New York Sports Clubs

Nice clean gym, good location, with convenient parking if you know the neighborhood. Two negatives; Don’t drink their water, it’s foggy and studio has low ceilings for jumping rope. Go at off peak hours, can get packed at rush hour and locker rooms are a bit tiny.

Very good ambience. Lot of good equipment collection and pretty nice customer service.

The good: it’s usually not crowded. It’s one of the few gyms in the area. Staff is generally friendly and courteous.
The bad: almost every single nautilus machine is broke in one way or the other. I’ve been going for about a year and I’ve never seen anything ever get fixed. Ever. Machines are only in a perpetual state of decline. they don’t mention when you sign up for the $ 20 plan you don’t get towels. So be prepared in sit in other peoples sweat and have other people sit in your sweat if you don’t bring your own. Gross! Of course theyll be glad to let you pay extra for a towel which I’ve never seen anyone do. I just bought a couple of towels and bring them back and forth. Kind of a pain but better than sitting in other peoples sweat.
Initiation fees are almost always a scam and can’t really say this was different than any another. I was already in their system from being a member 2 years ago so I basically just gifted them a couple of hundred dollars.
Free weight area and cardio area look decent but I don’t use those so can’t say for sure.

I love this club. I’ve been a member here for over a year, and I go regularly.
When the Blink Fitness opened up down the street a few months ago, my roommate promptly cancelled his NYSC fitness and went over there for the $ 20 a month, no contract deal.
I stayed at this club because I really liked the yoga classes, and I feel very comfortable here. It’s clean, well-​maintained, (unbelievably) not horribly crowded all the time, and the people who work here are really nice. I really didn’t feel like rolling the dice on Blink.
If you’re coming for the yoga classes, Kristen’s classes on Thursday night and Friday morning are the very best. Some of the other yoga instructors can be kooky/​annoying, but Kristen is the best part of my week. Unfortunately, I’ve just cancelled my membership because I moved away, but otherwise, this club was the one part of my life that was settled business, and in NYC, you really can’t say that about a lot things. I recommend it highly.

I am convinced that this is where both service and equipment comes to die.
BE WARNED: NYSC has decided that their gym members in Central Harlem do not deserve the same amenities enjoyed at all the other clubs in Manhattan. They have removed Towel Service from the workout areas and locker rooms. You can only get towels at the front desk.
Since I moved to this area almost two years ago, I have found this location appallingly sub-​par. The location is small and dark. When equipment is broken it is never repaired. The rickety stationary bikes are StarTracs instead of the newer more comfortable LifeFitness brand found at every other NYSC location. If the bikes lose arms pads or foot straps they will stay that way for MONTHS. The elliptical machines have missing water bottle holders and broken buttons on the consoles and these have been broken for YEARS. The weights are in a dark, basement area and some of the machines do not work (when you try to increase resistance by 5 or 10 lbs the weights stop moving smoothly). The TVs are not connected to NetPulse where you can choose videos or login to track your workouts, and the TV monitors are often out or have poor reception. The women’s locker room is tiny (only 2 benches) with only 3 working showers because one is almost always clogged/​flooded, and there is no steam room or sauna.
When you report any equipment as broken the staff does not even make an effort to write it down; just rest assured that nothing will be done! They have recently decided to downgrade our gym experience further by removing towel service from the workout areas downstairs and the locker rooms. Now towels are only available at the front desk. This NYSC is already a dump; removing any kind of service is just adding insult to injury.
Last week, during one of the coldest days thus far, they had no hot water. I only found out when I was standing in the shower stall waiting for the water to heat up. The employee in housekeeping saw me and said «No hot water Miss!» To which I replied «Why didn’t they say something when I came in?» She frowned and said «They did not put up a sign?» No, they did not. Too busy being the Towel Police or just generally not giving a damn I suppose.
Finally, I have to agree with another person who reported that the new $ 19.95 monthly membership is FALSE ADVERTISING. You have to pay an initiation fee of $ 149 upfront or over the year which will make the actual membership over $ 32 a month. You will also be charged a «Rate Lock Fee» of $ 39.99 every January to «guarantee» your low rate. And as for signing up without a commitment, that is a load of rubbish. You are auto-​billed each month and good luck if you want to cancel. NYSC is notorious for continuing to bill former members when they try to cancel.
Stay far, far away from this location. Better yet, join the new Blink which opened around the corner if you want a cheap, clean gym with brand new equipment.

SHAME ON YOU NYSC FOR FALSE ADVERTISING for this club and the one on 125^th Street. Big promotional flyer touts «$ 19.95 month-​to-​month, no commitment.» UM, NO… They try to get you to come in for more information but when pressed on the phone here’s what they left out of the flyer: $ 149 INITIATION FEE. COMPLAINT FILED WITH THE NYC DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS.

I love this club, all the stigmas about a bad gym don’t exist here. It’s not crowded, even during peak times! The club has great staff and everyone goes to work out. No awkward guy gawking at you while you squat. Found this club because its close to my job and have loved it since I joined.

I’ve been a NYSC member for a number of years and have used several locations around the city before settling in East Harlem. This one is one of the better locations I’ve been to. (Prior to moving to this neighborhood, I frequented the NYSC locations at 94^th, 62^nd, and 49^th on the UWS, and occasionally, 86^th on UES.)
The upper floor — ground level — has cardio machines galore. I’ve never had to wait for a treadmill or an elliptical. There are televisions attached to all the machines, and they always work, which is more than I can say for a number of the other locations.
The lower level has the locker rooms and studio, and the rest of the floor is all weights. I’m one of those girls who actually uses the WHOLE gym, so I’ve spent a decent amount of time on the weight floor — it doesn’t smell like the inside of a dirty sock, and the machines are clean. I’ve never had to wait for a machine, so it’s nice to be able to get through all my circuits the way I want. The guys are generally respectful and I’ve never had a problem with anyone being inappropriate.
I’ve been to a few classes here, and they’ve all been great. The studio floor is of particular note — it’s beautifully finished, and doesn’t have those weird metal rings or missing/​cracked boards like some of the older gyms (I’m looking at you, 94^th Street).
The women’s locker room is clean and well-​stocked with shampoo/​conditioner/​lotion. Most importantly, the showers are very clean. The dressing area is a little small, so I imagine it can get tight at peak times, but I tend to frequent the gym at odd hours so I’ve never had a problem.
The gym loses one star for its strange weekend hours — it closes at 6PM on Saturday and Sunday. I also am not crazy about lumping all the weekend classes before 1PM with nothing in the afternoon (some of us like to sleep late on the weekends).
Overall, this location is a great neighborhood gym, and really serves all my needs. I’m actually way happier with this location as my main haunt, after spending the majority of my time at 94^th Street.

Horrible … Opens late all the time it’s 6 :05 am, this gym is suppose to open at 5:30 am still not open, unreliable and unexceptable … This is not kool when you charge so damn much!!!

I’ve been coming here for a few months now and I’m pretty happy with everything. I come here mainly for the treadmill, stay on for an hour, then I’m on my way. The staff is really nice (Stephat is great!) and the facilities are clean for the kind of traffic and inherent grossness that is a gym.
I haven’t tried out any of the classes but I know that they offer a bunch of different things and for $ 60/​month, it’s not too shabby of a deal for access to everything that the gym has to offer.

It seems like this gym is in need of a ‘recent’ review…
Firstly, good for you, NYSC, for offering a gym location in Harlem. Most (posh) gyms in NYC seem to have forgotten this neighborhood; a neighborhood in desperate need of exercise facilities in the first place. So, that’s a point for the NYSC company in general. Oh, and it’s also not super ghetto like Planet Fitness.
Now, on to the review of this particular location. I am a fan for several reasons:
1) Given the fact that it is in Harlem, where fewer people live/​work, and those who do aren’t really working out, this location has never been crowded when I’ve gone. I’ve been on weekends, weeknights, right after work, mornings before work, during lunch hours, you name it. I wouldn’t mind a quick ride on the subway to go to a gym at which I can also find some space to breathe. I once asked what the after work rush looked like, and when the staff showed me, I thought it was a joke. Seriously, I tend to work out in Midtown so Harlem’s rush hour is like Midtown at 11.
2) There are plenty of cardio machines, and I’ve never noticed a down treadmill, though I can’t speak for the other cardio machines as I only believe in running. I don’t mind the view. The machines face a big window on street level, so prepare yourself for a view of out-​of-​shape Harlemites passing by as they enviously watch you working out. Maybe you will motivate them!
3) The weight area and locker rooms are on the basement level. It’s been several years since this place was described as creeper central, but I might have to agree 30% on that. The men stare, but if you keep a grit on your face, they don’t dare speak. There are the occasional girl-​sitting-​on-​machine-​while-​guy-​gets-​her-​number scenarios, but I’m not too shy to simply ask them to move if I need the machine. And chances are, that girl wants the attention anyway, otherwise she wouldn’t entertain it, so whatever. I mind my own business so it doesn’t annoy me.
4) There are enough free weights and machines to work out every muscle group, and I have no complaints about anything missing. The staff is fairly diligent about re-​racking weights because no one does it ever. The staff does it every hour or so, so you won’t find yourself looking for the other 30lb dumbbell for long.
5) It didn’t get the 5^th star because it only offers the basics. There is no sauna, no pool, no steam room, etc. But honestly, if you come to NYC gyms expecting such pampering, then you’re being cheap by choosing NYSC and lying to yourself by coming to the one in Harlem anyway. Harlem never gets anything good, so what this gym offers is a blessing. Showers are clean, toilets are clean, locker room is a decent size, towels are plentiful, lighting is OK.
Overall, this location is clean and a good size considering the crowd it serves. Many of the staff members are clearly not using whatever membership discount they get, but they’re still friendly. Don’t expect them to hold your hand, though. Again, if that’s what you’re looking for, why are you bothering at all with NYSC? I prefer this location, but it’s not the most convenient for me. I don’t always work out in Harlem, but when I do, I work out at this gym. Recommended.

I started going to this facility with my daughter to take advantage of the $ ³⁰⁄₃₀ day offer. Not really expecting much from going in such a short time and I’m really not a fan of gyms… although I used to be a personal trainer :) Anyway, my daughter wanted me to go with her for company and to my surprise I actually enjoy going to THIS location. It’s clean, I always get the machine I need to use, the staff are friendly, the salespeople are not overly aggressive trying to sell you a package and the customers seem to all have one common goal… get in, get a workout and go home. I hate going to most gyms because it’s like a meat warehouse, the woman and catty, the men are looking for one night stand, the staff are dismissive, the trainers are out of shape and/​or cocky and the staff are just a hot mess, overcrowding, smelly and just unpleasant! Not NYSC 115… In my opinion, this place is as good as it gets for gyms.
My company was offering a corporate membership discount 20% off all access so of course I joined :)

I really couldn’t ask for more for the price I pay. I’ve had no problems here. This location is clean, the machines I use always work, and the staff is very friendly. The locker room is always spotless, a huge plus. I usually come at off-​peak hours, but even if i happen to stop by at a busier time, it’s never crowded.
Sure, it’s small and there’s no sauna or pool etc, but that’s not what this gym is for. If you want a nice, clean, easy going place to work out, it doesn’t get much better than this!

I’ve been a NYSC member for over a year now, but recently switched to this club as my home gym when I moved to the neighborhood (see my review of the 76^th St. club as well). It’s definitely an upgrade from my former club! It’s huge, with multiple stretching areas, tons of free weights, a lovely studio/​class space and enough cardio machines to go around. It’s never terribly crowded, even during peak hours. The staff is friendly and the club is clean. Definitely the best one I’ve been to!

After the townhouse fiasco (see my review on the townhouse NYSC at 79^th and Broadway) I decided to come visit an NYSC a little closer to my house. Okay, there are two NYSC locations closer, at 145^th and 125^th, but those are horrific.
This gym is right on 5^th Avenue, convenient to the 2 and 3… and a nice comfortable (and colorful) walk from the B and C. The staff are cool and friendly. The cardio area is ground level and the window facing machines look out onto 5^th. Watch the M1 buses, black cabs, and assorted cargo vans and occasional Chrysler New Yorkers cruise together and fight the double parking rascals while you run at 6.8 mph. All of the televisions work at this location and you’ll notice a few different channels too! I will agree with other reviews about the upkeep of some of the treadmills: Many are noisy (but still perfectly operational) and some of them have calibration issues!
Downstairs is the rest of the gym. It’s clean, well-​kept, and hardly crowded. The members are cool neighborhood people that aren’t there to mess around and take up space for no reason (like we see in too many other gyms around this damn city.)
All the typical NYSC machines are here, nothing out of the ordinary… just everything works and is clean.
The locker room (men’s) is where this place shines and jumps to five stars. There’s always an attendant visible and working! The showers don’t make me feel like I need a vaccination round and the carpet isn’t as plentiful as some other NYSC locations. Lockers are clean and much larger than the typical NYSC, and you won’t find that humid carpet-​sock-​jockstrap smell at this location. Actually, the predominant smell here is cologne and the green body wash!
It’s NYSC, so for the money… it is what it is… but this one is above and beyond! To the employees at this location: Excellent job!
:)

My home gym is Cool, is very clean, never crowded at all, even at peak hours that’s a A+for me, friendly staff, the weights are always organized and stacked up at its place, I get a good workout all the time, this gym has 2floors cardio machines Near the entrance exit area and weight machine and classes downstairs. I recommend this gym hands down .One thing I have a problem with this gym is the treadmills, some could be uncomfortable to use, some makes loud noises and some machine moves while you running that’s a bit annoying, several treadmills like the Precor belt runs too slow and i think is because it has been over use I guess anyways other than that cool quiet gym to workout so move your ass and check it out some time

–The staffs are very friendly, personal trainers are always nice to help you even you don’t schedule a session with them. +1
–is never crowded, +1
–a wide selection of classes even though I never took it, +1
— They have more TV channels than most of other NYSC which I don’t know why, but I’ve been to many different NYSC and not all of them have as many channels as this one does. +1
— the manager are also very nice as well, one time I got out of work so late but I was also very hungry, she let me eat at her desk.+1
— close to where i live, i know this is bias but +1
— sometime machines are out of service for a while and I believe they can do a better job of it. –1
— the treadmills’ meter are not correct because I can run 9mph easily here but I can only run 7mph in other gym. –1
4 stars in total, love this gym! I hit here more than 60 times in 2010. the other 50 near work, 30 spreads out in NYC. suspended 2 months during the summer because I work out in Central Park =)

Well I’ve been working out at this NYSC for over a year (previously I went to the one on Frederic Douglas Blvd — which is nice but a little thuggy). I have to say it has been consistently clean, organized, and the most wonderful part is the staff here is amazing. The clientele is also great, friendly, interested in working out, and absolutely NO attitude (no meat heads throwing weights around and grunting).
The space is a little small, but not unmanageable. The equipment is in good order, and the cleaning crew are absolutely amazing.
It’s a great gym for a good workout. Of the 4 or 5 NYSC i’ve been to, this is easily the nicest one.

I just joined this Gym on New Year’s Eve 2009 and have been going 3 or 4 times a week ever since. With the exception of the local Y in my hometown, I’ve never belonged to a gym before. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I am completely satisfied with this NYSC. It is immaculately clean, the staff is very helpful without getting in your way, and no one seems to ever be there working out! It’s Harlem’s little secret. There are days when I’m the only one on the Cardio Floor.
The locker rooms are clean, but I usually wear flip flops in the shower just in case. Plenty of hi-​tech machines and bikes, etc. I haven’t taken too many classes yet; the one yoga class I took was terrible so it scared me off for a while.
All in all, this gym is tops, especially considering the location. This area is changing everyday, and a new clean topnotch gym is just what we need up here. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

This NYSC is one of the worst I have been to in the city, which is really sad because I waited for it with such high hopes prior to its opening.
–1 for the front desk people who seem to not abide by the posted opening hours. Despite it being a few blocks away from me (finally), it takes longer than training to another club depending on whether they are actually open or not.
+1 for there being lots of cardio machines (despite the view from them)
–3 for the creeper factor: The downstairs weight and mat room is creeper central pretty much at all times of the day. Men en masse seem to hang out there to accost and stare. If a woman has her earbuds in, doing crunches over on a corner mat, it’s probably a good chance she is not interested in you coming over to «holla at a bitch.» This atmosphere is the rule, it is not the exception.
If NYSC did not make canceling SO hard, I would have cut this off months ago. Thanks recession for finally pushing me to get this done.