Boston Sports Clubs

SO this is my club. I go there daily. I love the pool. It’s warm and inviting. The staff is very friendly. I have used the personal training. it was bad. I recently tried to start with a new trainer who first never called to confirm and then cancelled our actually meeting that morning.
It’s an ok. club. Nothing extraordinary and they have made improvements to the club recently.
But I had my son’s party there today… oye.
The party leader, Kim, was great but she was on a sinking ship. The children’s manager was also a great guy and he was very helpful. The party was creative and well thought out but the party leader could not easily access all of the equipment needed. Literally they were trying to break locks to get equipment. There is a fuzzball table with no ball. Literally, the kids are playing with a golf ball. The room had garbage in it from a party which was likely weeks ago. They are just not set up for parties. There is a lack of attention to detail.
The party was on the tennis court which was fine but some older men yelled at the party helpers that they boys were too loud and then they tried to quiet the boys. 20+ boys are not going to be quieted and I did not want them to. They were being kids at a party.
The party helpers did not really get that they should have helped me set up for the party. When I directly asked them to serve drinks or do something, they did but it was definitely not something they frequently did. They were not really nice to the kids. They were more like yelling.
The kids had a great time so that’s what counts but I would not do another party there.

Just joined and am enjoying it. There is plenty of space and equipment. Its not all new or state of the art, but gets the job done. The locker rooms are VERY clean and comfortable. And the pool is also well taken care of.

Great club only thing is you have to plug your headphones in to watch the tv… I’d like to be able to listen to my music and watch tv as a distraction. Love the pool… track upstairs… great facility old machines though… a lot of them squeak or are rusted… not much room for floor stretches besides upstairs not enough room for more than 4 people.

This place is going downhill fast!
Not only is this place in the midst of being sold (exact date to be determined) but they continue to sell NEW memberships and now they are lowering their standards (which is what set them apart in the first place) and they are significantly reducing their rates to compete with other gyms such as Planet Fitness.
So, the existing members are now subject to number of towels per member restrictions (there was never a towel policy) to one workout and one bath towel per visit. And new employees make a habit of yelling at you repeatedly as closing time nears, while you are in your zone working out. Very distracting and aggravating at the same time, and completely messes up the zen zone you’ve created for yourself while doing your exercise routine.
The reduced rate members ($ 19.95) apparently get no towel service. :(
So, because this club wants to cram as many new members in at a reduced rate (don’t forget the unmentioned and unadvertised $ 149 initiation fee) while the building is being sold, unlimited towel service is no longer given to existing members and they now have the misfortune of being yelled at during their workouts.

Of the 5 locations I frequent, this one is my least favorite. There’s plenty of parking. The locker room is clean and well stocked. The front desk staff is pleasant.
The cardio assortment is pretty good based on the size of the overall space.
They have a good selection of dumbbells but not very much space to use them.
The overall interior of the gym needs a refresh in a bad way. It seems that if they reconfigured the space, the floor wouldn’t feel so cramped.
There are only a handful of Nautilus type machines. I personally like to circuit train in addition to using free weights. This location doesn’t have a complete circuit in any formal way. The machines are mashed together and space is tight. There is an RPX section and studios for classes.
There is no café or staffed area for snacks or green type drinks that you will find a few minutes away at the Wellesley branch.
In Wellesley you’ll find a huge complex with full-​court basketball, indoor AND outdoor swimming pools, indoor tennis, a huge cardio area, large free weight area, a separate weight machine section, large studios, CAFE with fresh smoothies and snacks, party rooms and huge parking lot.
Wow. What are you waiting for. Go to Wellesley.

The club itself is excellent but the administration is terrible. They kept charging my credit card for monthly dues for 4 months after I cancelled my membership

This club could be great, but the main reason I joined was to use their two pools, particularly the deep water pool. Scheduling is very difficult since the club sometimes puts on a «Kids Party» in the deep pool without notice to members. This normally is on Saturday and Sunday afternoons so after a while you figure out that you need to call before you leave to work out.
However, recently, they put on a TWO HOUR kids party from 7 PM — 9 PM on a Friday night, with no notice at all.
Big time bummer, when you’ve been stressed all day and you need that aqua workout to calm down and there are instead 30 SCREAMING kids in the pool, probably peeing in there as well.
Good for the kids, but not for the adults who go there for PT, a workout and relaxation. The club’s adult «host» for the party also used an ear-​piercing whistle to get the kids attention, which made swimming in the lap pool very stressful.

I’ve been coming to this gym for a few years. At first I was an avid class goer. I took one of the sampler classes, step, and a ballet class. After awhile, the classes became repetitive and not challenging for me. The instructors are nice people but the music is somewhat dated in the step class. I started to alternate between the step class in Newton and one in Cambridge.
This club is generally patronized by older folk. It’s not really a negative; that’s just the way it is. It does seem to be a little «social hour» there; I’m not saying people shouldn’t talk to each other, but if you’re using the time on the mat to chat about so-and-so’s ailments, can you just stand off to the side so I can get through my workout? It’s sort of rude when you talk over me while I’m huffing through my crunches. I like to get in, tear through my workout, and get out so I can get on with the rest of my day.
Also, even though there are signs everywhere prohibiting this, I still see people on cell phones while on the elliptical and in the locker room. It’s a rule, people. And really, it’s like being on the phone while you’re in the bathroom. Nobody wants to hear that. It’s the club’s job to police that, not mine.
Of course, these are problems at every club, not just Newton.
Since we’re in the New Years Resolution time, everyone’s lining up for the Zumba class. There’s also decent traffic to the tennis courts and the pool. Not all of the machines are ever working at the same time and there’s not enough mat space both downstairs and up. The locker rooms are nice and clean enough. I wait to get home to shower, though.
Compared to other BSC’s in the city, this one really does have ample space, but be prepared to have a back up workout ready in case the machine you need is occupied.

Workout World (the old Gold’s) in Needham just closed and I’m looking for a new gym in the area. Did a one day pass at BSC as it’s nearby the now closed WOW. This location is somewhat tucked away on a corporate street and has plenty of parking. The indoor tennis facility is impressive but you must pay by the hour to use it.
I’ve been to several BSC/​NYSC locations and they are all roughly the same. Machines cramped together, a decent sized free weight area. One of the weirdest choices this location made was to set up a row of cardio machines that faces a large mirror. Granted all machines have TV’s so technically you can avoid your mug, but really? Wouldn’t you face the machines in the opposite direction so they look out onto the gym main area? Gold’s did this and it was nice.
There is a small indoor track and a nice sized pool. Not my thing but thought I’d mention it.
I don’t know. It’s fine for what it is. Newton/​Needham really need another low cost gym. BSC is that weird in-​between gym that offers you more but not as much as a JCC or YMCA. But they charge you essentially the same compared to a more versatile facility like the ones I mentioned. If you want a gym in this area make sure to check out the JCC before making a final decision. I won’t be going back. Plus I suspect this gym will get crazy busy this winter with WOW deflectors joining. Ugh.

The BSC in Newton is ok — not horrible, not great. I’ve never been to another BSC so I can’t compare it to other locations, but there are things about it I like more than other franchies, some things I like less. I joined the club because it is near my work and I find it easier to work out there after work and wait for the 128 traffic to subside instead of going closer to home to work out. I will say (and this is not their fault whatsoever) but this winter I had the most horrible experience getting to/​from the location on Wells Ave because there is only one way in/​out and the traffic was SO horrible. I would leave the parking lot and it would take me 45 – 60 minutes just to get off Wells. Again, not their fault.
The good:
*Women’s locker room is fantastic — spacious, clean, good amount of lockers, showers are spacious and have enclosed changing areas etc.
*Overall, facility is generally clean and staff is very friendly
*Going at 5:30 it is not overly crowded — generally don’t have a problem finding a machine
*The classes I have attended (Pilates, Total Body Conditioning, Studio Sampler) are all pretty good with instructors who are enthusiastic and know what they are doing
*Parking is generally easy to find — the lot is huge
*Good amount of TVs (both on machines and overhead) with the overhead ones showing a variety of programming
The bad:
*Compared to other gyms I’ve been to, the amount/​variety of weight machines available is seriously lacking. I’ve tried the express line stuff and a few others in the weight area but generally have become bored with the selection
*The room where all of the cardio/​weight machines are is small so it is a little on the cramped side
*The classroom studios are a little on the small side, so if you attend a popular class at 5:30, it is pretty cramped
*They don’t really have any early morning cardio classes that would be convenient for people coming before work. Earliest cardio classes start at 8:30. They have early AM spinning and pool stuff, but that’s not really for everyone
*The vending machines are almost impossible to find. I only needed to use them once because I forgot my water bottle, but it took me a good 5 minutes to find them tucked away behind the staff desk in this little cove
*It’s expensive. Obviously as a whole, the franchise has certain rates that they adhere for their clubs but I’ve been a member of other franchies that offer more equipment/​class options for a lower montly rate. I feel like you are basically paying for the nice locker room
Overall, it’s an ok place but in the 8 or so months I’ve been there I haven’t been blown away with it. Unfortunately in this area, I haven’t really found anything else worth going to either so… it is what it is.

I was a member of this gym for over two years. Frankly, I had not tried many gyms before joining and figured, this is what a gym must be like. Sure, they have a pool, a hot tub, tennis court, two studios and a spinning room, but here’s the deal:
— The pool is not Olympic size so your laps are not the right distance and it is generally crowded
— The hot tub is very small and the jets work intermittently
— The use of the tennis courts is expensive and very disorganized
— The classes offered at the studios are average at best and most people taking them are senior citizens — really not very challenging I must say
— The spinning classes are the best they have to offer with great instructors but unfortunately they spend too much time taking out their tools to fix the bikes. Most bikes have at least one or two issues so you have to get there early and know the bikes to get a good experience.
In addition, the dressing rooms (bathrooms and showers) are dirty, smell bad and are not very well maintained. The towels are usually ragged. The «complimentary» shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body cream provided are of horrible cheap quality. There is no sauna. The sinks do not drain properly. But they did spend a pretty penny on updating the marketing displays on the floor. Really?
My membership was $ 80 while my mother’s was $ 69. Why? Don’t know. They simply couldn’t give me a good answer. And no, she is not a senior citizen.
When I went to cancel, of course they need you to go in person to do it (you can sign up over the phone but not cancel) AND you have to give 30 days notice. I called on ²⁄₂₈ finally got there on ³⁄₆ or so and had to pay for the entire month of March plus prorated for the 6 days of April I will have to use. I also found they really don’t care if you cancel and won’t really do anything to keep you. Canceling is quite alright.
Since then I have tried other gyms and though location is not as convenient, there are definitely better facilities elsewhere and the service is much more friendly. I have also tried other BSC branches and this one is a mediocre level at best.

Still fine with BSC, but I wanted to update my review since I’ve cancelled my membership.
Mostly, I was paying $ 75/​mo not to use the gym (I play organized sports and wasn’t finding time to do both, plus my work has a small gym that I can use if I really want it (and it’s free).
Also, they got rid of cardio kickboxing (Zack was the only qualified trainer and he hurt his knee), which really bummed me out. If there were better classes available, I could have been convinced to stay (I’m thinking cardio kickboxing and hip hop would be very appealing).
I’m not sure why people have had so many problems. Essentially, I went in, announced that I would like to cancel my membership and they had me meet with a manager. He offered me free training sessions to stay and tried to figure a way to reduce my fee (although I was already in the bottom tier so that was less than productive).
In the end, when he realized there was really nothing he could change, he had me sign a paper and let me be on my way. They require a 30 day notice, so they prorated my monthly fee for the portion of the month my membership would still be active, a very appreciated gesture.
Recently I received an e-​mail from BSC asking to fill out a survey on my cancellation/​experience in the club. In doing so, they sent me a 30 day membership that I can use myself (without having to sign up again) or can pass onto a friend (who has never been a member). Not a bad touch.

Please note: This review is of the membership process that my wife and I went through via the corporate office (philly maybe?). So while we’ve only been members a week now, I can’t really assign a proper rating to this location in particular.
You can join BSC over the phone which is very convenient. However, our experience talking to a few folks there over the course of about 3 weeks was very frustrating. In short, they never explained the sign up process to us well enough. So after requesting a bunch of paperwork and multiple calls over the course of a couple of weeks we had everything faxed in after which we received the «welcome/​congratulations» email and instructions to get IDs, etc. It was at this point we assumed we were officially members and could visit a club. It was only after seeing how much we were charged and that the «effective date» was that of the first call did we realized they charged us from the point of the first call — none of which was explained with any clarity.
After calling and explaining how incompetent the sales people were, and listening to them tell me where I screwed up… they actually told me «well i guess its your word against ours…» And here’s my favorite: «Did anyone tell you you couldn’t use the club?»… Ummmm What? «No. They didn’t tell me I couldn’t pee in the pool either so should I assume I can?»
They need a big lesson in customer service… when you’re trying to service customers and build membership, who’s right and wrong isn’t necessarily the way to go. If someone smart over there thought more than a minute about it they’d realize that a happy customer who has the ability to recommend the club is better in the long run.
On a positive note, I went to the Newton club last night for the first time and my first impression was that it had everything we might need. Steve, who walked me through the machines was very helpful.

The gym stole my money!
So when I moved, I transferred my membership from the Government Center branch to the Newton location. I guess they never put in the paperwork, because the transfer never went through. Fast forward several months, and because the one thing I can’t do is balance a checkbook (yes, I see the irony, given that I work in finance), I missed that they were charging me $ 7.50 for EVERY SINGLE TIME I WENT TO THE GYM. I finally realized that they were hugely overcharging me… to the tune of $ 400 on top of my normal membership fees over the past few months.
I called the membership services, and they said they would need my copy of the paper that I signed when I transferred my membership, or there was nothing they could do besides actually put the transfer through so it would stop charging me incrementally. Um, are you joking, BSC? You make a mistake that is YOUR fault, and it’s on me to prove it? Of course I don’t have that piece of paper, I just assumed the gym would put the transfer through months ago, as they were supposed to. I could describe the guy that helped me, but since the gym never put the membership transfer through, it didn’t matter. I asked if it was worth it to them to lose me as a customer forever, given that I’ve been a member for several years, and the customer service woman told me that it was certainly my prerogative to go somewhere else. Of course, they already have my money, they don’t really need me anymore! I asked to speak to the head of customer service, and instead, the woman put me on hold for a long time, came back and said that she had spoken to the supervisor (even though I asked to speak to him/​her, not for her to speak to someone for me!) and said that the supervisor agreed with her and said I would need proof of the transfer. I finally got them to return two month’s worth (gee thanks). So let me get this straight: they overcharged me $ 400, and gave me $ 70 back. Boston Sports Club, you are ballsy.
I couldn’t feel more disappointed and feel less like a valued customer.
The worst customer service I have EVER encountered. I hate you, BSC.

So I’ve been coming to the BSC in Newton for almost 2 years now and I’ve learned a few things that I think you might appreciate. Since I work a stone’s throw away, I’ve been to this gym in the morning, during lunch as well as after work. Never have I ever taken a class there but let’s be real, Dudes don’t take classes at gyms. This one time, I saw a guy in a spinning class and he did NOT look like he was enjoying himself. I guess he never got the memo. I would have to say, lunchtime is my favorite time of day to go. I never have to wait to use a bench or a machine. My gym partner and I can be in and out of there within an hour which provides a nice little break from work. Don’t get me wrong, I still go after work all the time, and that’s a great time to do some cardio and relax after a long day at the office. However, you will not catch me lifting weights during that time as it gets a little too crowded.
This BSC location has a few tennis courts as well as small pool for swimming laps. They have a good selection of machines and cardio equipment. They’re free weight section is not as robust the BSC in Allston but it’s certainly enough to get the job done. The average age of the clientele is probably close to 35. There are a lot of senior citizens as well as a lot of kids in high school, with some working professionals like myself sprinkled in there. Therefore this is really not a «people watching» gym unless you like senior citizens or teenage boys. So before you sign up for a membership, take note that most of us use this gym as a means to exercise not to stare aimlessly into the sea of stretchy pants.

In the meantime BSC Newton got more ‘scruffy’. Material is missing or hard to find, it got dirtier where we sometimes find the same dirt/​trash 2 weeks later still present.
More machines are not working properly and do not get maintained., so squeaky.
And it got much busier, which we suspect is due to special offerings for students, which basically means that I subsidize them partially.
The place is also way too overstaffed with reception, management and other non-​productive staff, while they do not take the initiative to clean the place.
BSC Newton is quickly becoming a health hazard of dirtiness.
And that comes top of not working toilets, empty towel containers etc.
They should take an example to their fellow BSC clubs.

I love the BSC, but I agree that this branch is only ok. It’s in a really weird spot in corporate complex land. The parking lot is bigger than the building, which is weird. And the locker room has neither Sauna nor Steam Room.
What they do have, and why I go periodically are dance-​based classes like ballet, NIA, and zumba. Unfortunately, since I’m a member in West Newton and Zumba classes are almost always during «peak» times, I haven’t yet gotten to see what all the fuss is about.
But I do go to ballet with 70 year olds a few times a month. They all coo over how flexible I am (which is not very, depressingly enough) and how well I can point my feet. It’s a mild ego boost, a good stretch, and social awkwardness all in one.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the BSC as a whole but this branch, well, kinda sucks.
The parking is good and the building is nice but the inside is so small! The weights and cardio equipment are all squished in one tiny room. It was so cramped, I couldn’t even concentrate. I don’t like being in such close quarters when I’m working out.
The upstairs of this branch has a indoor track, which is kind of cool. It’s a small loop though. I’d probably only be able to do a few laps before getting bored out of my mind. Also all of the stretching mats are upstairs which is crappy because I could not find them! There was a tiny sign for them but I bet no one sees it.
The studios are kind of tucked in the back too. I didn’t take a class which I was glad about because I don’t think I’d be able to figure out how to actually get in them even if I did. There weren’t any doors! I think they are down a hallway but I have no idea.
The greatest thing about this BSC is the locker room (well, the women’s anyways). It is HUGE. Towels everywhere, tons of counter/​vanity space. The lockers are wood, huge — very nice. There are curtained changing areas too. Showers and toilets in their own sections in the back. It’s just huge.

This BSC is pretty freakin awesome. I’m used to city gyms… fighting for lockers and ellipticals, so I finally made the jump to a suburban sprawl gym. Sure, membership is a bit pricey (but the student rate can’t be beat!), but all the cardio machines have tvs, the lockers are really nice and provide all the necessities: shampoo/​conditioner/​body wash/​hairdryers. There’s an indoor pool (it apparently has a contraption on the deep end that can change the depth? I don’t know, I don’t get it), and tennis courts (extra charge for court time and lessons). There’s a mini track upstairs (17.5 times around for one mile), and a bunch of pilates balls, bosus and stuff.
You’ll never have to wait for a machine here, and the staff is really, really friendly (J.M. mentioned you’d have to be dead to cancel your membership here – I really doubt that at BSC Newton). I especially like that a lot of the weight-​based machines use a «push and pull» button system as opposed to actually loading the weights onto the machine yourself. Way easy and user-​friendly.
Love this gym… can’t wait to try a class!