Strive NYC

This is great neighborhood gym! The owners are super nice and very relatable. They actually engage in conversation with you, rather than the massive chain ones that want to just get on with their business.

Been a member for years. Always clean and friendly, and rarely crowded.
No juice bar or fancy apparel like more expensive NYC gyms, but equal if not better for getting your workout in, and getting on with your day.

I have been a member for a few months now, and I am very satisfied. This is a boutique neighborhood gym and not a big chain. The place is clean and the owners/​management/​staff are very professional and very pleasant. I am 56 years old and do not feel old here — members are from all age groups.
I had a one-​month membership which I switched to a monthly membership.

Amazing gym. Family owned with only one location in the city. Attracts senior citizens and serious meat heads. I am reviewing this gym as someone who only visited 7pm til closing, so I am not aware of how it is during peak hours. With that said, evenings are pretty chill here, about 5 – 10 people in the entire gym. The space is spotless, with a guy constantly cleaning equipment. Friendly staff, greet you by name. From the 4 months that I’ve been visiting, have yet to see a single piece of equipment under maintenance. The place is decent sized split into three levels. But THEY HAVE EVERYTHING. Tons of cardio machines line the place, stretching area, and plenty of free weight and assisted machines. 2 bench, one incline, one of those assisted squat/​bench racks, and the only downer for me, only one squat rack. If someone is using it, especially trainers with their client, it became a bit of a wait. Extra goodies were a trap bar, trx cables, nice range of dumbbell from 2lbs to god knows what. There are no classes at this gym, but that was perfectly fine for me for I was more interested in the equipment I had access to. I would pay these guys a visit and see if they’re your fit. Stay healthy guys :)

Great neighborhood gym. Been here 3 times so far and all 3 times it hasn’t been too busy, equipment is great and the clientele is great. Overall, good gym to belong too.

This is a GREAT gym and I would recommend to anyone in Manhattan who is serious about getting in a good workout. Plenty of cardio machines (including a step machine that makes it feel like you’r climbing stadium steps), great machines and free weights for weight lifting and a nice little fitness room on the ground level of this 3 leveled gym.
there’s a small supply of supplement drinks at the front door and the locker rooms are clean and fairly spacious. Come check this place out if you want to get your body in shape for your wonderful life :)

Besides Strive being conviently located in my neighborhood, I really love how easy-​going it is. If you’re looking for towel service and classes this place is not for you, but if you’re simply looking to work out Strive is great. It’s clean, never gets too crowded on any of the 3 floors, has a great variety of equipment and I think the membership fee is fair for NYC standards.

I do weight training sessions here on Tuesdays with my PT. Total. Sausage-​fest. I don’t mind all the staring though, now that my ass looks amazing (said it, not sorry), thanks to my trainer, Amy Serfass.
There are three floors — locker rooms underground, with TRX equipment (my NYH&R doesn’t have this), and open space on the same level, then the main floor, which is half cardio, half weight machines, and a huge set of kettlebells, and then the top floor, which has more cardio and weight machines.
Everything is spotless and there are water fountains everywhere. There are grunting meatheads, but I don’t find that bothersome. If anything, it gets me pumped because everyone here is completely focused and giving it 100% — you won’t see any yuppies walking 2.5mph on a treadmill while pounding Gatorade.

Strive is a friendly, clean and welcoming neighborhood gym, with a ton of personal trainers and all sorts of clientele. I see pregnant women, hardcore bodybuilders, old people working with trainers, young people, etc.
It is welcoming to all, and the three floors mean you can find a quiet corner to work out on your own or you can be on the main floor and interact with the regulars who you get to know quite well if you go regularly at the same time.
The equipment is all in good shape and anything broken doesn’t stay broken for long, but mostly it is just a great community gym without all the commercialized everything that makes a trip to the gym feel like a bafflingly complex visit to a shopping mall.
For someone who is not interested in the stuck-​up atmosphere of a CRUNCH that always makes you feel bad about yourself, Strive is the perfect alternative.

This is a terrific gym for those who want to train in a very clean, friendly environment with state of the art equipment. The staff and the two owners are exceedingly courteous and customer friendly. Membership fees are fair and reasonable. The locker and bathrooms are always immaculately clean. The trainers on staff are first-​rate, professional and will get you results. I have belonged to Crunch and Equinox, but dollar for dollar — Strive NYC is the best. See for yourself. Stop in or view their website. Anyone who tells you different, is lying. Shame on them! Yeah — that’s you, M.G. Thank God, you and your trainer are gone! No one misses either of you.

I went here for a few months because I was training with a private trainer that was not associated with the gym– only uses their space. This gym has old equipment, dirty bathrooms, and extremely rude staff, particularly its two owners– Yves and Malou. The gym is also always empty, so I“m really not sure how they turn a profit… Stay away. THANK GOD my trainer is moving into his own space soon
!!!

I’d like to preface this review by saying that I gave the owners more than enough time to respond to me before posting here. They chose not to.
I went into Strive last week because I saw on their website on both the homepage next to a special offer image AND on their membership page that they offer a «low priced one month trial». Since I am training for a half marathon, that sounded perfect for me. All I need to use is the treadmill. And if I liked it, I’d continue my membership.
I went in for a tour and met one of the owners, Malou. Strive is a small gym with basic machines. They don’t have ellipticals with incline, they don’t have classes and the machines don’t have individual TVs. I thought this was perfect because it would likely mean a lower price than other gyms in the area that offer many classes and amenities.
At the end of the tour I told Malou that I was interested in the one month trial. She looked at me like I had two heads and told me there is no one month option. I told her I saw it on the website and she shook her head. I asked if the website was wrong and she said there is no such offer.
I inquired as to the price of the 3 month membership and was shocked to find out it would be $ 83 a month. I recently went into both NYSC and Crunch to find out prices. NYSC offered me $ 79/​mo, which includes use of their other locations throughout the city, many classes, individual TVs and many types of machines. Crunch offered me $ 80/​mo on a current special, and many of us know Crunch is famous for their unique and fun classes. Both options were for month to month memberships. Both those gyms have stocked locker rooms with shampoo, conditioner, steam room and sauna. It is shocking that Strive thinks they can charge MORE than their competitors when they offer only the basics! Their locker room was nice but offered none of the other amenities.
Before I left, I confirmed with Malou again — «so there is no one month membership option?» She shook her head and said no. I told her NYSC charges less. She shrugged. I walked out. She did not try to make me a better offer.
When I got home, I pulled up their website. Yep, the offer was right there on both pages of their website. They do claim to offer a one month trial. I sent an email to Malou and her husband Yves. I pasted the text of this offer and asked why I was told it did not exist.
That was a week ago. They never responded.
I wrote a review on my personal blog. They did not respond to that as well or make any effort to smooth things over.
Many people told me I should contact the Better Business Bureau because they so blatantly lied to me. I’m not sure it is worth the effort. I just want people in the neighborhood to know that this is a company that does not stand by their offers and charges a ridiculous amount when you aren’t getting much for the money. Their competitors offer a better rate and much more for what you pay.
A small gym like Strive would be wonderful if they charged accordingly. I was willing to pay a very fair price — but less than $ 83 a month. They lost my business and potentially others through these shady business practices.

OK. So about two months ago I realized that I wasn’t getting any younger and in order to stay competetive in the … cough … market, I was gonna have to really turn on the health button.
I got a personal trainer and a membership at Strive. Both have been awesome. Strive is simple, no-​nonsense, and your focus is on what you’re doing with your body, not on fancy woodwork or artwork or mind-​numbingly complex hallways to wander through.
The equipment is up-​to-​date and cared for well, the instructors are friendly and NOT solicitous of your time but free with advice, and the locker rooms are clean and spacious.
I like it.
So does my body.

a real gym!
new owners and huge improvements–
great selection of equipment and the price is right–
if you want huge aerobics classes and chic décor with a high cost this is not the gym for you–
If you want good equipment, clean facilities, natural light, and a funky Euro vibe that is a bit unusual for NYC, this is the gym for you.
I rarely have to wait for equipment–
they are now offering classes for stretching etc–
and on a weekday morning I love stretching upstairs in natural light by the windows with basically only a few people around.
This formula works.

I’m very happy here; I had gyms in apartment buildings that I lived in, and then was a member at NYSC for a few years, and then joined here.
The gym is basically brand-​new– all of the cardio equipment was replaced in the summer of 2009, and the floors were all re-​done then, too. Plus it’s not very crowded– I have never had to wait for a treadmill or the like when I go (around 7am), and weekends are even emptier. The people who work there are super-​friendly and fun, caring people, and lastly, the number of obnoxious members is very low– much lower than other places I’ve been.
Highly recommended, and it’s very inexpensive.

I’ve been going here for over a year and it’s great. The place is clean and you rarely have to wait for machines… the price is unbeatable… the staff is really friendly…
there are no classes, but thats fine with me…

I can’t speak much for the treadmills, as I barely use them. One time I did though, the display read «Cannot reach target speed» when it was about 0.8 mph from doing so. Either it was insulting my weight or it needed some oil!
Anyways, this gym offers a great price, and during my usual time slot (8pm — 10:30pm) is empty enough that I almost never have to wait for a machine or bench. The locker rooms smell and look extremely clean, and the staff is friendly.
As for the increase in the crowd after New Year’s: I noticed a small spike, but as we all know, those are New Year’s resolutioners. I’d say the gym is back to normal now.

I joined Strive over two years ago because it was small and cheap. I don’t participate in classes, so I figured it was perfect. My membership is dirt cheap, around $ 400 each year with no initiation fee. Until a few months ago I was extremely satisfied. No lines for machines, rarely a broken machine, and pleasant members and staff.
Prior to the new year Strive ran multiple membership «sales» which has made the gym incredibly crowded. Treadmills are broken — yesterday 4 were out of service. There are waits for machines and the guy hired to clean the gym does anything but. He’s on his phone or outside smoking cigarettes (over a year ago they had a nice guy cleaning and you could eat off of those machines!) Basically the gym is overcrowded and the machines are overused. Padding and rubber is coming off many of the machines, and many of the ellipticals make some scary noises.
It’s really a disappointment since I had considered this gym a gem for so long. Although my membership does not expire for another 4 months I am seriously considering joining a nearby «chain» gym and paying twice as much money, or at least bargaining as much as possible.

Great prices for a gym in midtown Manhattan. For 13 months one only has to pay roughly $ 400. The are constantly running specials that equals around this amount so no one should have to pay to much more.
A second benefit is that they have enough free weights and equipment to get in a good workout (lifting or cardio).
The down sides to this gym are that it is small (3 levels, but small floors). Although not often crowded the meat-​head to normal person ration is large. About a 5:1 meat head: normal person ratio. That being said this is by no means a meat market gym.
A second downside is the training staff. A disclaimer is that I never used them and they may be great, however they are constantly walking around training people and a lot of times trying to crowd you out of space if they want it. Overall they seem to be more of a nuisance than helpful.
Bottom line if you want a cheap but effective workout this might be a place to check out. Overwise look elsewhere.

This is a standard no frills gym. If you are a person who likes classes, this is not the place for you. If you just need a gym with some cardio equipment, free weights, and machines, then this place has enough to get a good work out.
The pros — it is one of the cheapest gyms, and generally not that crowded.
The cons — small, no classes. not a scene by any means, so the chicks really can’t appreciate how *good* i look, oh yeah. high five!