Larry North (Cityplace)

This place is like a cross between Equinox and Diesel. It’s feels like Diesel because it doesn’t get very crowded and it’s in an office building. It’s like Equinox because it feels very spa/posh.  For example, they have two coed hot tubs. The décor is very upscale, you have fancy sculptures in recessed wall niches.  This place is like a corporate version of Equinox. Instead of a bunch of trophy wives working out in yoga pants this place is filled with people working out on their lunch break. I can only imagine the convenience of having a gym just an elevator ride away from your office.

However, one of the issues with being in a corporate building is that this place is closed on Sundays.  I repeat, IT'S CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!!! For me, that's a deal breaker because I sometimes have to workout on Sundays to keep to my workout schedule.  But the ambiance sure is nice here.

Layout/Facilities

Did someone say hot tub???

They don’t have a pool, but they have two coed hot tubs.  Nice.  The dumbbells only go up to 100#, and most of their machines, while not the latest, are all nice.  I did see a machine out of order, but giving that I was there for only one day I have no idea how long it has been like that.  The cardio section is pretty large, especially compared to the fact that they only have one squat rack. This squat rack was being used the whole time I was there by personal trainers, so if I had wanted to squat then things would have been… complicated.  They did have like three bench racks though, so if you’re like your typical guy you’ll be fine. They have lots of personal trainers, saw like four working while it was the lunch rush

As you can see, quite the lunch crowd here.

They don’t have an Olympic platform or bumper plates, but they do have a ton of padding so one can do deadlifts and not disturb the conference rooms below (The manager told me that this is, in fact, a real issue with the building).

They have a full basketball court, and man that place is quiet. It’s has a lot of sound baffling on the walls, so sounds are swallowed up rather than echoed off the walls. It makes for a very Zen basketball experience.

They are fixing to upgrade a lot of stuff. Most of it is structural, deadening the sound from the gym to the banquet hall below, but some will also be spent on equipment.  Given though that their target client is more corporate and less athlete/meathead, I doubt they will be getting more squat racks and bumper plates.

Classes

I didn't get to take their "Chiseled" class while there, but I got to look at their schedule and the timing is perfect for someone who works at cityplace. Otherwise, you'd have to leave work early/late in order to get to a class. This all makes perfect sense, but if they want to bring in clientele from outside the building they may have to start having stuff at 630 pm.

Locker Rooms

So fly.

These locker rooms are nice. Like, super nice.  I would say the showers/lockers are better than Equinox, except that you have to bring your own lock.  The products aren’t name brand, but to be honest if you have to bring  one thing (aftershave) it’s just as much a hassle as bringing everything (shampoo, aftershave, shaving cream, etc). The stalls themselves are extremely nice. Unlike Equinox, they don't have these wooden palates with screws that can cut into your feet. It definitely feels like a spa/resort here.

Surfability

The website says there is a free 7 day trial pass. The website, it seems, lies.  When I filled out the online form I waited two days for them to contact me. After that, I called them up and asked about it. The manager didn’t know about the 7 day pass, but said I could try it out a couple of times if I wanted to.  This couple of times seems to have been compressed to one day. I imagine I could have gotten away with going there twice, but I think the second time would have resulted in a lot more sales pressure, so I bailed.