Steep Rock Bouldering

The best spot to go bouldering in Manhattan. Find me here a couple times a week.
I was transplanted last year from Berkeley (Touchstone gyms anyone?) so I was a bit taken aback by the small size of this gym. Don’t let that deter you! The setters are on point and reset routes about once a week so there is always fresh stuff to work on.
Why I love their setters: I am short. 4′ 11.75″ to be exact. Often there are routes at gyms set by 6′ tall people that are just impossible for me to climb. The Steep Rock setters set really diverse routes with different kinds of holds and different kinds of moves (including nice crunchy ones) which make it really fun for even a shortie like me.
Also their atmosphere is really chill. Bobby, the manager here, is really easy-​going and creates a positive learning environment.
If you’ve never climbed before, this is a great place to send your first route!

I love this place! My brother and his wife are members and I’ve gone as their guest a couple times. David gave me and my friend a very helpful and quick orientation and then we climbed until we couldn’t climb anymore.
It’s an amazing workout and a cool little community. Wish it was downtown but it is very conveniently located right off the 6 train.
If it’s your first time, prepare to be very sore! We went on Saturday afternoon and it was not very crowded.

My daughter loved to rock climb at her sleep away summer camp but she never got a chance to climb on a regular basis because there were no nearby climbing walls. Now she has a place to go every week end in our neighborhood. We discovered SRB last summer (they have a summer camp, 4 hours in the morning, which they also replicated for the Christmas break)) and since then, my daughter has been going every weekend. It is located at a very convenient area because most of the climbing places are outside of Manhattan.
She never gets bored of the problems there because they change a wall every Monday and Tuesday. The staff and the climbers there are really friendly and encourage each other to go further and get better. From the outside, the place looks small but it feels big when you climb. The membership ($ 88) allows the member to bring one guest once a month.

What an awesome place! You come in, rent shoes if you don’t have your own and you can climb all day. The people working there were so kind to me, coached me a bit through climbing and falling properly, showed me how to follow the color paths, and random tips. I wished I lived closer, an awesome couple of hours nicely spent on the walls.

I purchased a voucher via groupon for $ 15 and came with my sisters and friends. The voucher was good for a shoe rental and a bag of chalk.
On that day half the place was reserved for a bunch of kids for a birthday celebration, which was fine because the other half was still open.
The courses were very challenging, and it indeed takes a lot of arm strength, but it was very clean and enjoyable.

I love this place. Fellow climbers are always friendly. Staff are accommodating. They have good rental shoes, not the cheapest ones like most gyms. The atmosphere is clean and hip. The problems are always unique and fun. I hate rope so this is the perfect place for me… Bouldering only! The only reason it’s –1 star is because I wish there were some weights to work out after climbing. But then again there’s no room for that and I can just go to my gym

They did a great job with the space they have. This was the first climbing gym I’ve been to and where I got «hooked». There are a handful of very easy routes that are great for beginners. Very smelly compared to other climbing gyms. Don’t plan on going anywhere after except home to shower and change.
4 stars for friendly staff and location (right off the 6!).

I only really visit SRB when I buy a Groupon, but every time that I have gone, the service has been above and beyond expectations.
On one instance, I’d purchased a Groupon and wanted to purchase and extra package for a friend who is a bouldering enthusiast. When she arrived, and much to my embarrassment, she brought with her a pair of shoes and chalk. I did not anticipate her level of dedication to the sport and asked for a refund for the chalk and shoe rental and they obliged. That gesture to accommodate me for $ 6 is why I will be a loyal customer to them.
Refunding me $ 6 was more trouble than it was worth, but they did it anyway.
Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the employee who helped me, but when I figure it out. I will edit this post and recognize him by name.
In addition to them being accommodating, they offer good music, healthy snacks and constant encouragement and strategies to climb that wall!
Long story short, this place is awesome!

Wasn’t pricey with a groupon coupon, and had a great time with friends. Falling was fun, and the matting was soft enough for me to fall flat on my butt, back, shoulder, etc. without getting hurt. The routes were difficult and the best I could do was a difficulty 6. Was a lot of fun challenging my friends and myself though. Plus, running on the matting made me feel like an astronaut. stellar/​10

This place is pretty affordable and has a student discount as well! Staff is very friendly and laid back. The rock walls are easily labeled and fun to climb! I went on a first date here, it was great!

Bouldering is an expensive sport.
Once you can accept that fact, you are free to embrace the wonders of bouldering. I moved a couple of blocks from this place last month and was looking for a way to keep fit without the monotony of a gym. After trying this place a few times, I committed to a student monthly pass, and I am so glad I did! (I will admit that for $ 68/​month plus the $ 25 signup fee — there’s also a $ 8/​month maintenance fee if you freeze your account — I wish shoes and a chalk bag were included.) This place isn’t very big, but they regularly change sections so there are always new routes to try.
People of all ages and skill levels climb here, and everyone I’ve met, from the staff to other climbers, has been incredibly friendly and supportive. It’s fun to see my climbing progress through the weeks, and it gives me something to look forward to (as opposed to lifting the same weights over and over again).
ATMOSPHERE: ⁴⁄₅
STAFF: ⁵⁄₅
VALUE: ⁴⁄₅
OVERALL: ⁴⁄₅

Awesome rock wall on the upper east side. It is bouldering only, so no harnesses or ropes. The place does look small but you will not get bored. There are plenty of options for people at all levels and there are a wide variety of climbers at all times (including some pretty ninja little kids). The staff are totally nice and helpful and everyone I have met there has been super considerate. Great for dates, groups, hanging out with your friends, etc. Note that sometimes they have Groupon or LivingSocial deals for month or day passes.
The one thing I would say is that the shoes they have for rental are gross. They should disinfect them more often or get new ones.

Small, no true cave, $ 23 adult pass plus chalk bag. Limited training area. Nice crash pads. Crashed a few extra times because staff was setting new routes during climbing hours. Decent problems considering size.
Overall, got a decent, overpriced workout in a small place. Needed a shower, but there wasn’t one around.

It’s not a big facility — but they switch up the holds pretty regularly, which keeps it interesting and challenging. The staff is friendly and the environment is generally very upbeat and supportive. Other members/​guests are very considerate, and the vibe is very helpful. Every now and then someone will come up to you and call out a hold, or give you a tip. I used to think it was always employees, but half the time it’s just a fellow climber looking to help you out.
It sometimes gets crowded, but rarely overwhelming. I’m a big fan of this place, really glad it opened up in the neighborhood and hope that business stays booming. Great spot!

My boyfriend took me here as a surprise. It was something we both had never tried before, but a lot of fun nonetheless. The music they played was pretty cool and sounded like «underground» indie bands (I really liked it). Also, the place was kinda small and very busy when we arrived; we were there from about 6−8pm. The staff were friendly and helpful, which was a plus.
I believe he purchased a day pass, which included a shoe rental and bag of chalk. We were both surprised that there weren’t any harnesses; we didn’t know the difference between rock climbing and bouldering. It was quite challenging for us, even with the color coordinated stripes and numbered levels. Luckily, there’s a large cushioned mat beneath the entire area of the course, so if you feel unsteady climbing, it’s safe to fall back/​off. Bouldering requires a lot of core and upper body strength, for sure.
Be sure to dress comfortably if you come here. I came here straight from school, so I had on jeggings (luckily they didn’t rip!). I’d suggest wearing any of these: gym shorts, yoga pants, leggings, a loose tshirt, sweatshirt, etc. Don’t wear bracelets, rings, or a watch because they could/​will get scratched up! Any of your loose belongings can be stored in the cubbies and shelves on the opposite side of the course.

Very good experience, friendly and professional staff,
Ian is very nice, he explained us everything and gave us advices.
My only tip for you is to bring a pair of socks.

Situation: It was my turn to plan date night, so I figured, why not do something a little more adventurous than your typical movie and dinner night? Thank to Unilocal I found this cool little place. We came in around 6:30pm, signed a waiver, and got a day pass which gave us «all day» climbing time, climbing shoes, and a bag of chalk, costing about $ 28.00 each.
PROS
–Clean facilities, friendly staff, courteous patrons. Admittedly the space was a bit smaller than I had expected, but that kind of added to its charm.
–You can tell that the people that go there are really into it and probably come often. It’s an adrenaline rush to be able to make it to the top and realise that you did it without anyone helping you at all! Luckily, if you do fall, even from the top, there are cushions below that will break your fall. I fell a couple times and didn’t get a scratch, although of course I wouldn’t recommend falling on purpose if it’s avoidable.
–Crowded enough to create a lively atmosphere, but not too crowded where you wouldn’t get any chances to climb.
CONS
–I was caught a little off guard when I came in and realised that there weren’t any harnesses! Apparently there’s a difference between «rock-​climbing» (with harness) and «bouldering» (sans-​harness).
–As beginners, I wish that we had gotten a little more guidance from the staff. Mostly we just observed how other people were doing it and figured things out as we went. Apparently there’s a bit of technique behind it: you have to choose an initial rock near the bottom that is marked with level of difficulty by colour/​number and then you follow the rocks that are marked with that colour and try to get to the top. For example, if you pick V0 (pink), that’s an ‘easy’ level and you can only step on the rocks marked with pink tape.
In a nutshell…
It made for a memorable night! I’m not terribly good at bouldering, but with some practice, I could get there. Definitely can see why people are addicted!

You won’t normally find me this far Uptown (New Yorkers are funny this way about distance), but I was in the mood to go bouldering on a Saturday afternoon.
It has been a good while since I climbed and my brain and body needed a diversion from yoga and running.
I came here on a Saturday afternoon with no expectations. I was just interested in climbing a few V0s and perhaps if I was feeling particularly strong, I would try a few V1s. I’m not a seasoned climber, so still taking baby steps.
I get here and the place is filled with children. And they all seem to be running amok, wild and in packs. I was a bit worried that the children themselves would be hazards.
If you have gone to the other climbing gyms in New York (which I have), this one is by far the smallest. But for what they lack in size, they make up for in friendly and good customer service. The front desk kept apologizing for all the little people running around…
There are two bathrooms, one for men and one for women, that also double as changing rooms. They are kept clean, so no worries there. Some cubbyholes to store your items, and then off you go towards the wall to attempt your climbing skills.
I have to admit the children running around was definitely a distraction and they seem to be everywhere. They would get in front of you just as you are ready to attempt a path, but in the end, it worked out fine. I was able to attempt 10 climbs and some paths were definitely easier than others.
I would have to agree with other Unilocalers that this gym is not as intimidating as the other gyms. Lots of newbies here, so your self esteem won’t suffer as badly here as with other places. The only thing I would gripe about is lack of climbing etiquette. Many people attempting to climb the same wall while someone else is in mid-​course close by, could be dangerous if more than one person falls…
Overall, not a bad way to spend the afternoon trying to strategically plan your climb, attempting it, climbing to the top, touching the colored flag you aimed for and getting a very decent forearm stretch.
I will be back when I find myself Uptown again.

This bouldering gym is small and intimate but they have plenty of routes and the 4 – 5 sections are reset monthly, there are always fresh problems to try by the time you’ve worked on them all
The staff and the regulars are really friendly and helpful.
On weekdays, early afternoon and late night are the least crowded.
— Ratings are slightly easier than other gyms. Good for your self esteem XD.
— smooth walls, good for your shoes, bad for smearing.
Sometimes they have birthday parties or kids camps where there aren’t enough adults to supervise the children running free, its almost a hazard.

Simple and no-​frills bouldering spot. Got an hour-​plus of no-​one-​bothering me boulder time via ClassPass. I had done wall-​climbing (with the harness) but this was my first time bouldering, so the girl at reception walked me through a few of the V0 problems and gave me a few tips regarding what I was doing. She was really kind and helpful and demonstrated different ways that I could try a problem. She was also motivational and tried to talk me through my being scared of falling.
(I did fall from nearly the top finally and there’s definitely sufficient padding and then you’re a lot less scared!). It also feels like a more intense workout than wall-​climbing because there’s no harness and no «resting». I was pretty much clinging onto the wall with all my forearm/​finger strength the whole time I was on the wall.
I went from 10−11am and there were 2 other women bouldering at the same time. The space is large enough that we never got in each others’ way and the sport is such that you need some down time between each attempt, so that added to me not feeling crowded or that I was slowing someone else down by concentrating and re-​trying one problem over and over again. One woman was helpful and gave me a few tips as well without being anything like overbearing. I definitely felt like it’s probably a small community of climbers who are nice to each other.
There is 1 bathroom per gender, large enough to comfortably change in, but no designated locker/​changing/​shower rooms. There are open cubbies in the bouldering area and I never felt worried security-​wise. Not positive but pretty sure there was a water fountain on the floor.
I paid $ 6 for shoes/​chalk rental. The shoes were a little stinky but that didn’t bother me (feet are far away from my face when climbing). Would be interested in getting my friends together for one of their women’s night events.
It’s pretty out of the way for my commute but I can’t stop thinking about going back and getting to the top of my problem!