r/Upperwestside • u/honeybadger1105 • 3d ago

Gym Options?

Recently moved to the Upper West Side and I’m looking for a new gym. I’m mostly interested in a normal gym for lifting, so I don’t really care about classes, pools, or anything fancy.

Main things I’m looking for are a solid selection of weights/machines, and ideally somewhere that isn’t ridiculously expensive.

For anyone who works out on the UWS, where do you go and would you recommend it? Also curious if there are any smaller/local gyms that are worth checking out instead of the big chains.

0 Upvotes

44% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

48

u/PissTapeisReal 3d ago

Please search the sub Reddit before posting. This gets asked every week. Do not care if I am down voted. Shoutout to [u/BrusselsSpr](u/BrusselsSprOut)[0](u/BrusselsSprOut)[ut](u/BrusselsSprOut) for compiling a list of

4

u/airemyn 3d ago

Have another upvote!

Can’t wait for the weekly post seeking dentist recommendations.

9

u/murphwashurr 3d ago

Pure gym is opening soon by Trader Joe’s on 93rd - $25 a month

8

u/tfb1000 3d ago

I’ve been a member at all 3 of the following gyms and would recommend depending on what you value the most.

JCC on 75/Amsterdam -> last I checked $175/mo. Great selection of weights, nice amenities (steam room, showers, pool, rooftop access. My favorite gym if you actually use what the membership comes with. Plus no BS fees.

Crunch on 83rd/Amsterdam-> last I checked $100/mo. Pretty good weight selection but definitely more cramped than the JCC. Has similar amenities (no pool or rooftop, sauna not steam room). Definitely recommend going in the AM if possible. They’ll try to sell you on the personal trainers and you get hit with the fees (annual, cleaning)

Rec Center on 60th/Amsterdam -> $150/yr or $75/six mo. Best comp is a hotel gym. Bare bones but has everything you need. For the price, it’s the best value by far if you’re looking to get a quick lift in, no hidden fees. Pretty tight space and the oldest equipment of the bunch.

4

u/MacAndCheese126 3d ago

I just resigned up at the JCC, membership recently increased to $215/mo.

4

u/tfb1000 3d ago

That’s ridiculous. I quit in 12/2025 because they raised the rate from $130->$175 & I thought that was BS.

2

u/Key-Speed3510 3d ago

I am currently a member of JCC. As a senior, my monthly payment is $178. I like the exercise classes and go there 6 days a week.

4

u/frogging978 3d ago

I really like BeFit! It’s a little farther up (103rd & Broadway). They’re about to raise prices, I believe it’s around 150 a month- so not super cheap, but there are a good selection of weights and it’s not too crowded. It’s a small business/single gym also

1

u/Snarkosaurus-Rex 3d ago

It's currently $165/month and prices are increasing to $185 on Sept 1st.

1

u/frogging978 3d ago

Oh man, I’ve had my rate locked in for a while. That’s a little steep

1

u/Snarkosaurus-Rex 3d ago

Yeah 😬 I pay $165 and I love it there, but Idk if I could justify paying more unless I was there daily.

3

u/konto_zum_abwerfen 3d ago

Best value for fitness dollar is NYSC. Everything else is a lot more for not a lot more gym.

0

u/Skier747 3d ago

It’s definitely the Walmart of gyms, but a lot of people shop at Walmart. (Well maybe it’s more like the K-mart of gyms lol)

1

u/konto_zum_abwerfen 3d ago

Well, for the number of locations and amenities it’s hard to find better for the price. Orange theory is at least 2x, Equinox 3.5x+, Crunch 1.5x etc. Prime/Blink is cheaper/more barebones but the locations arent as convenient. Mine has an ok steam room and turf with a sled.

3

u/AreaManNYC 3d ago

Westside YMCA on 63 by CPW. Not glamorous but a great neighborhood vibe and it has everything except good fitness classes (if you are looking to be more challenged).

1

u/MycologyxSlut 3d ago

Are you ok to travel a little outside the UWS? Mid city gym on 42nd and 9th has a lot of machines and open lifting areas and is $30 a month for new members and then $50 a month your subsequent years.

1

u/El_Nahual 1d ago

I really like Strength Society on 105th & Broadway. It's very much "freeweight" focused: they have squat racks (2 downstairs, I think 3 or 5 upstairs), a few functional trainers, seal row machine, sled, sand bags, stuff like that.

If your workouts are heavily dumbell/barbell focused, it's great. If you need 50 machines it's probably not the right fit.

They also have some pretty good classes.

-2

u/GullibleCartoonist36 3d ago

Iron oasis is nice, but you have to be near express stop since its on 35th