Equinox

So this is Like when Ja’mie leaves Hillford and goes to Summer Heights High on a bogan exchange program. I’ve left Equinox! and now go to a basic gym. There are no chilled eucalyptus towels, no Kiehls products, and like I actually just go there to work-​out now. Weird, I know.
At first I was horrified by everyone’s gym clothes. People at Public School (aka basic gym) work-​out in like old t-​shirts and wrinkly shorts. Yeah. Even their sneakers are like, old and skank. I’m enjoying it though because I’m not a materialistic person. And now I’m the only one in Lulu lemon camo. Thank G. (I wonder if they know what it is?).
So why did I leave? Well, I was out of the country for a while and when I got back I had the option to reevaluate my decisions and Equinox SoHo didn’t make the cut.
Here’s why. Too much sales. Constantly. I joined knowing I wanted a personal trainer and a couple of people — front desk and membership advisor — suggested the same person and wrote down their name and level 2 on a card. I met them on a Thursday, agreed to start on Monday, and bought a package. A week and two sessions later the trainer was suddenly a level 3. Despite their picture still being up on the wall and saying level 2. So what happened? The pt manager refunded my level 2 pack, up-​sold me to a level 3 package, and charged me at level 3 for the two past session which I thought were level two. ARE YOU CONFUSED? I was. It’s FULL CARD MONTE for your head and health. All this while un embarrassingly the trainer is still being advertised as a two on their wall of trainers. Thanks Equinox SoHo.
The salesiness continued in the spa where the massage therapists are some of the best in the city. But perhaps as part of the Equinox «culture of sales» you have to deflect their gentle offers to ‘book in advance for a discount next-​time’ as you stumble off the table with a glass of water in hand. Front desk will book you for a massage if you just mention it: «cancel later» they say, wanting to get you in the computer. For what?
It’s a lot.
I don’t know how long I’ll last at public school. Which means I’ll probably be back at Equinox. Ready to say no, and navigate. Pity. Because I’m sure it would all work out if corporate wasn’t pushing the sell sell sell angle. These are good people, doing what corporate wants them to. My guess is it’s a top down bug that needs to be scaled back by those who enforce it.

I wouldn’t trade my gym with anything else in NYC (or L.A.). I have been in several different type of gyms, spent 2 months in an amazing gym in Belgium (David Lloyd Uccle) and yet, Equinox is from far the best in classes, machines, changing-​room, locker room, material and most and above all I find it very clean. They have Kiehl’s products for each of your needs! Here is if you would like to give it a try: «I want you to experience Equinox. Learn more
;. Plus, the staff is nice and available for any question. Well, I think each class instructor is as well. We love Cycling, Tabata, Barre Burn, MetCon, 30÷60÷90, I like Intensati and they have a water workout at Greenwich. I Love this gym!

Clearly, this gym isn’t for everyone. If you just want a solid workout, a lot of space, and updated equipment, just go to 24hr right next door, which is what I did for two years.
I changed to Equinox and LOVE it because the amenities and upscale quality (eucalyptus towels/​steam room/​clean very nice facilities/​etc) oh and AMAZING classes make going to the gym very exciting for me. I look forward to going to the gym. I also got an all-​access pass so no matter where I am in the city I know I’ll have a place to work out or get a steam anytime I need.
Their App is also amazing and keeps you updated on your workouts and progression, when you take a spin class you can connect the entire workout to your phone and all the information will be there when the class is over. This is incredibly useful if you’re serious about your progress/​athleticism.
Obviously during rush hour the gym is going to be busy, if you have no choice but to workout before or after a 9 – 5 job, then you’re going to end up working out with a lot of people around you no matter what gym you’re at. This is New York City.
For me, this place is worth every penny, I’ve been at the gym nearly everyday since I joined, my skin has cleared simply from steaming so often, and my body looks and feels better than it ever has.
Again, Equinox SOHO will not be for everyone. It is predominantly young, or overall great-​looking people. It is in fact a ‘scene’. This doesn’t bother me at all, but obviously it’s not for everyone !
Btw, an Equinox on Bond st. is about to open up which will definitely take the load off from rush hour at Soho. It also will completely change the game and be my new spot !!!

Have you ever heard the story of the Ugly Duckling? He’s supposed to grow up and become a beautiful swan.
I’m still hoping this will happen for me.
Until then, my morning routine is thus:
1) Waddle furiously through the doors and into air perfumed by a medley of fruit, well-​blended, courtesy of the Juice Generation at the street level of this particular facility.
2) Glance in passing at the Shop’s limited wares (all the same, as I likely can’t fit into any of it).
3) Find my way up two flights of stairs where I am greeted, without fail, by some of the most pleasant people on the planet — especially given it’s half-​past-​five, and they’re talking to an enormous duck.
4) Speed up yet another two flights of stairs to reach the men’s locker room, where I avoid, equally deftly, both eye contact and myself in mirrors.
5) Change, but somehow, never enough.
6) Have a mild existential crisis.
6) Lock my things away (with my own lock — other gyms have built-​in locks).
7) Back down to the main space for the usual rounds of stylish, new-​age self-​flagellation.
It is here that I am frequently left in awe. One, because of the variety of clean — and I mean, clean — equipment. And two, because the patrons, oh, the patrons.
These dazzling ducklings (I’m too far into this metaphor to back out now) splashing around in their athluxury gear, their chiseled physiques a testament to their commitment, their perfect skin a testament to their genetics and/​or wallets.
To the immediate right of the weight room, you’ll find a battalion of treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, row machines, and stairmasters.
To the left of the cardio cache, a group class studio, where the trainers are paid to kill you.
If you’re not into that, look to your right — you’ll almost have missed it – but therein lies the cycling studio, where you can play the Pursuit, a cycling game where the objective is to kill yourself and spare the trainers the trouble.
Upstairs is the yoga studio, its massive windows permitting light in, but never allowing you to leap out.
Once you’ve completed your own particular brand of punishment, you’re free to grab a eucalyptus-​scented towel from the fridge by the stretching area and try to asphyxiate yourself with it, as I do, while wondering why everything can’t be eucalyptus-​scented.
We’ve reached step 8, now: I complete my workout and head for the lockers — every bit as magical as everyone says. Kiehl’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and facial moisturizer; razors and shaving cream; and a huge amount of space so you’re not constantly fondling your neighbor, unless it’s purely intentional.
Out on the cobblestones of Crosby Street, I reflect on what I’ve just put myself through, and why.
And then wonder when I can do it again.
That’s the beauty of Equinox — particularly this location, even if it isn’t the most up-​to-​date. The abject dedication everyone has is intoxicating. From the staff who do everything to cater to your every need, to the facility itself, to the ultimate motivation of all, the patrons — Equinox SoHo inspires you to push yourself… and then facilitates your drive.
It won’t change you overnight. No gym will. But it just might encourage you to try.

Love this location close to me. Clean and well equipped also classes are great. Use Eric Mannarino as a trainer very impressed with him Have several mildly herniated disks and let him know have worked out with him and never hurt. He knows what he’s doing, have lost almost 50 lbs since we started working out and building muscle mass.
Definitely a good value for your money.

Facilities are clean and excellent, but staff is rude. A person cleaning the locker room hit me with a trash can and glared at me. Not the kind of service you expect when paying over $ 200 a month for a membership

Update: Compared with the other Equinoxes, this one is ALWAYS EXTREMELY CROWDED! In all nighttime classes, the members are basically on top of each other and fighting for both space in the fitness studio and also equipment. The equipment smells and there is no time between classes, so the floors stay covered in sweat from the previous class. Equinox should either consider opening another location in the area to deal with the overcrowding, or cap the number of people that take each class.

I love this location. The star off is only because you need a lock for the lockers and the showers are not as awesome as in other equinox

Aicardo the Membership advisor is so much! I came in to work out, he showed me around the gym and pointed out the machines for my work out. Super nice guy! Great gym, good smoothies, and Kielh’s products in the locker room :)

Equinox @Sohoo! Such a convenient location. Long time all access member of Equinox, love visiting as many locations as I can. Yes I am obsessed with Equinox and its fantastic classes.
Very close to the F train & right near the Puck building
Clientele– mostly a mix of working professionals, seems like its mainly people who live in the area– late 20s, early 30s
Kids club, spa, yoga studio, main studio, cycle studio, free weights, cardio machines, weight machines, shower & steam rooms, café.
All the typical equinox things here– main studio, yoga/​barre studio, spin studio, tons of free weights, tons of machines, everything you can imagine. All the machines are new and in excellent condition and are up to date with the latest technology. Womens locker rooms are main studio floor while mens locker room & yoga studio is the top level. Several floors but the best part is that there is a whole area with chairs and wifi and you can study or do work there.
Some of the trainers here are great– good tip– if you see people in light blue shirts– they are actual trainers! they walk around and are there if you have questions, most people don’t realize they are actual trainers and are there to help people out!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the group fitness classes. They are so much fun and the energy is always high. Instructors are enthusiastic and challenging. Tip– Try athletic conditioning with Eilon Sundays @ 1130am, or tuesday night best butt ever at 8pm with LIndsay.
Locker rooms– typical Equinox amenities (towels, q-​tips, cotton balls, shaving crème razors and of course KIEHL’s bath & body products — shampoo, conditioner, body wash, crème de corp moisturizers) You do need to bring a lock to this location. Showers here of course & Steam room is kind of small here but does the job.
TIP:
If you are thinking of joining, best way to get the best rate is to go thru a current member. My advisor who I have known for over 10 years is the best, he is upfront, honest, not pushy and will get you the best deal. He always throws in extras. make sure you try the gym before you make a huge commitment.

I’ve been very happy with this place so far. It’s much smaller than the one I used to go to in USQ but I sort of like it more because of that.

This is seriously one of the most luxurious gyms in the world– totally spa quality. I’m obsessed with the place. Every workout kicks my booty and then you can unwind in the state of the art changing/​showering rooms. The equipment rocks and the people watching is even inspiring– everyone in there is rocked. If you’re considering becoming a member, email ted. henwood@equinox for a trial membership pass to any location — he’s a real pro!

Updating review. Ellipticals always broken. Staff says it’s hard to know when they are broken, but I have told them which machines are broken countless times. Is heard other patrons complain, too. One elliptical even has a cup holder that I’ve reported and has been broken for at least 6 months– that’s visible to everyone! Negligent care on many machines.

Gym Equipment:
The weight and cardio equipment is on par with other Equinox locations. Most of the equipment is pretty new. There isn’t really anything special to say about this location’s equipment.
Crowd:
The gym is full of people that want to work out and you can feel it in the air. It’s a nice experience and keeps you motivated throughout your workout.
I haven’t had to wait for a machine or equipment, but I’m not usually there at peak times, so can’t comment on that.
Layout:
The men’s locker room is upstairs. It’s laid out a little strange because there’s a glass enclosed exercise room on that level too so when you’re entering and exiting the locker room there can be a lot of people standing outside in a somewhat small area.
They don’t appear to take advantage of the location very well. It would be nice to have treadmills that overlook the outside so you can watch people which helps to pass the time.
Locker rooms:
You must BRING YOUR OWN LOCK. I was incredibly surprised when I went into the locker room and found that there was a gym that charged this much that did not have the locks attached to the lockers. They also do not let you borrow locks. It is annoying having to bring your own lock, but it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, except for the fact that it appears more insidious than «we just haven’t updated our lockers yet.» They do sell locks on the store downstairs, they cost over $ 25. It is the only lock they sell. The lock is not particularly strong (it’s fine, just no reason it should cost $ 25). When you enter the locker room, you will see that many other people were clearly not aware of the requirement because they have the identical lock on their locker. Clearly, this is a huge money-​maker for this location so I don’t expect them to upgrade their locker room any time soon.
Other than that, the locker rooms are fine — good showers, they clean them frequently. Basically the same as most other locations.
Staff:
The staff seem friendly enough, but I haven’t had much interaction with them so I can’t comment much on that. My friend is very fond of her trainer.
Other:
The smell of the juice bar when you enter is great, and one of my favorite parts of this location that most other locations don’t have. They have the juice bar, just not the overwhelming smell when you walk in. However, I haven’t tried the drinks at any location so I don’t know whether they’re good or not.

I’ve been a EQ member for about 1.5 years now and have visited quite a handful of the gyms. This location is… not my favorite.
The space is constantly packed. I’m actually sometimes astounded by the number of people casually sweating away in this place. The location is set up on one floor. You enter directly into the lifting/​weight area, with a stretching mat and cardio equipment all the way to the right. Classrooms flank the outside perimeter, which unfortunately means you’ll have long lines of eager beavers waiting for the next 30÷60÷90 class.
The bathrooms are not as nice as those from other locations. It may be the old-​school white tiles, or the fact that it smells a little funky. Or the fact that every time I go I’m horrified by how disgusting people are with their beauty routine. Like seriously, the cleaning staff at that place should get some sort of santitation purple heart for what they have to deal with.
On a positive note, there’s a sit down, comunal space (almost like a foyer) between the juice shop on the first floor and the reception area on the second floor.

First off, let me be clear that Equinox isn’t for athletes. It’s for «clients» who are afraid of death and ugly people.
Still, I came to the Soho locale cash in hand, convinced weeks in advance that this was the gym for me. Unfortunately I was convinced otherwise by my consultation.
A sales associate should be a customers first impression of a brand. They should be helpful, and offer experiential insight. However, if the staff or more importantly the trainers are anything like the man I encountered yesterday, ew. no.
He was rude, impatient, condescending, and doused in a distracting level of cologne. But the most troubling thing was that he did not acknowledge my athletic goals as valid – this salesperson called my chosen sport (pole dance) «unbalanced» and a «disservice to my body». When I assured him that I was quite passionate about it, he replied that I should quit in an exchange for a membership at Equinox because they’re the best.
yeah… bye!
tldr; if you want to be inducted into the fashion-​fit cult of Equinox, join online.

If you are looking for a gym, I would say eq is pretty good. Everything about it is basically an upgraded experience compare to most gyms. Gym alone I would probably rate it 4. However, the membership advisor was extremely pushy.
I wanted to try their barre class because I love The Bar Method, and was considering joining EQ because they are the same price and have more options like yoga and Pilate classes. Anyways, the membership advisor was overly pushy which makes me almost immediately not consider joining. She starts off with the question «so what would be stopping you from joining the club today?» After I told her that I need a little bit time to consider switching over to a different type of exercise and the possibility of joining the same club with my friend, she immediately goes to «what is you friend’s name, I can sign him up under my name.»
She constantly asked why cant I join today and why can’t my friend join under her (my friend was planning to visit another location since it is closer to him). And kept questioning my decision of wanting to think about it over they week. Frankly it was very uncomfortable and big turned off to have someone keep pushing you to the most expensive set of membership they offer and not letting you think about it.
I asked her questions about different kind of classes and details of the membership that offers nutritional guide, she was clearly not knowledgeable about them, but insisted that she knows what type of membership is best for me (the more expensive one which comes with a personal trainer). It was quite annoying to have someone keep pushing you to buy the most expensive package when she clearly did not care your need nor knew the program very well.

I was an EQ all-​access member for 2+ years. My home gym is SoHo but I also visited locations all over Manhattan, SF and Chicago.
The facilities and classes at EQ are hands-​down magnificent, and possibly the best in the city/​country as a total package. SoHo was my favorite location for convenience and vibe. The dressing room is akin to a spa experience which is important when you need motivation to get to the gym and escape the NYC winter.
When I decided to move away from Manhattan, I visited the Wall Street location to cancel my membership. I made the cancellation at the front desk (you have to do this 30 – 60 days in advance and only after 1 year of use per your contract, this is very strict so make sure you understand the implications) and 7 months later I come to find out that EQ continued to charge me for my unused and cancelled membership. Worse yet, when I brought this to the customer service team’s attention, the CS agent only canceled the membership and refused to refund the 7 months where I very clearly cancelled my membership and did not visit the gym. I am now reaching out to the GM of the city.
There are other awesome workout options (ie ClassPass) with similar benefits that don’t make it a huge hassle to legitimately cancel your contract. I would check those out before making this commitment.
Update: EQ management refused to refund the unused months.

So far, this is my favorite Equinox location, even though it’s not the closest location for me. I took a barre burn class on a Saturday morning and it was one of the better classes I had at Equinox. It was tough, especially it was my first time. But it really worked my butt off within the 45 minutes. It was a trek getting here from Queens but worth the commute. Be warned: There are some ridiculously good looking people here. Compare to other Equinoxes I’ve been to, the people here are like models… just like the ones you see on their ads. Ha! Overall, the facility is really clean, like most Equinoxes. This location also has a juice bar. Just a note: Even though the address says it’s on Broadway, the real entrance is actually on the corner of Prince and Crosby.

*puts on fancy work out pants
I’ve had the pleasure of coming here several times on my instructor’s pass and thoroughly enjoyed his classes because they were fun (although usually packed). The pass entitled me to hang out as long as I wanted afterward, which I usually wouldn’t do because the gym is sooo crowded. I don’t just mean crowded with people, I mean crowded with things and whatnot. Like no space can be spared.
I’m a member of Blink, Equinox’s poor cousin that they own, and I must say for my $ 15 I get a lot more (and a lot less). Let’s compare and contrast, shall we?
Equinox — $ 200+ a month
— fancy wood paneled locker rooms… ooooh…
— Kiehls products you can go to town on in said locker rooms
— towels! (I was a Y member before Blink so I have never had the experience of having towels you can just toss around all over the place)
— nice equipement and large studios to take classes in
— a nice place to sit and wait for friends and whatnot
— lots of treadmills and ellipticals. None had their own screens though, there area bunch of monitors hanging from the ceiling where you can switch to what you want to listen to
— fancy pants clientele
— a Witchcraft, which was a juice bar before
Blink (and any cheap competitor) $ 15 – 20, depending on level of membership
— no towels, but it’s cheap
— depending on your blink there are a ton of treadmills, etc. that have their own t.v. with cable. There is usually a section like Equinox though, with some screens with a more limited selection
— usually not a wait if it’s crowded, depending on location
— nerdy clientele
— free water from water fountains
I guess if I didn’t have to pay for my own health insurance or something I would get an Equinox membership, but I’d rather spend $ 15 and not go to the gym every once in a while. Nice place, but it’s a lot for what you get. Other locations might be nicer. I just felt a little claustrophobia every time I went.