Orchard St. gets a 6.5/10 for a lot of space and a beautiful environment, mixed with an unusual level of untidiness and cramped locker rooms. Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories. Discover our urban oasis with lush open spaces and the Hudson River just steps away in New Yorks newest neighborhood, Hudson Yards. There are also multiple infrared saunas available to use for an additional charge. Some base-level gyms have other features like boxing rooms, barre rooms, heated yoga rooms, and pools. The steam room, which was huge and in the center of the locker room, contained masses of soggy newspaper and leftover towels, and the lockers were the old version where you needed your old personal lock. The front includes a full juice press with cafe seating, where anyone can come in and grab something to drink. The sexy design of the rooms with their padded walls, plush rugs and smart layouts. The gym is huge, and feels more like how a spacious office in the neighborhood would feel, with concrete, wood, and metal making up the chic interior. The crowd was generally young, with an interesting mix of bros who frequent the Lower East Side these days, and creatives who Equinox might try to attract with the location. Wood-paneled lockers lined the room as the finance crowd either watched ESPN on the TVs or chatted about work. It cost a total of $268 to get started at Equinox Fitness Club. The crowd ranged between college-aged students and older West Village holdout, among a thriving community of gay men who clearly hold court at the location. Midtown has a few gems scattered among crowded, corporate cookie-cutter gyms full of finance bros. Bryant Park: the Apple store of Equinoxes. An "All Access" membership costs $260 per month plus a $500 initiation fee and gives you a membership at all 29 regular locations in New York Cityand clubs nationally, but doesn't allow access to premium "E" clubs, Sports Clubs, or other special locations. Arriving after work, the lounge area was completely full and being used, the locker rooms were crawling with people, and the gym floor itself was overflowing. The natural light, and new and clean interior was super impressive, and I was surprised that this gem was hidden away at the northern tip of Manhattan (I usually stick to downtown and Brooklyn). One long mirror created a sort of group vanity situation, which was a better option than most Equinox locker rooms that have a handful of vanity stations at the end of each row of locker room, which usually end up not being enough. West 92nd Street gets a 6.5/10 for spaciousness and cleanliness. 9/23/2022. The layout isn't ideal, but isn't awfully burdensome because of the gym's small size. Equinox East 74th has five floors, three of which are underground. My thoughts were, "I wouldn't pay $190 to go to this gym alone.". An overzealous toilet paper user had seemingly ripped off more than he could use, and there were scraps of toilet paper all over the bathroom floor. Built in the 2016 Equinox boom, the year the company built or acquired five different locations in New York City, the Bond Street location is large, spacious, has tons of natural light, and has a strong aesthetic centered around its red brick interior. Unlike the Sports Club, however, Printing House's selling points rest squarely on two features the outdoor pool and the views. The yellow walls, and unserviced cable machines, along with a much older and weirder clientele (who were few and far between), gave it the feeling of a hotel gym. Equinox E 85th NYC Location Review Hi All -- Was thinking of joining Equinox at the East 85th location in NYC. Tier X is the real selling point, but an E membership comes with a heightened level of luxury according to the company. It appears as if Equinox is at least aware of the problem, as I saw a salesperson divert a customer away from the hallway before the bottleneck cleared. The gym itself at E seems surprisingly sparse, but that's by design. Alone I wouldn't say a membership to this gym would be worth nearly $200 per month, but taken together with other gyms, this location could be a good fit if you work in the area. Each time I went, there were tons of towels on the ground. Equinox has 29 locations in Brooklyn and New York that are accessible with their $260 a month "all access" membership. The New York Post cites court papers referring to group fitness classes, "the particular song is easily identifiable, and I can even follow along with the lyrics." This was the third Equinox built in New York City, and according to customers, it's starting to show its age. This was the original E, founded in 2004 when Tier X used to be called Tier 4, and when the club stood alone. The steam room, which was huge and in the center of the locker room, contained masses of soggy newspaper and leftover towels, and the lockers were the old version where you needed your old personal lock. Immediately when you walk in, staff greet you and offer coffee, fruit, or water. and then runs laps The gym itself is on the top floor, and has an interesting layout. Sign up to get texts from Equinox about exclusive invites, promotions, and news. E by Equinox members also get access to an exclusive training space that's inside Equinox's Columbus Circle location, accessible by retina scan secured door off the main lobby. Specialties: For more than 25 years, Equinox has consistently offered bespoke experiences and unparalleled services to consumers, developing a lifestyle brand that represents service, value, quality, expertise, innovation, attention to detail, market leadership and results. All rights reserved.For reprint rights. Deeply hydrate and nourish your skin with our Intensive Body Cream: Rosa Damascena, Acai, Pomegranate. I immersed myself in Equinox's world of eucalyptus towels and infrared saunas to discover why people drop thousands of dollars on a gym membership, Equinox Sports Club gets a 10/10 for luxury and amenities. East 54th Street gets a 1/10 for setting the low bar. Reply life_isnt_it . The gym itself is squeezed into the recent development that houses it, and has the shape of a skinny sliver of cake. This is similar to a lot of other Equinox locations, but in Flatiron, home to New York's own brand of startup hustle and grind, it's turned into a full-on workspace. The manager who showed me the space wasn't blind to the disparity between E Madison and Columbus Circle. The price you would pay for membership will be influenced by some factors like the number of people that are joining with you, the type of membership, and the exact location. ago Bond Street is beautiful, love the New York architectural details. Equinox East 53rd Street feels like a chicer version of East 54th street the worst Equinox in New York. Members of E don't necessarily need to join Tier X, but E's Membership Director Zach Nelson tells me that the majority of members end up doing it at $170 per session. The gym occupies the first few floors of the new luxury condo development 196 Orchard, where the average sale price has come to nearly $2.4 million per unit, according to StreetEasy. Like similar cases, the issue was resolved out of court. 4 Alvin3792 9 mo. On my first visit, the location was hard to fault it was beautiful, sparkling clean, and basically empty. Despite rumors I've heard, there isn't a direct passageway between the two, according to employees. It's hard not to compare Equinox Bryant Park to an Apple store, with its cubic glass facade jutting out of the ground in Midtown. Head to the link in our bio to shop. It's hard to justify paying an inflated gym price for a feature you can only use one-fourth of the year. Both of them have an initiation fee of $100 and don't have any cancellation fee, which . Equinox's Brookfield Place location was appropriately part of the development of the luxury mall on the west side of the World Trade Center. The staff was friendly and roamed around handing out towels, there was a daycare, and the steam room worked, but felt weak, probably because it was too big and cavernous to feel the small amount of steam that was being emitted. Everything felt brand new and was incredibly clean. Likewise, the gym itself also appeared to be constantly well trafficked. Msg & data rates may apply. The locker rooms were untidy and outdated. It has large floors, wider stairs and hallways, and a cohesive gold aesthetic that runs throughout. Equinox Orchard's locker rooms did not live up to expectations set by the rest of the gym. With twice-weekly training sessions that Equinox recommends, the membership costs $23,620 the year of enrollment $20,000 more than Equinox's standard membership. The gyms are notoriously expensive - Equinox's top membership costs $500 per month with a $750 initiation fee - and it's not uncommon to hear people quip that they can't afford it. The most expensive membership is called 'E by Equinox,' which gives you access to two exclusive New York gyms and every other Equinox in the world. It's functional. The gym itself feels like the floor of an office, with great views to boot. From what I could tell, it had a lot of cardio machines, some cable-assisted weight equipment, and fewer free weights. East 63rd Street: Upper east side charm without the pretension. I visited at multiple times of the day and it seemed like it was always bustling. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he frequently needs to tell other customers to stop taking pictures of him doing pilates. That's good service! The barrel saunas alongside an outdoor pool. The one I was showed had hair in the sink, and some scraps of paper on the floor. Equinox is one of New York's most exclusive gyms, with 29 locations all over NYC. Nearly all of the Equinox locations in Downtown Manhattan had a unique feel, seemingly catering to the younger crowd that lives and works below 40th street. Brooklyn has three locations two are pretty nice and one feels like a motel gym. Equinox's Sports Club New York, found a few blocks from Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side, is one of Equinox's most impressive locations, even though it falls a tier below the brand's top offerings. My second time around was not so good. It includes a large functional training floor, multiple levels for machines and weight training, and all-glass studios. E Columbus Circle gets a 5/10 for a slightly elevated experience at an unrealistic price. In New York City, there are two locations that are bundled with the membership Sports Club New York and Printing House. Offer ends soon. Equinox has 11 locations in downtown Manhattan. It'll be their first new NYC location since Hudson Yards in 2019. . Uptown has unique, spacious locations targeting moms and older customers. This is seemingly the overarching idea of Equinox's luxury brand, but the concept is actually realized at the Sports Club. The studio itself felt cramped, and the lighting was such that it felt like you were riding almost completely in darkness. The spacious locker rooms are able to accommodate everyone, but the steam room is one of the smallest I've seen at any Equinox. But the few machines they have are covered in custom luxury leather, according to Nelson. East 85th Street gets a 7/10 for general cleanliness and functionality. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Equinox locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This was one of the few Equinox's I've been to with no Juice Press, just vending machines. The West 92nd Street location was the second Equinox, built in 1995, following the Flatiron location. The Orchard Street Equinox in the Lower East Side of Manhattan is a capstone in the rapid gentrification of what was once considered the center of New York City's counter-culture. Wood-paneled lockers lined the room as the finance crowd either watched ESPN on the TVs or chatted about work. Compared to Equinox's top offerings, 53rd doesn't feel like anything special, but it seemingly provides the luxurious experience Equinox has promised to customers who won't be able to find it at the location one block north. Now, a diverse set of Wall Street workers use the space to train in the early morning hours. Equinox Flatiron packs a lot into a small space and places a priority on creating room for classes and equipment. As a standalone gym, Printing House doesn't justify paying a higher price than any other Equinox. Enjoy eucalyptus towels, invigorating showers, and coveted Kiehl's throughout. Notably, each shower has its own changing area unlike other Equinox locations, but the lighting is less than ideal. Despite this, the added amenities made it feel like one could truly spend their entire day in Equinox. The scale was also an old analog one rather than the fancy digital scales I saw at a majority of locations. Perhaps most sensibly of these has been its Williamsburg location, targeting the young "creatives" who have elected to live in the neighborhood because of its hipster reputation and proximity to Manhattan. This was one of the best classes I went to at Equinox. I spotted two prominent digital journalists who were there on my first visit. Columbus Circle gets a 7/10 for ritzy amenities and a fun vibe. This probably had less to do with the location and more to do with the nature of Equinox classes, where everyone is a dabbler. Besides a functional fitness floor and the cycling studio, which are on the ground floor, most of Printing House's amenities are on the 9th and 10th floors of the building. The gym itself at E seems surprisingly sparse, but that's by design. Look inward. My thoughts were, "I wouldn't pay $190 to go to this gym alone.". East 53rd Street gets a 5/10 for getting the job done as promised. It has large floors, wider stairs and hallways, and a cohesive gold aesthetic that runs throughout. This was the original E, founded in 2004 when Tier X used to be called Tier 4, and when the club stood alone. Instead, it's one rectangular floor of free weights, machines, and cardio equipment that's plainly laid out. It's hard not to compare Equinox Bryant Park to an Apple store, with its cubic glass facade jutting out of the ground in Midtown. Equinox is considered one of the nicer gyms in NY - this is the downtown flagship. This Upper West Side location features everything Equinox has to offer including an indoor Pool, a sundeck, sauna, steam room, basketball courts, a rock wall, Boxing Studio, Pilates Studio, Yoga Studio, and more. The training space is exclusively for training and is by appointment only.