Oval Fitness

Great local gym. They have exactly what you need in a gym. Friendly staff. Exceptional instructors. Wide range of classes included in your membership. If you can’t get in a class they have ample treadmills and other machines. I have been going for years. So grateful to have them local and reliable! Highly recommend

Horrible customer service. We had been kicked out of PCVST after 25 years. As I am not a tenant the Oval subscription should have been automatically canceled because they only service tenants. The front desk receptionist was incredibly rude and not understanding. I hope this review educates other people leaving pcvst that these crooks will keep taking your money even after you can no longer use their services.

This is the worst gym that exists in America. For starters, they do not play music in the gym. So you can hear everyone breathing. Secondly, I have witnessed MULTIPLE roaches on the gym floor as I am trying to do abs just crawling around. Not to mention, there is no where in the gym you can do any type of ab workout or workout on the floor because the single classroom always has an instructor and his one class member in it. You find yourself having to navigate a floor full of people to get to a machine. Finally, you need to cancel your membership a full month in advance or else they charge you for a full month of being there because «they cannot process it any faster». This happens even if you are moving out of the building suddenly and did not know ahead of time. All in all, I would rather be 500lbs and have a stroke than go workout at this gym or go anywhere near it

I’ve been an Oval member since it opened, but I didn’t start utilizing it until after it reopened after Sandy. It is very convenient for me, as I live upstairs. But if I did not live in PCVST, I would probably use another gym.
My fitness background, for POV reference:
I am mid-​30s former multi-​sport athlete with many injuries. I’ve been around the NYC fitness block & I also have experience with many gyms in different cities (Crunch, Equinox, UFC, NYC Parks & Rec gyms, YMCAs, yoga studios…).
Facility:
The gym is small, compared to chain gyms. But it has everything you need. Plus, it is super clean. I have never had an issue rotating sets with other members. Communication! I dont use machines that much, so if you are a machine-​only person, I can see how you might have frustrations. I also have never seen the free weights locked up… I do not use the gym in the evenings or weekends, so my review is based off of weekdays between 8am — 3pm. Not sure why reviewers think other members are annoying, but I ignore the world when I’m working out (fairly zoned-​out & focused) & have not had issues in that area.
Technology:
I really like using the MindBody app they started using for scheduling, since it syncs with my iCal (I use it for my yoga studios too).
Staff:
After the reopening, I found that the staff, trainers & teachers are MUCH better! All of the staff is much more personable — but I am an outgoing, personable person too. I understand other reviewers’ anger towards the management’s sales mentality, but gyms are selling environments. I have never belonged to any type of facility that didn’t try to upsell me in some way. Just say no thanks or purchase something, and be on your way!
Classes:
Definitely a good variety of classes. I’ve taken Cardio Barre (Laura-​Ann) & Body Sculpt (Fredy) which are both great (Friday classes). Fredy’s class is totally insane! All classes I’ve taken are packed (especially Cardio Barre). I recommend signing up on MindBody prior.
Individual Personal Training:
I started working with one trainer a few yrs ago that didn’t match skill set & I got bored. I want militant, team-​sports style training where I can’t sit on the toilet the next day. But the new trainers are really amazing, and after trying out a few, I am now working with one that kicks my ass (Maria)! #AssByMaria
Small Group Training:
These are absolutely great for budgeting ($ 160) & getting yourself back into a gym routine. I’ve taken 4 cycles (8 sessions each cycle, 2x per week) with Luis, Fredy & Erik. I prefer Luis’ group because it is a bit less intense than Fredy/Erik’s, and I can modify as to not aggravate my injuries. There are usually 4 – 6 people in each cycle. I travel a bit & I missed a bunch of sessions during each cycle & was able to use those sessions towards future cycle sessions. This is a massive perk for me since I do not keep a consistent schedule. Speak to Marta, the Fitness Director, when/​before you join a cycle & she will work it out with you. She also did the same for me when I got sick recently.
Contract:
I started w/​no commitment $ 35/​month because I have a flexible work schedule and could go to the gym between 11am — 2/​3pm. I recently upgraded to $ 85/​month all access w/​commitment. I understand other reviewers’ complaints about their contracts. I review contracts a lot, and this gym has basically the same policies as any other NYC gym (2 – 3 month cancel notice, plus possible early termination fee). I recommend reading your contract to know what you need to do prior to canceling. Or just join without any commitment!
In summary:
Oval Gym is great for me and suits my gym needs.

Unless you live on Stuyvesant there is at least a 1000 better gyms in New York. I tried to cancel my membership and they where extremely unhelpful. Just walk a little bit more and go to a better gym!

Oval fitness manages to stay in business purely because of its location and isolation from other gyms. Never before have I been so dismissed by a company despite spending a small fortune on private training sessions and monthly fees. If you live in PCVST it may be a convenient option and some of the trainers are great (Fredy), but go in with your eyes open that the membership director, Ed, does not value customer service basics or patron loyalty and will capitalize on any opportunity to take your money.
Positive: I enjoyed my personal training sessions.
Negatives: Below average facility, expensive dues, small space, shockingly rude & unhelpful membership director.

«Hi _​_​_​_​_​_​_​,
We received your request on _​3/​12/​2015_​_​_​to cancel your membership.
As indicated in the Terms of Service that you agreed to when you joined, we do require a 1 month written notification, prior to the next billing cycle (the first of every month) in the case of the Monthly Membership. This policy is verbally explained and electronically shown to you when you join (where you electronically agree to the contract), and a copy is also emailed to you the day that you become a member.
This email will serve as your written notice and your last charge will be on _​_​4/​1/​2015_​_​_​_​and your membership will expire on _​4/​30/​2015_​_​_​. Your cancellation will process accordingly as long as there is no balance on your account. As stipulated in the Terms of Service, a cancellation may not be processed if there is an outstanding balance on an account.
We have an automated membership system that is programmed to process cancellations based on the date we receive your notification in writing. Since the cutoff date has passed, we received your notice on 3.12.15 @ 12:22pm the cancellation can only be processed according to the Terms of Service on you contract. The cancel will go on as indicated above, unless we are unable to collect April’s dues. In which case your membership will remain active and charges will continue to accrue until there is no balance on your account. While we’re sure that collection of any open balance, as indicated above, will be handled at the club level, if we are unable to, other collection options will be explored.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance with this.
–The Oval Fitness Team»

If you live in the building or right next door, then this gym might be good for convenience. But if you don’t, then I recommend finding someplace else. It’s really small – if 3 people are working out with free weights at one time, it’s too crowded to really get in a good workout. They lock up the dumbbells, so you have to ask for them to be unlocked so you can get what you want. Apparently they are afraid that they’ll be stolen, but I have never ever ever worked out in a gym that kept its weights locked up.
This gym is also irresponsibly managed. After being forced to pay for two months after I needed to cancel my membership early because I was transferred to Chicago (so two months I wasn’t even in NYC I still had to pay), and then they charged me for the third month – a month after the told me my membership was cancelled. Good thing I was paying attention and could call them right away. But seriously?
Go someplace else where you have space to move around and you don’t have to track down someone who works there so you can get access to the weights you want. And, so you don’t have to worry that you’ll be wrongly charged.

Update:
I upgraded my membership to a full-​time membership and paid in full for a year which was $ 950. That comes out to about $ 79/​month which is not bad at all for Manhattan.
Why I think this place is worth it is because some of their classes are really great – I would never be able to push myself the way their instructors push me. I’m in and out in 45 minutes and am sore (which I love).

DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS GYM. The membership director will do anything possible to charge you money even when you cancel your membership.
I joined this gym when I moved in with my roommate in Stuy Town. It was only a temporary thing because I was planning on moving back home for the summer.
I informed the gym that I had moved back home and they said they could not cancel my account until I paid my balance. Apparently, my credit card was no longer working so I was accruing a balance with the gym for two months before I even knew I had a balance. They told me they were sending e-​mails to me every single month to tell me I had a balance, but the e-​mail they were using was an e-​mail that I never check. I never knew I had a balance.
After multiple e-​mails with the membership director to try to explain to him what happened and that I would pay up until the point that I moved, he constantly referred to the contract that I had signed and would not settle with me. He informed me they would still keep charging my account until I paid my balance. To top it off, the membership director thinks he is an attorney when he explains the contract to you.
BUYER BEWARE! DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS GYM. You should sign up for New York Sports Club. Way better gym, about the same money per month and you don’t have to deal with nonsense.

This is a small but clean gym.
My biggest complaint is that they do not have free weights under 10 lbs out. If you want these, you have to «check them out» — go to the front desk with your ID and then get them from one of the studios. If there is a class in session then… well, too bad, you are out of luck.
UPDATED July 2014. Got an email encouraging me to give any feedback — which I did. Absolutely no response a month later. WHY ASK? That is even worse customer service that not even bothering…

Very sad … I assume this facility was on the edge financially. They closed down after Sandy and word is that they won’t reopen for at least six months. I lived in an apt next door and loved having the gym there. No more … I guess Stuytown isn’t going to have a gym.

I moved to Stuytown and needed a gym real close. If it’s not close then I’m not going to go. I’m not a really intense gym goer, although I’ve become very regular since joining. Can probably credit the gym for that.
Since I have many mornings free I signed up for the «off peak membership» which is only 40 or 45 a month. At those times (11 – 2) the gym is never crazy busy. Rarely wait for a weight machine, and never for an elliptical.
I really like the atmosphere of a major proportion of the clientele being older folks! Probably a contributing factor for why I go. Don’t feel any pressure! There are plenty of younger and more active clients also.
Trainers seem nice but have had no interaction with them. Will probably getting some training sessions eventually though.
Only down side is that there isn’t a lot of room for the trainers with their clients. You don’t always want to get all in their business in order to use a machine. Could just be me though.
All in all a great gym, and has turned me into a real gym goer!

I have been a satisfied user of Oval Fitness for two years. It’s smaller than most gyms in NYC, but it has all of the equipment, weights, and fitness classes I need for my various workouts. It is always very well kept and the extra large showers are a definite plus.

I have been a member of Oval Fitness since February 2011. I have never worked out as consistently as I do now; I believe that part of the reason is due to the management and trainers that Oval Fitness employs. I opted for the $ 35 a month lunch time membership that allows me to work out between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on weekdays. This works great for me since I work from home and there are classes during these hours Monday through Friday.
Amy Blitz is the training director and she runs a very organized operation, Amy is also very approachable, professional, and respectful to clients and staff. The classes are great and if an instructor is absent for some reason, there is always a substitute.
When you join you get a free one hour session with a trainer, it was great to have a one on one free workout with a professional trainer. I have had positive interactions with many trainers including Colleen, Carter, Billy, and Luis They are always willing to take the time to talk to you about your exercise and diet to help increase your weight loss in a healthy way.
The gym is clean and the equipment is maintained and in good operating order. If you live in the area and are looking for a gym I would say that Oval Fitness would be a great investment.

I really have no complaints about Oval Fitness. I happen to live very close to the gym in the overall Stuy Town complex, so it’s a very convenient walk down from my apt. to the gym.
I signed up with an introductory deal that waived the initiation fee (thank god, I never understand those anyway) in the fall in September and have been a member since. I pay $ 85 or so a month, which is fairly standard for a gym in NYC and the location really can’t be beat for me. The gym is very clean and there is a good selection of cardio and weight equipment. I find that the cardio equipment is rarely crowded – sometimes during the post-​work rush, it can get very busy, but overall, I rarely have to wait for a machine. The bathrooms are clean and spacious. You always get a clean towel and the staff is generally friendly and helpful.
I also really like the classes. Pilates on Thursday mornings is great, as is Spinning with almost all of the instructors. I’m a happy Oval Fitness member overall and would recommend it to anyone who wants a close gym for a decent price.

As a resident of PCV/​ST, we are given a one day pass to Oval Fitness. I went yesterday since the pass expired today (²⁄₁₅).
What I like:
— very clean and organized. You are provided a towel and they have wipes.
— Clean locker rooms with two showers
— Optional 1-​on-​1 personal trainers
— Ceiling high windows
— dedicated Group aerobics room
What I don’t like:
— Limited selection of machines.
— Must bring your own locker
— Machines are a bit odd, I can’t get the full range of motion
— Cost for convenience, totally not worth it
Conclusion:
I would rather pay 24-​hour fitness $ 80/​month than Oval Fitness.