New York Health & Racquet Club

Doesn't Recommend

chopper99

Joined 4 years ago

Thieves. The 56th Street location stole my bicycle lock. I returned from Labor Day weekend to find a sign posted saying they will clip locks left overnight, and my lock was gone, leaving me standing there foolishly in the middle of midtown with a bicycle and no lock.

I have been a member of the NYHRC, and have been leaving my lock there overnight, since 2004. I commute to midtown by bicycle, and shower at the gym.

When I reported the theft, the manager on duty simply shrugged and said, "We are not responsible for locks." It is one thing to disavow responsibility for locks; it is another thing to clip them.

I am now canceling my membership. Be forewarned: it is an arduous and expensive process. You cannot cancel in person; you must send a registered, certified letter to headquarters 30 days before your next "collection date." The $350 annual locker fee I just paid is non-refundable.

Between the non-refundable locker fee, the lost bike lock, and the useless extra month, I'm out more than $600 to the New York Health and Racquet Club. I cannot recommend joining them. There are plenty of other gyms in the area.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A posh setting for exercising professionals who like relaxation as much as recreation.. The Scene
Are there any other health clubs that provide access to a yacht? How about membership in a Westchester beach club? A pool at each facility only sweetens the deal. This upscale, local fitness chain has been around since the arly 1970s but the 2002 redesign, which added splashes of vibrant blues and greens via decorative tilework, suggests a more timeless sense of design. The faux granite rubber floor mats, dark wood lockers and judiciously placed mirrors confidently bespeak of class.

The Workout
The personal trainers don't adhere to a universal approach; those who favor the compound exercises definitely deliver challenging workouts to clients intent on maximizing their gym time. Furthermore, every facility has a pool so the range of classes extends to aquatic exercises. Previous workshops with Broadway chorines and the Paul Taylor Dance Company have enriched a program filled with yoga, Pilates, aerobics and yes, sometimes, racquetball.

Doesn't Recommend

tiger209

Joined 11 years ago

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. HRC is a good gym if you're a sucker for the latest technology, but if you're focused on the basics, look elsewhere. The hefty $119 pm (vs $75-85 for competing gyms) unfortunately doesnt give much besides fancier workout machines and extraneous internet access at cardiostations (albiet with disfunctional touchscreens). Service was bad (I've left 5 messages over the last week about cancelling my membership and haven't had a single call returned, of course no one physically present at the gym has any authority), there are hidden fees ($450 pa for locker+laundry) and their "free" hour of fitness coaching is only a sales presentation for their $85ph training sessions. Don't buy their pitch about having a pool or 6 floors - their pool is really an oversized bathtub and its really 1 floor and 5 lofts. Thumbs down overall.