NYC's Chain Gyms: What They Cost and What You Get

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Welcome to Racked's Fitness Week: five days of workout coverage, so that you can start your New Year's resolutions off right.

Update: To see gym rates for 2015, head here.

Sculpt Your Body With Crossfit

Not all chain gyms are created equally. The gamut runs from get-in-and-get-out budget gyms to palaces of luxury that extend far beyond rows of elliptical machines. We've taken eight of New York City's multi-location gyms and broken down the costs (monthly dues as well as those pesky hidden fees), stacked up the class offerings, and laid out the location information. As a bench mark, we've compared how much it would cost today to join a downtown Manhattan branch for each chain.

24 Hour Fitness
Start up cost: Initiation fees range from $0 to $99.99 depending on the package.
Monthly rates: $29.99 to $94.99
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: N/A
Total due: Joining the Soho club with access to only that club and a month-to-month payment plan will run you $197.98 today, including a waived initiation fee, first and last month's dues of $92.99 each, and $12 in pro-rated dues.
Locations: Soho, Madison Square Park, Midtown, and the Bronx
Classes: LesMills and Nike Training Club branded workouts, including cardio, strength, and flexibility workouts.
Best for: A solid gym with all of the basics and just enough perks (steam room, towel service, good class schedule) to justify the price tag.

Blink
Start up cost: Currently $10, normally $49.
Monthly rates: Depending on your location and access level, you'll pay $15 to $25.
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: Annual maintenance fee of $29 charged September 1st.
Total due: A Green membership at the Noho club, which allows you to use all clubs, will cost you $58.49 to join today, including pro-rated January dues, February dues, the start up fee, and taxes. You also get a free personal training session.
Locations: This budget chain, little sister to the famously luxe Equinox brand, has expanded citywide to five Manhattan gyms, four Bronx locations, three Brooklyn units, and two Queens outposts.
Classes: The downside of the low, low price tag? No classes.
Best for: Someone who wants to show up, do their thing, and move on with the day.

Crunch
Start up cost: Normally a whopping $339.98, it's currently half that, $169.99.
Monthly rates: The month-to-month plan is $92.99 for a single gym or $102.99 to attend any Crunch.
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: Processing fee of $29.99.
Total due: It would cost you $292.97 to sign up today for a month-to-month plan with solo access to the Lafayette gym. This includes the enrollment fee, one monthly due, and the processing fee.
Locations: Nine in Manhattan and two currently open in Brooklyn with two more coming (Bushwick and Crown Heights).
Classes: Plenty of options including standard fare cycling, Zumba, yoga, etc. as well as a never ending selection of niche fitness options like pole, surf, and something called Bi-Polar.
Best for: Class addicts who crave variety.

DavidBartonGym
Start up cost: The $400 Enrollment Fee is waived though the end of the month
Monthly rates: $135—$189, depending on access level
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: N/A
Location: Four in NYC (Chelsea, UES, West Village, Astor Place), plus other major US cities
Classes: A fabulously named selection including Ass Blast, Guns, and Pressure Cooker. They've also got your spin classes, dance cardio, bootcamp, etc.
Best for: Those looking for a scene.

Equinox
Start up cost: Initiation fee of $200 for a single club or $300 for all access.
Monthly rates: Varies by location from $160 to $175 for a single location or $195 to $250 for global access.
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: N/A
Total due: Joining the Tribeca club—with access to this club only—would cost you $503.39 today, encompassing a pro-rated January rate, February's dues of $165, and the $200 initiation fee.
Locations: 20 across Manhattan and one in Brooklyn Heights
Classes: They've got your cycling, yoga, barre, and ab classes, as well as a few signatures like the interval training class 30/60/90.
Best for: People who are swayed by luxe accommodations like eucalyptus towels, laundry service, and locker rooms stocked with Kiehl's products.

New York Sports Club
Start up cost: There's a Joining Fee for all memberships. Right now, it's $49.99 if you commit to a one year membership, or $128.99 for month-to-month packages.
Monthly rates: Access to a single club ranges from $69.99 to $79.99. $99.99 per month gets you access to all NYC clubs.
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: There's a $39.99 maintenance fee charged each January.
Total due: Joining the Soho club with single club access on a month-to-month plan will cost you $208.98 today.
Locations: An unbelievable 37 locations in Manhattan alone, plus seven in Brooklyn, one in Astoria, and one in Staten Island.
Classes: Cycling, yoga, cardio kickboxing, Zumba, pilates... all your basics, covered.
Best for: Working out all over the city with the option of classes, but not a lot of frills.

Planet Fitness
Start up cost: $10
Monthly rates: $10 for a single club or $19.99 for use of all clubs.
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: $29 annual fee billed June 1st ($39 for the all-access membership).
Total due: You'll truly pay just $10 to sign up today, then your first month's dues of another $10 will be charged January 17th. Plus, a free t-shirt.
Locations: A handful of locations across the city, including Chelsea, Bushwick, and Downtown Brooklyn.
Classes: Sorry—$10 gyms don't come with classes.
Best for: The all-access membership for someone who just needs the basics for a gym. At $19.99, it's a great price for someone who travels for work (these gyms are everywhere), or who lives and works near two different PF locations.

YMCA
Start up cost: A Joiner's Fee of $85 to $125
Monthly rates: Depending on the location, a student can pay as little as $34 a month to belong, while an adult membership can be as high as $97
Annual fees, add-ons, etc: N/A
Total due: To join the Y on 14th Street as an adult with access to this single club, you'd owe $218 between the $93 monthly fee and the $125 Joiner's Fee.
Location: 22 branches across the boroughs.
Classes: Cardio Kickboxing sits alongside Tai Chi for Arthritis in a pretty impressive class list. Classes like TRX and Pilates Reformer can be added on for additional fees (non-members can join certain classes, as well, for a higher rate).
Best for: The family packages are really the best deal here, so those with a partner and kids would do well at the YMCA.
· All Fitness Week 2014 posts [Racked NY]