Brodie Recreation Center

Since it’s located on Duke East Campus, most of the people you’ll see are freshman, though members of the nearby community also frequent this gym. I stop by Brodie if Wilson is closed for a football game.
There are plenty of weightlifting and cardio equipment at this gym, though perhaps half of what is offered at the Wilson complex. You’ll definitely be able to get in a good workout here, though you’ll likely have to wait to use popular stations such as the one squat rack.
The rec center contains lockers, basketball courts, a swimming pool, an indoor track, and a group room for classes including kickboxing and yoga. An excellent gym, but definitely avoid peak hours.

It’s a gym for Duke students. The weightlifting area has most everything you need, but is kinda small. There are basketball courts (no dunking), and space to put up volleyball nets, etc. There are mens and womens locker rooms obvi, and even some bleachers that can be rolled out (but apparently they are broken). I don’t know the policies here, but I assume you must be a Duke student to get in here unless you are attending some other special event.

Decent gym. I frequent during lunch for a quick run and sometimes a racquetball match with a co-​worker.
The pool isn’t as large as the West Campus side. But they have plenty of cardio machines and even if you find yourself waiting, it’s not for long.

The thing I liked most about the gym was that the ellipticals and treadmills are in a room that makes you feel like you’re in a castle. Who doesn’t want to feel like a queen when they work out? A very unique gym indeed — it mixes the gothic style that is the norm on Duke’s campus along with modern features like a full-​sized basketball court and two other levels with weights and open areas.
Machines and weights were decent, I just think there should be more. This is strange, but I got overly frustrated by how the floor mats were arranged where you do abs. It made absolutely no sense. There were 4 rows of mats arranged in a large square. People would take up 4 mats at a time (I guess they don’t play well with others). I’m a fan of having floor mats separated to prevent any congestion.
If you’re not a Duke student, you can have a friend pay for you to go in on their Flex card. I’m not sure if you can pay with a credit or debit card, but I’m almost positive they don’t take cash. It’s only a few bucks to use the facilities at any time.

I like Brodie gym because it isn’t half as crowded as the Wilson rec center. There are basketball courts, fitness classes, a pool and a small indoor track in addition to the weight room and cardio equipment.
The cardio machines are the reason I come here. Upstairs, they have 6 treadmills, approximately 8 ellipticals and 2 bikes in small rooms w TVs (that have speakers vs Wilson, where you need a radio to listen to the sound). Recently, they installed big powerful fans which are awesome if you are working out indoors. They also have ellipticals, stairmasters and bikes in a room without TVs if you prefer to work out without the noise.
It does get crowded here in the early evening but it’s never so bad that there are lines for the machines (which happens all the time at the west campus gym). Additionally, it’s a little less of a spandex-​clad meat market so that’s nice too ;)

This is definitely the older and less equipped sibling compared to big brother, Wilson gym. However, I live closer to East Campus and Brodie is more than enough to fulfill all my «gym rat» needs. Membership is restricted to Duke staff and students, and if you fall into this lucky cohort, you would be crazy not to join.
Pro:
1. Membership is cheap. The individual rate is $ 15.83/month and you can sign for a family plan for about $ 25/​month. This is for both the WIlson and the Brodie gyms and includes pool, courts and classes.
2. There are lots of machines and weights to satisfy the eager and addicted. There may be waiting time for the 6 treadmills between 5pm and 7pm, but this is a good chance to try out the other machines — ellipticle, stepper, rowers, cycles.
Cons:
1. Limited parking in front of the gym unless you hold the glorious red tag. If you are going before 730 pm on a weeknight don’t even bother trying to drive up the entrance off Markham st. Instead park at Wholefoods and walk across the gravel.
2. Old showers with dirty curtains and empty shower gel containers. Men’s bathroom has no curtain (not personal experience :-)). Nevertheless the water is hot and delicious after a work out.