Equinox – 63rd Street

Love love love this place. I signed up for the All Access Pass, so I go to all of the equinox locations in the city, but I definitely come here the most. Honestly, the locker rooms and machines aren’t as new/​fancy/​up to date as some of the other locations, but they make up for it with other awesome amenities that some of the other clubs don’t have. For example, this location has the best shop, they have a pool, hot tub, steam rooms, sauna, and hot and cold plunges, and there’s a Juice Generation (yum yum yummmm). They also have A LOT of classes here which I love. My membership advisor, Susie, is amazing and very accommodating. I had my complimentary personal training session with Casey, and she really put in great thought to plan a workout that was perfect for me and would help me accomplish my personal goals. Love this place!!!

This review is for the yoga class on Friday at 6:30 pm. I’m a huge fan of yoga so I had to try the class with Erin Berry. Let’s just say after the class I felt like a brand new person-​physically and mentally. Beware for beginners. This is not an easy class. It requires a lot of strength and balance. Some of the positions are very challenging. Erin will give you alternative options if you are unable to do a certain position. She really pushes you to the limit and will even challenge you to step out of your comfort zone by doing hand stands. Her music selection is relaxing. Throughout the class she speaks word of encouragement and positivity. You kind of get meditation, yoga, and a self development class all in one. She was really sweet after class as well. We actually stayed back and got know one another for a bit.
I didn’t get to explore that gym however from first glance, the cleanliness was on point. The yoga mats were clean and very good quality. I really like this location.

Too small. I went there today and I was stepping over people to try and work out with free weights. Good crowd though and the juice bar is excellent and fast service.

I had to update this review because after about two decades not taking an exercise class, I took 3 in two days.
I taught Stretch and Tone in Los Angeles at a fine studio in the late 1980s that turned into the second Yogaworks (Main Street in Santa Monica). It was great. The aerobics was taught by a rock musician and drummer. Sometimes a live band would play. All the women were either dancers or performers of some kinds. Great music, open door not far from the beach. It was cool. Not Gold’s Gym aerobics with teacher who sound shedragged too hard off a helium tank.
Because I was a teacher at a cool West LA studio called Main Street Dance and Exercise and knew teachers whose music didn’t suck, like 95% of teachers who play the same mind-​numbing house and trance shit, I just cannot tolerate classes. It’s like being a hostage forced to listen to the worst music the CIA can think of. No thank you.
As for yoga, well I quit in 2000 because I moved from LA, where I studied with some of the best Iyengar teachers in LA, to Santa Barbara, where Ashtanga, Bikram, Vinyasa Flow dominated. There is Iyengar now, but not when I started graduate school in 1996. Beyond the style, I cannot bear the ethos of so much yoga now. The Whole Foods Woo Woo hippies and mindfulness people took it over (I’m better with the corporate yoga types in their Van Clef clover necklaces because at least they make no pretense to spirituality, faux or real).
I am not spiritual and as a former depressive who conquered a major life problem lasting 15 years, I have no patience for these yoga teachers who think they are psychiatrists, analysts, or therapists. I am secular. I don’t want a bunch of spiritual crap shoved down my throat (in general I prefer not to have anything forced on me – or my throat, as it happens).
I couldn’t stand the Santa Barbara Yoga Center. Such a weird surfer, hippie vibe. It had bad energy and I’m not one to talk about «energy» overmuch. All I wanted to do was smoke, eat prodigious quantities of steak, and burn lots of fossil fuels after most of the classes there. I liked a couple teachers but one moved and the other just did Restorative Yoga.
But I decided to give it a shot this past week and SO glad that I did.
1) Thursday morning at 8:30AM I took «Gentle Yoga,» mostly older or injured people. Not rigorous but not restorative, either. The teacher had a calm and soothing voice. She is studying neuroscience somewhere and clearly has a devoted following. A nice woman with a lovely manner.
2) Barre: Elizabeth Portnoy. I have seen her in the jacuzzi and locker room for years and knew she was a dancer. She gave me advice about my bad ankle some years ago. She’s excellent. Very good teacher. Funny and demanding: «If this isn’t hard enough,» she said, when most of our asses and thighs felt about explode in pain, «You can lift both arms up and go deeper into your position…» I liked her tremendously. She ended with a nice stretch to a piano version of Phantom (she was a ballerina). I didn’t love her music (there’s much better hard-​driving music, both older stuff like Janet Jackson and also rock, to push through hard arm and leg sets), but it was okay. You must sign up for this class in advance. Elizabeth is, for good reason, very popular and has a devoted core of regular students.
3) Classic Stretch: Friday morning (9AM I think). This is a small and relaxing class. If you are a dancer and stretched out already, it’s like a solid hour of breathing into muscles. Her music is sort of nondescript piano/​massage music. The teacher is older and tiny. Obviously a professional or semi-​pro dancer all her life. Very little talk. Just quiet long stretches. I could do all of that myself now that I bought a nice rug at ABC (not sisal like the former rug in the rental I took over), but it’s kind of nice to be in a well-​appointed studio with beautiful floor and mirrors. I miss dance so much and it was nice to be in a studio, even if just to stretch and do a few plies.
I am going to start BOXING next week! I got a free lesson at 67^th/​Columbus (I’m a Destination member because you have to be in LA if you swim). The room is STUNNING! I had no idea.
My only complaint about this club – and it is REAL problem – the music in the pool area must be turned down. After swimming without music blaring at the best pool in the NYC Equinox chain (ex Reebok club on the UWS), swimming here is just awful. It’s not relaxing. Also the music is too damn loud in the locker room AND the locker room steam. I talked to members and employees at the UWS club and they all said, «Oh, that would not fly on the UWS.» I don’t get it. 63/​Lex is a KNOWN geriatric area (who else can afford 9 million dollar brownstones and co-​ops for a couple million). My theory: UES members, the older ones, are already half-​deaf. So they can’t hear it.
This club is not as fancy as the UWS. But it has a cold plunge. That’s worth more than fancy and a café to me.

Good gym but lockers needed to be upgraded along with classes… This is the flagship but no pursuit or hot yoga. Im not sure why this gym is all access only when the other gyms are nicer. This gym is close to me but I cant continue to pay all access when I use one gym.

Obscene and sexist bill boards. Women in their underpants either crawling like an animal, being dominated by a guy, or looking like she’s about to perform sex services. These are huge posters on the street where young girls can see. HAVE SOME SCRUPLES.

The gym is OK comparing to other equinox locations. 2 floors with equipment are separated by the ground floor which is a little bit strange but not a problem. The trainers are helpful. Had my personal training with Dasha (tall blonde, great figure) — very professional, knowledgeable and friendly.
Also, I want more water fountains!

I’ve been coming to this Equinox location pretty much exclusively for a year and a half and enjoy it very much. It’s a huge, nice facility with great locker rooms and an array of classes on offer. The jewel of this location can be found in the Pilates studio: Valerie Vultaggio. If you want a Pilates instructor, check her out. She’s positive, friendly, motivating and challenging. Even if you think Pilates isn’t for you, try it!

I love this gym. The place is super clean and the staff very courteous. It smells like a spa instead of a gym. the cold plunge is the bomb.

I came to Equinox to get a spa manicure. I made an appointment through the phone the day before. I come the next day for my appointment and the lady begins my manicure half way through the process I notice that it is nothing different from the normal manicure that I get for $ 12 actually in fact even worse she didn’t even exfoliate my hands or anything I ask her isn’t the spa manicure suppose to be different and she tells me no they are the same which was shocking to me she finishes painting my nails and at the end she apologizes to me saying that I was right for a spa manicure she was supposed to exfoliate my hands and give me a massage LIKE WHY DID SHE LIE TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. Also let me mention this I ask the woman at the cashier what is the difference between the basic and the spa manicure and she tells me the basic manicure is only painting the nails whereas the spa one includes cleaning the cuticles, buffing the nails, etc and the woman who did my nails has done these steps expect for exfoliating my hands and giving me a proper massage which indicates that she knew I came for a spa manicure but she just wanted to finish I guess so she skipped some of the steps. At the end I come to the cashier knowing that I haven’t gotten a spa manicure and she tells me $ 31 and am like isn’t this suppose to be the price for the spa manicure that I haven’t even gotten and she is like no the prices on our price menu aren’t accurate the spa manicure is suppose to be $ 45 ummm like ok and then she gives me a %10 percent discount supposedly as a compliment for the stupid experience that I had.
BY FAR THIS IS THE WORST MANICURE I HAVE EVER GOTTEN IN MY LIFE AND FOR $ 30 !!!
And let me also say this my nail polish began peeling off on the same day I got the manicure done.

I joined Equinox with an all access member mainly to be able to use their swimming pools. I’ve yet to have an enjoyable experience at the pool on 63^rd St. I’ve experimented with different times of the day, but pretty much always has been crowded (if a lane’s not being used for a private session or a class going on). My last trip I took a day off work, timed it to be right after a class ended (but an hour before lunch). Fast lane had two fast swimmers and slow and medium lanes were occupied by four people (two in each) — WALKING laps with styrofoam buoys. I tried asking the lifeguard if one of the walkers in the medium speed lane could move to the slow lane (seriously, these walkers were barely moving) and he refused. So my only option was to try to swim with the Michael Phelps wannabes — I was just in their way, so I got out & left. I tried explaining my situation to a manager who said he’d investigate. I never heard back (really didn’t expect that I would). Anyway, if you’re looking for a good swimming pool, I recommend elsewhere.

Context: I’m an all-​access Equinox member for about 2 years. Have primarily been to this Equinox, the one in Murray Hill and the one in Soho (on weekends).
Facilities: Tons of cardio equipment and all of it relatively state of the art. Weight training equipment is a little older.
Availability: I go in the evening after work. There are two squat racks and two upright benches but they often tend to be busy which is annoying. The cardio equipment is relatively available.
Locker rooms/​Steam room: doesn’t have the electronic locks of the UWS. Generally clean locker rooms. The steam room could be cleaner.
Other amenities: plenty of dry towels,

I’m trying to enjoy my free 3-​month All Access membership as much as I can so I decided to check this location out over the weekend. The only difference with this location and the others is that they have a pool, which I have not checked out yet. In general, I’m not a huge fan of the lay out of this location. When I came here, I went to the lower level where the women’s locker room is. On the same level, they have a dismal set of treadmills, dumb bells, and other workout equipment and I thought to myself, «Wow this is what you get for paying $$$$$ a month?». The floor mat area is quite a joke. So small, you can barely stretch yourself out. Then I became relieved when I realize there was a much more well equipped area on the top floor with more machines. But the overall impression of this place was quite a disappointment.

For the price I am very under whelmed.
In an economy like this 200 a month is very very step for anything let alone a gym.
And if I am paying $ 200 for a membership I want good customer service. Which this location does not have.
The spa is a joke. They should extend a discount for members of the gym, but they do not.
The only reason why I give it 2 stars is because it’s cleaner then other gyms in the city.

There seem to be lots of problems at the managerial level. First of all if you have a problem or question no one returns your phone call. They only take your phone calls if you are trying to join. I wanted to do personal training and the guy was such a jerk to me. All he was interested in was making as much money as possible and not with training me. I quit after a month. The facility is crowded and there are very few classes offered. The televisions are mostly broken in the treadmills. I am thinking of quitting but it is near my home.

I finally joined Equinox last December and feel blessed to be a block (part-​time) from one of the only locations with a cold plunge. I’m addicted, and even if you take no classes (which I don’t) and just go daily for jacuzzi and plunge, the membership is well worth it.
And I agree with the reviewer re showers. My walk-​up a block away has an okay shower but it can’t compare to the Niagara Falls with Kiehl’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash at the club. I adore the Kiehl’s body lotion and if you tally up what you save on body wash and lotion, it’s probably a good 20 or 25 a month. I often come in just to shower and appreciate a relief from CA drought panic when in the city.
I hear the LA Equinox is underwhelming except for Century City (no pool in SM or MDR), which I would absolutely join if living or working in CC.
I still think the pool kinda sucks because I’m spoiled by CA year-​round outdoor swimming in long pools surrounded by trees or landscaping. But I’ve been to a few pools in Manhattan and this is by far the best except for the private clubs (University Club or the equivalent). You have to wear a swim cap and the lifeguard, aka swim gestapo, will haul you out of the pool if you don’t have one. This is a city law and thus not the fault of Equinox, though this doesn’t make it suck any less (particularly for women with long and thick hair).
The staff is friendly and while people in membership/​sales tend to be, uh, challenging and less than forthright, it’s well worth the hassle to work out at such a conveniently located and excellent facility.
I’ve heard numerous stories about the membership hustle from those chatting in the jacuzzi. A hedge funder even said you have to watch out at high-​end gyms, which impressed me given the sharks around whom he works daily. So, for what it’s worth, did my former federal prosecutor mother, who said that membership/​sales folks at elite gyms have a national reputation for aggression and dishonesty. My problem finally got resolved and I think this is just the cost of doing business at a top-​notch club in a big city.
The upstairs weight room with treadmills and ellipticals is breathtaking with the old arched windows which look out onto 63^rd from one side and Lex on the other. I think this was the location featured in You’ve Got Mail (when Hanks is on the treadmill with his buddy), which should give you a sense of its picturesque feel (trees in summer, snow in winter).
It’s the best of old and new New York. This was the historic Barbizon, which is likely why the spa is as elaborate as it is, complete with a plunge. The 63^rd Street club is a throwback to a more genteel age, and with so much of old New York gone, it’s comforting to feel a tie to the pre-​Starbucks, pre-​Internet era.
The music is quite loud and occasionally obnoxious as you enter but oddly less loud in the weight room itself. Most members are very nice and I’ve met some nice ladies in the locker room. I never found the members as snotty as the desk girls (2011 was my first time here), but now I love everyone at the desk.
As for the moneyed clientele? Well, it’s at 63^rd and Lex, so what do people expect? Still, I’m chatty and regularly strike up nice chats with ladies of all ages. And yeah, the jewelry is something else. I will never be able to afford such things, but I *love* looking at diamonds and this club offers some superior jewelry watching. Bags aren’t my thing but it’s a big bag show too.
I could also do with a bit less boom boom in the locker room but downstairs in the pool area the music is fine and since I spend the bulk of my time down there, the «club effect» in the lobby doesn’t bother me too much. I’m always shocked, however, when I return to SB Athletic Club which is downright placid and Zen by comparison.
The trainers are all outstanding, but I recommend Gary, a former college track star. He’s intense and rigorous but nice and pushes you as far as you’re willing to go.
I also love the stretching area with comfy mats and a barre.
There’s an SCLA by the bridge near 1^st and I’m sure it’s nice. But having worked out in the late 1980s and late 1990s at the original SCLA – a massive structure on Sepulveda Blvd – no New York SCLA could possibly compare. For one thing, I doubt there’s a patio and rooftop pool given the city winters.
I’ve never been to the ritzy Reebok Club on the UWS by ABC and know it’s a big celebrity club (Seinfeld, among others, work out there). But nothing on the East Side can compare to 63^rd Street Equinox, its flagship east of 5^th.
Happily, they seem to have booted some of the Juice Generation folks from last year and I think that’s running more smoothly now as well.
If you’re on the UES, this is the only place to work out. And Hale and Hearty is a block away, as is Fishtail: I usually get a glass of wine or two before the cold plunge so I can stay in longer. I don’t recommend plunging sober until you have worked up a tolerance.

I have joined and quit this gym twice. Overall it is an excellent gym with lots of decent equipment. However many of the headphone jacks don’t work with the TVs provided. Members will change the channel, sometimes without checking if anyone is watching.
I agree with the other reviews that talk about the clientele. It is very much an UES experience, and often that selfish attitude is demonstrated in the men’s locker room. It’s as if members have never had to share with others.
The pool area is very nice, with sauna, steam, and whirlpool. However if you are there near closing the atmosphere changes. There is no management presence at any Equinox on weekends and near closing. The maintenance staff will often begin closing down sauna and steam facilities before the announced time of 15 minutes before closing. I complained repeatedly and was rarely contacted about the problem. Even the front desk staff (who are usually excellent) commented that «they do that sometimes» when I complained. When I first tried to quit an assistant manager gave me a free month, which was a nice gesture.
But when I finally decided to cancel my membership, it was impossible to get a clear response. I walked in and handed a manager my written cancellation with the date and the termination date indicated. They continued to charge my credit card until I successfully challenged the charges with my credit card company.
Beware of these practices, read the fine print carefully, and don’t take no for an answer.

I have went to almost all of the Equinox locations. This by far is the best location. Management handles everything correctly, and the staff is the friendliest. It is also the cleanest, and most organized club. Great job! ***Thank you for always having the coat check open.

BEWARE OF MANAGER MICHAEL GALLAGHER!!!
DO NOT JOIN THIS GYM!
I went in and signed papers to close my account months ago and have been charged THE LAST 4 MONTHS!
I tried calling the manager (never around when I called) and he would sometimes reply to my emails a week later. I am currently in the process of taking them to small claims court as these deceptive business practices seem to be a common trend based on reading many other peoples experiences. In addition, I have spent nearly $ 500 each month on Spa services for over a year and they still have put me through hell.
Multiple users here are on steroids and I have been asked if I wanted on a few occasions in addition to the uncomfortable stares from other men at the gym. The gym staff/​trainers hog all of the machines with their clients who never seem to get any results. Awful gym, just marketed well.

Joined due to the location and was a member for 8 months. Know that you are paying an extreme premium for better towels, equipment slightly better than NYSC. The machines and weights will still be just as busy and you will continue to be accosted by managers hoping to get you to sign up for training packages.
Beware of fake reviews written by employees. A quick google search will show you that they are notoriously greedy with slippery contracts meant to bind you into long-​term contracts.
Once you are a member, you will be treated like a sales figure.

I tried to cancel by phone and was told I needed 45 days notice and had to give a notarized letter or talk to a manager in person. When I went in, already annoyed, they said there were no managers present and I should come back another time. Being in sales, I stood at the front desk and and asked the staff as people walked by: «why is it so hard to quit this gym?» Two of the staff in turn tried to get me to wait away from the desk. After 3 minutes, surprise, a manager came out from no more than 10 feet away in one of the glassed in rooms. I gave him no reason for leaving, and he decided to write «lack of usage» as my reason, that I noticed later. The real reasons are:
–The trainers are rude and only care about the people paying them, taking over large areas of the gym and multiple pieces of equipment.
–Way too crowded with long waits for equipment
–Out of order machines
–Frequently no room to stretch with trainers sometimes taking over the whole mat
–Crowded locker rooms with only tiny lockers available
–Lots of elderly during the day doing rehab… again the trainers taking over areas of the gym
I have joined Sportsclub/​LA, 6 times as much space and apparently less members. I was paying a higher rate at Equinox than newer members which may explain why it was so crowded.
So: if you want to leave Equinox, stand by the front desk and a manager will be there soon. Don’t take no for an answer. If you leave it will only cost you more money and annoyance.

If this gym weren’t a block from my apartment, I would definitely skip it and sign up for nysc or crunch for a third of the price and better equipment. The problem with this gym is that if you actually want to work out, at a time when other people also want to do so, you’ll struggle to find a machine that is not occupied and is not broken (out of order sign, broken without an out of order sign, misaligned crank on the elliptical that makes for uneven rotations, broken headphone port, or no connection to the tv). This could be a much better experience if they monitored the machines and fixed them promptly.
Pros —
Classes are excellent (especially Speedball Steve), albeit crowded
Kiel’s products in the shower
Locations
Cold eucalyptus towels
Beautiful gym
Great weights area
Cons —
Broken cardio machines! Consistently out of order (they don’t monitor their own machines so there are no signs indicating one is broken. Therefore, one must try multiple machines in hopes of finding one that works)
Poor management, lack of competent leadership (see below)
Trainers taking over weights area and treadmills
Ever since they closed the pool on 53^rd Street, the pool is PACKED. Too bad.
Not enough mat space to stretch
Overall, this could be a 4 or even 5-​star gym if their leadership would address the broken machine issue head on. Instead, despite multiple complaints and personal emails, management consistently acts surprised when told that there are broken machines. Management needs to implement a simple approach to monitoring and fixing machines. It is vexing to me that they can’t (or perhaps just don’t want to) figure it out.
Come on Equinox, you can fix this and get to greatness!

Machines are not wiped down enough and there is sweat on the circuit machines. Had to cancel membership after 8 years and sent a cancellation email to the club manager, Craig Hook, and received confirmation. Three weeks later I got another monthly charge on my AMEX card, and when I called Equinox I was told there is a 45-​day «processing period», which is their way to extract additional revenue. The moral of the story is to cancel via email or letter (before your renewal date) and SAVE COPIES to dispute later. This is very bad customer service and I am done with Equinox forever.

Not a bad service. The pool is always kept clean which is so important.
The same can be said for the gym equipment, which is all kept spotless. I also like the fact that they have some spa treatments on site. Which saves a trip when you just want to pop in and out.

Broken machines horrible managers and over priced. Good classes and clean .
They should stop giving discounts to corporations if they want to get the good crowd back. It used to be great when they first opened.

Tis equinox was OK. The trainers weren’t to obtrusive. Actually nobody bugged me. The clientele seemed OK. But the gym overll just didn’t seem friendly. It’s like 3 or 4 floors which I find annoying but the 3^rd floor has most everything.
The front desk staff were pleasant. Very pleasant. The juice bar is BOMB! I mean these folks have some awesome juices, are always pleasant and move fast. Lots of people are gettin fod From them and they keep it moving. The coffee is good too. Yeah, their juice/​food bar rocked me more than the gym:)
It’s pretty cool though. No emajor complaints and better equipment than the Rockefeller– hey rockefeller, fix your cardio machines and clean them! Yuck. Anyways, movin on… it’s cool