Is there a place where you can view membership rates for area gyms? None of their websites mention anything.
We checked around, and were not able to find any one site that listed membership rates for gyms around the city. Even most of the clubs' web sites themselves don't list their prices in hopes of getting potential members into the gym where they can dazzle them with the latest equipment and current specials - if you sign up today!
So we did some of the legwork for you and checked out what several local gyms are offering for those of us looking to feel the burn.
The chart shows the rates for Crunch, Dolphin Fitness (the Manhattan location), Equinox, Lucille Roberts- who was the only place that would not give prices over the phone, but encouraged us to make an appointment at one of the area gyms to get pricing, NY Health & Racquet Club, NY Sports Club, and the McBurney YMCA.
All the prices on the chart listed are for one adult with a 12-month contract. The YMCA's prices varied the most even within boroughs. Where as McBurney in Manhattan is $79/month, the Greenpoint YMCA is only $41.70/month, and we currently pay $49/month for the Prospect Park YMCA (although we think those prices have gone up a bit.) The YMCA's facilities all vary greatly, which explains why each location is priced accordingly. They also give you the option to pay annually - Citywide access is $1033/year, McBurney is $948/year, Greenpoint is $500/year.
On the other end of the scale is Equinox, which was the most expensive that we came across, but there is no extra charge for nationwide access, and they boast spas, pools, and complimentary deodorant and razors and such. Everything is provided, according to the gentleman on the phone.
If you really are trying to figure out how to get access to a yacht for the summer, NY Health & Racquet Club would probably be a great choice for you. On top of their citywide gym access, members are given access to the yacht and the beach and tennis club during summer months. The prices listed on the chart for NYHRC are good until July 31st, they were unable to tell us what they would be beyond that. If you are a commitment-phobe, you can skip the yearly contract and pay $119/month with a $59 initiation fee, or if you love commitment, you can sign a 2-year contract and pay $99/month.
New York Sports Clubs' prices listed above for the single location price also include access to the citywide gyms at off-peak hours. To avoid their contracts, you pay $200 initiation, $89.95 for one location (with citywide access during off-peak hours), and $95.95 for citywide access.
Dolphin Fitness prices are for the Manhattan locations only. If you want access to both their Manhattan locations, it is an additional $50. They do not have a plan for both Manhattan and Brooklyn locations, as they explained to us, because some locations are corporate and some are franchises. So you either have to join in Brooklyn or Manhattan, you cannot do both. They are also offering a special right now that is $149 for membership through December 15th.
Crunch offers you the option to skip the contract as well, but like the other gyms, the prices go up. With month-to-month membership, initiation is $149 and monthly fees are $89/month for citywide and $74/month for a single location.
Many of these gyms may offer corporate rates as well, so you should check with them and perhaps you can get an even better deal. We barely scraped the surface of all the gyms around the city, not even touching on the smaller neighborhood gyms. What are your favorites/least favorites?
