all about convenience and the equipment and this place has both. Everything is spread out and its never packed (i go usually late mornings/​early afternoons or late evenings). I haven’t taken any of their classes but their equipment is in good shape and the machines are never dirty.

I wish I could give zero stars. The amount of times this place has screwed me over is ridiculous. First I was scammed by a the man who signed me up. In my efforts to resolve this issue I was repeatedly charged more than I owe. It took months to set things right. Now I am attempting to cancel my membership and it’s impossible. I’ve been to the location 3 times, called member services to no avail. Customer service is awful and and unavailable.
The gym itself is pretty nice though lol. Just wish they weren’t so damn shady.

The hairdryers in the ladies locker room have been broken for a MONTH! There aren’t enough as it is so to have broken ones is unacceptable. 1 has wires sticking out and is an electrical hazard, some blow cold air. These are cheap dryers… I think you can afford to replace them in a timely manner.

So after fighting for a reimbursement, I did receive one! I was convinced I never would but alas, I did so I figure to bump up the rating since I wasn’t expecting any compensation for their ‘mistake’.

You’re gonna need a lawyer if you ever want to cancel your membership.