Equinox West 76th Street

My happy place! This gym is more like a spa. Motivating and immaculate. I love spending time here even though I live further downtown!

Nice club but it makes it difficult to cancel membership. Online cancellation is not an option. You must appear in person and speak with a manager. This is a bit offensive.

I love this gym. Yes it is expensive — but you get what you pay for. I go for the classes mostly. I have the all access, but it seems this location is really the only one that works with my current schedule. It is beautiful, clean, and quiet (especially during the middle of the day).
Of course they try to sell you after you do your free pilates/​private instructor classes.
Hopefully, I can find more time to be there and learn to use more equipment — but of all the gyms I have tried, this is the only one I have really stuck with — so that has to say something.

Great place to work out. Wide selection of gym equipment and very clean. I would highly recommend Equinox

Crowded! This is the smallest Equinox I have visited in NY, yet it is one of the busiest. You will wait in lines for machines. If you shower at the gym, you will wait in line for showers. The locker rooms are tiny and cramped, and you will wait for changing space to become available. If you go during peak weekday times or weekends, forget about trying to get a locker. Lots of people walking around the gym carrying their bags, coats, etc. Not sure what the remedy for this is, but Equinox needs to do something (limiting capacity based on how many people have checked in, and then turning people away when full?). Working out here is miserable.

This Equinox is more of a serene, palatial wonderland than an actual gym. But if my memory serves me, there is indeed workout equipment here. I just keep forgetting because the abundance of lounging equipment (parallel phrasing here really doesn’t work but sometimes dramatic effect is more important) is just so pretty and so comfy and so chic. Okay, now onto the actual review. I’m going to do this tour-​style.
First up: lobby. Spacious and freakishly clean. On your right, standard Equinox juice bar. On your left, standard Equinox store. Right in front of you, unrelentingly peppy folks working at the front desk, bursting at the seams with excitement to welcome you in.
Women’s locker rooms are downstairs. I’ve been to three Equinox locations in the city, and this locker room is by far the nicest one. Unlike the locker rooms at the 92^nd street location, each locker here comes with its own combination lock. And unlike the locker rooms at the Greenwich ave location (which is overall a better gym, in the truest sense of the word), there is actual SPACE to change, etc. in each row of lockers. Everything else is pretty standard: more mirrors than you’ll know what to do with, steam room, showers, blow dryers, Kiehl’s — the whole nine yards. This is also far and away the best-​smelling gym I’ve ever set foot in. Well done, Equinox.
After ascending some very regal staircases — past the trendy couches and carpeted floors — you’re finally in the workout space. There’s not a ton of mat space, but I’ve always managed to find a good amount of space to do abs/​Turkish getups (Google it if you’re scratching your head). Like most globo gyms, there are rows upon rows of cardio machines. Various types of ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, stairmasters, and row machines. One peculiar thing about this gym is the layout — it seems quite haphazard to me. There are several large clusters of cardio machines, the two main ones separated by the free weight/​weight machine space. It’s as if you compressed two normal Equinox floors into one, resulting in a very odd configuration that just doesn’t make much sense. My first time here, I needed to wander around a bit to get a sense of the layout. There’s no real shortage of equipment, but I think the organization could use some work.
I should also note that I know nothing about the classes offered here. From the outside, the studios seem huge, beautiful and equipped with state-​of-​the-​art equipment (redundancy hurts me but there isn’t a better word for it). I can’t speak to the instructors or the classes themselves. But if the other features/​amenities are any indication, I’m sure the classes are wonderful.
My only real beef with this place is the lack of pull-​up bars (not the handles on those multipurpose machines — you’re cheating yourself with those) and squat racks, as well as no real space for deadlifts/​moving plyometrics. I realize that Equinox is more known for its classes and amenities, but it’s a gym first and foremost. The amenities here as superb as they get, but that shouldn’t be why you join a gym. I mean, that’s why you join Equinox as opposed to a cheaper globo gym, but you know what I mean.

Equinox 76^th & Amsterdam! 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.
Love this location– on amsterdam between 76^th & 77^th
Kids club, spa, yoga studio, main studio, cycle studio, free weights, cardio machines, weight machines, shower & steam rooms, café
All the typical equinox amenities 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.
This is one of my favorite locations, mainly because it is so spacious. Women’s locker room is downstairs, big couch there, up two flights of stairs, all the studios, more couches, an area with computers and wifi and all the machines. This location also has a kids club.
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 body conditioning mondays 9am with jessica davis, wednesdays zumba 615 with Joanna, or friday best butt ever with Marie at 9am. Marie is one of my favorites.
This location has also the typical amazing equinox amenities in the locker rooms, towels galore, qtips, cotton balls, shaving crème razors and of course KIEHL’s bath & body products — shampoo, conditioner, body wash, crème de corp moisturizers. Love that the club is in pristine condition, there are always staff cleaning constantly. The locker room at this location is a bit small.
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.

This is my favorite equinox location in NYC. For one, the locker rooms are kept very clean and they have the electronic key locks on the lockers so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own lock. The layout it nice because it’s more open and there’s more natural light than other locations. They have some great spin options ! I highly recommend werk and ride with Mario Godiva and they have a lot of group exercise classes at all hours of the day. While the popular classes so fill up there is usually room to squeeze in in the back. The crowd is not necessarily one type of person and there are people of all ages. I have never felt intimated at this gym nor have people been rude. The locker room can get s little busy but even during the prime before work or evening time I’ve never waited for a shower. I highly recommend this location !

Not worth the price, but the only other club in the area is the NYSC on 73^rd and CPW, which is frankly disgusting (I used to be a member there, but had to switch because they never seemed to clean anything and there weren’t enough machines). This place is sparkling clean, almost aggressively so — they stop just short of cleaning machines that people are in the middle of using, which is a little annoying but preferable to NYSC’s lack of cleanliness. The locker rooms are extremely nice, even by the standards of Equinox’s other locations, and you do not need to bring your own lock. There are plenty of machines, and I’ve never been unable to get one even at peak times.
The layout leaves a lot to be desired. There are narrow paths between the machines, so sweaty people are always bumping into each other at peak times as they’re trying to get around, and the personal trainers are always using the extremely limited floor space to do exercises with their clients. I understand that personal training is a big money-​maker, so the management probably doesn’t want to push back on this issue, but it’s annoying for the rest of us who are just trying to work out and get out.
Maintenance is passable, but not great. They removed one of the shades from the windows in front of the row of treadmills facing east over Amsterdam Ave. and took several months to replace it (and in the meantime, the sun was blinding everyone who was using the treadmills in the morning). There are usually a couple machines out of service here and there every time I go, and some (but not many) of the machines are on the older side.
The front desk people, the people who work in the store, and the personal trainers are all very nice. The people who work on the floor (i.e., not personal trainers and not cleaning staff… not sure what their exact job is) are often curt to the point of being rude.
More on the price — it was already absurdly expensive, but I recently received a notice in the mail increasing the price of my monthly membership by $ 7. Not a lot of money, but it’s frustrating in principle, especially because I have noticed no increase in the level of services since the price increase was put into place. They have some free Kiehl’s products, which is nice, but I forgot a hair tie once and had to buy a small pack for $ 10 from the store upstairs — I would expect a place that portrays itself as so «premium» to have little freebies like hair ties just in case someone forgets theirs.
All in all, this place is fine on most of the basics (cleanliness, quality of locker rooms, and quality/​availability of equipment), but definitely not as five-​star as it wants you to think.

Love this gym! My favorite equinox! I take Sabrina who is such a passionate person who really loves her job, always has great energy. I also take Omar, his classes are crazy hard, but super effective. The barre class is ok, but the same thing every single time. Yoga was good. Love the layout.

Taking off one star as protest:
1. Please bring back 30÷60÷90. Why did you take Kevin away from me? Nobody wants to deal with that class at 6:30am on a Monday I understand… but still!!! No matter how strong and in shape I am, I feel like that class is impossible to conquer, and the routine gets switched every month so whenever I feel better at it a new challenge comes. This Equinox is already disadvantaged by the small size of the studio — they will never have classes that use the rope or indoor rower like Whipped!, so why not offer 30÷60÷90 that doesn’t take a lot of space and still gives people hell of a workout? They replaced the class with something called «boot camp» — what a creative name. I have no interest in trying out the new class and will sleep in until 30÷60÷90 is brought back.
2. I live literally a block away from here so I never use the shower but one time I tried to wash my face and couldn’t find any facial cleanser. C’mon. Facial cleanser is essential and I will not… WILL NOT… wash my face with soap.
So those are my grievances. But I still love this gym. The trainers here are actually super nice. I train with Carley who is really fun and fit but also tough and very hardworking. Other than that when I do things on my own the trainers nearby (not only the ones watching the floor) sometimes give me tips and corrections. They are just such nice people and have built really good relationships among themselves as well as an overall positive work environment.
The manager here (Matt) is really nice too. I had to live in Europe for four months last year. I could only freeze my membership for three months and I would have had to pay to freeze it. It was also too late to cancel my membership because I didn’t give any 30 day notice. So I went to talk to Matt and he gladly froze my account for 4 months at no cost. I still cannot thank him enough.
Of course I wish the membership and personal training sessions were cheaper, but the gym contributed a lot to my personal happiness that money probably can’t buy.

My friend has the pleasure of being an Equinox member, so while in town, I decided to check this place out after hearing so many good things about it.
If you’ve ever belonged to gyms before, the guest pass process is usually annoying. Not at Equinox! The woman behind the desk was cheerful and the process was super easy. I felt like they actually wanted me there versus most gyms I’ve visited where I’m a guest member for the day.
The place itself is the mall version of a gym. There’s a fancy clothing boutique and juice bar upon entrance and a spa downstairs along with the women’s locker room. On the day I went, I attended a class called metacon, which was a combination of weights and cardio and definitely had me sweating within minutes.
Overall, I had a pleasant experience at Equinox. Their memberships are too pricey for me, but when i’m in town, I’ll be sure to take advantage of my friend’s guest pass!

This is probably my favorite location in the City.
It’s very big, has a cool layout and has good energy. Doesn’t seem like there are too many d-​bags at this location. People aren’t particularly friendly, but they aren’t growling at you either. The staff is very friendly and helpful all the time.
I like to use the Elliptical machines that face and look out over Amsterdam. Nothing like working out with a lot of natural light around you.
This place gets pretty packed, but I’ve never had to wait for a machine. The machines are also pretty new and they don’t seem to have a lot of broken equipment.
The locker room can be a zoo, but what can you do? it’s at least clean and well-​stocked.
One of my go-​to places in the City.

I think anyone who has a complaint about this place needs to visit another gym to gain some perspective. Not only is this gym clean to the point of being pristine, but they have a boatload of excellent classes that will satisfy any and every persons want and desire. It’s expensive. You get what you pay for. Some of the classes are crowded. It’s New York City. Everywhere is crowded. Some of the customer service wasn’t executed perfectly in exactly the way I wanted it. It’s governed by a huge corporation, and not everything is about you.
I’ve had memberships at New York Sports Clubs, Crunch Fitness, CrossFit NYC and now Equinox, and I couldn’t be happier. Does someone’s hand sometimes graze my foot in pilates? Sure. Are there times where I can’t get a bike in the spin class I want? Yes. I’m an adult. I can handle it. The front desk staff is amazingly helpful, they have off-​duty trainers that walk around throughout the gym and are available for anyone to ask them a question. Any machine that is «Out of Service» is fixed or replaced within 24 hours. They have a eucalyptus steam room, Kiehls products, razors, shave cream, q-​tips, and cotton balls. I would probably move in here if I could, as I prefer to shower here than at my own apartment.
I do wish they had phone chargers for when I forget to bring my own, but I can’t really hold Equinox accountable for my own inability to keep my electronics charged.
This place is amazing. If you’re questioning whether or not you should join, stop thinking and just do it. You won’t regret it.

It’s a good gym with great classes and instructors; you don’t need a lock, and the locker rooms are clean and spacious. Sometimes yoga classes are so crowded that they can be stressful. Ironic, isn’t it? They should have reservations and limits on the most popular classes.
The spa is good, BUT you might not get the masseuse you ask for. And you might not find out until you get there.
ALSO don’t get gift cards. My partner/​boyfriend bought me one for Christmas. When I tried to use it at the spa, the staff told me that it was not in my name. Then it took forever for someone to address the problem in a kind and proper manner.

I had the great privilege of winning a free one-​month membership to Equinox as part of a fitness raffle basket. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. Equinox is a dream gym and this location definitely lives up to the ideal.
The experience was luxurious and incredible. Their attention to detail is mesmerizing: the cool Eucalyptus towels after a workout, the beautiful couches to lounge about while waiting for a fitness class or taking a breather, the digital lockers to store your things in, someone at the front desk who tells you hello and goodbye every time without fail, and even a guy who walks around with towels in case anyone needs one. Even the women’s locker room is sophisticated and attentive to consumer needs; many blowdryers, razors, shaving cream, mouthwash, cotton swabs and a wonderful steam room that leaves you and your pores feeling rejuvenated — you could probably live at this gym if you could get away with it.
The studios for the group fitness classes are spacious and the yoga and zumba classes are top-​notch. There are plenty of mats, blankets, straps, blocks, what have you, available for everyone. Even when the classes get crowded there’s still room to maneuver and breathe. I enjoyed the fact that they were open during the holidays and had substitutes for their classes.
Since I mostly took yoga classes there, I can definitely recommend taking Vinyasa Yoga, Flow Play Yoga, and Alignment Flow Yoga. They’re all similar but different classes stress certain speeds. I’ve had one yoga instructor quote Buddha and focus on the theme of contentment, another who encouraged us to move at a powerfully fast pace similar to power yoga, and yet another who emphasized deep long breaths and prolonging of poses. This was the type of diversity I really enjoyed.
Aside from these, I also enjoyed the Healing Light Meditation class by a Reiki certified instructor which felt like a well-​deserved spiritual nap, as well as my complimentary Pilates lesson on machines in their Pilates studio which emphasized core strength and posture. When you join, expect an e-​mail that offers you this complimentary session. They do tend to market heavily and try to enforce the idea that you need Pilates, but either way you should take advantage of this free lesson. They also have free pilates mat classes if you don’t want to do private lessons.
A little note about the crowd here: everyone seems relatively friendly and extremely dedicated to fitness. I had trouble with the lockers when I first arrived and a woman helped me right away. The students in my fitness classes seem very devoted to their yoga practice and it wasn’t unusual to see people in my class doing headstands as part of their cooling off period. Really. Their cooling off period. The people here are enough to get you motivated and inspired.
Considering the membership fees are in the triple digits, this isn’t really luxury on the cheap, but it’s well worth it. A great investment if you have the money to spend. If I had it in my student budget to continue with this gym, I so would. Until then, I look forward to coming back someday.

Maybe 3.5 stars…
I joined Equinox using a corporate special and have been going to this location. The facilities are great, staff is nice and they have a lot of equipment. Been to a few yoga and Pilates classes and have enjoyed them as well.
However, I understand that they need to keep the place clean but I don’t need to work out and have someone with a vacuum cleaning next to me. Even with my headphones on all I hear is the freaking vacuum. Same in the locker room, once time I tripped over the vacuum cable and the employee looked at me like it was my fault.
They reuse the yoga mats for all the classes which is unsanitary. Not sure if they clean them everyday.
Overall, good facility, just clean where it’s needed and let people exercise in peace!

This gym is amazing. From the sparkly clean, cool gym to the locks that come with the lockers, to the cool mint towels that are kept in a mini fridge the attention to detail here is undeniable. I’ve never enjoyed going to a gym in my life as much as I enjoy going to this one, it’s just a pleasant place to be.
The front desk is average, and the trainers are a mixed bag– some of them are top notch others are very average. Definitely observe the trainers before letting them try to match one for you.
Their classes and instructors are top notch, I especially love Robin Powell’s pilates classes and Omar Sandoval’s conditioning classes, it’s some of the hardest work outs I’ve done in my life (Titan Method may be the hardest). The classes alone are worth the money.
It’s expensive, jaw droppingly expensive, but I go to the gym more now than I ever have in my life because of how great this gym is, and that makes it worth every penny.

I really like the layout of this particular location. It’s a generous space for a NYC gym, designed at vertical right angles, it removes the typical claustrophobic crush you’re used to feeling in NYC spaces.
The women’s locker room is one of the nicest I’ve seen in any Equinox location. Every time I entered, someone was cleaning it. If you’re a visitor like me, you don’t need a lock because they have electronic locks like the ones you find on safes in hotel rooms. It’s the little things… really…details like this make the monthly fee worth it.
The spin class taught by Eduardo was high energy and his music was contemporary and DUB! Loved the energy of the group.

Wow. This has got to be one of my top 5 Equinox locations nationwide. It is ridiculously new, clean, and of course all the other things that you love about Equinox. This place is amazingly new and it shows. The facilities set the bar amazingly high, and blow all the other locations out of the water.
First of all, there is a huge lobby right when you enter the gym. Go up the stairs and then you end up in the «library» where you can get online and use the computers. The lockers, is really where this place amazes me. There are tons of lockers, and more that enough room for everyone to maneuver. The coolest part of this locker room is the wireless body fat/​weight scale. Step on, log into your MYEQ, and it quickly measures your body fat % and weight, and uploads it to your
account! How amazing is that? Now, you can literally keep track of your progress on a daily basis, upload everything online, in a nice and simple way.
The exercise equipment here is top notch too. Of course it’s because this place isn’t an older location like SoHo, but it’s quite a nice little surprise. The time that I went, there weren’t too many people working out, and I was able to get onto any machine that I wanted. Equinox is an amazing choice for a gym if you live in Manhattan. There are tons of locations all over the city, with this location and the Columbus Circle one being the best in Midtown West/​Upper West Side. Sure, the membership fees are a little expensive, but you get what you pay for, and that would be an amazing gym experience.