Equinox Goes Mass-Market with $20-a-Month Blink Fitness

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Last Friday, Blink Fitness opened on Broadway in Noho, bringing the concept of a non-terrifying $20-a-month gym to Manhattan. Blink, as Well and Good NYC puts it, is the "Lanvin for H&M" of gyms—a mass-market spinoff from a respected but expensive brand, in this case Equinox. The goal is to reach New Yorkers with minimal workout needs, people who don't require anything more than some cardio equipment but can't fit a treadmill in their apartments.

To that end, Blink offers no classes and few amenities—if you want a towel, you'll have to rent one from a vending machine. Where they didn't skimp was design or equipment—the interior has an industrial modern feel, and the appliances are the same Life Fitness and Precor devices that Equinox uses. There's an area for stretching and one for socializing near at the entrance, where members can find reasonably healthy food in vending machines (ideally not the same ones where they keep the towels.)

Intrigued? Right now, Blink is offering two membership plans, both of which carry a limited-time start-up fee of $15. The Noho-only gray plan is $20 a month plus an annual fee of $29; with the blue plan, you pay a $39 annual fee and get access to Blinks in Noho, Paramus, and Westchester. Well and Good reports that lines had formed for membership before the gym opened, but we're told that there's currently no waiting list to sign up.
· A sneak peek at Equinox's new budget-friendly gym [Well and Good NYC]
· The Tower Records Space Will Become $20-a-Month Blink Fitness [Racked NY]
· Blink Fitness [Official Site]