Brooklyn Boulders

I started climbing almost a year ago when I lived in Kansas City, MO. My gym there was pretty small, just bouldering, and mostly men. When I moved to Brooklyn in December, checking out BKB was a top priority. It was super intimidating at first but after about a month or two I started talking beta with other climbers. I’ve made wonderful climbing friends that push me to climb harder, give me training tips and encourage me to send.
In March, I took the learn the ropes class with Anthony. It was a great overview of top roping and left me feeling like I could approach it in a very safe and fun way. But it totally left me hungry for more so I signed up for the most recent learn to lead class with Anthony. It was great! I was so nervous it would be above my level, but Anthony’s instruction proved to be stellar. I’m feeling great and safe about lead climbing and it’s unlocked a whole new area of the gym.
The only reason I haven’t given BKB a full 5 stars is the current facility issues. The management was a little vague with the membership community about why there was a capacity limit for the first few weeks. For many of us, belonging to BKB and climbing is so much more than exercise. The lack of transparency was a little frustrating. Although the reservation system can be kind of a pain, the upside is that it’s really nice to climb in a near empty gym.

I cannot say enough about this place!
My husband and I went here for the first time yesterday. I hadn’t climbed before, he was pretty skilled but hadn’t been in awhile. Rob showed us the ropes, before we got started.
They have lead climbing and bouldering for all levels and they change the grips every few weeks so it never gets repetitive. Everyone is very friendly and encouraging if you’re new, and supportive if you’re skilled and trying something difficult. Reservations are required so it never gets too crowded.
They have lockers for use, but you need your own lock. They also have a coworker room with free WiFi, drinks and snacks if you need to take a break from your session for work.
They also have weights, yoga, classes and other items to vary your session.
The location is great, right across from an event center that hosts live music, stand-​up, etc. and plenty of restaurants nearby.
Only thing we didn’t love was taking the R (so many service changes) to get there.

This an update. raising the rating a star because:
a) they have renovated the bathrooms, which were dark, dank, dungeon-​like places, and other areas, so the non-​climbing parts of the gym are now nice, whereas before they were unpleasant.
b) the reservation system that they have temporarily put in place is not as bad as I thought. One hour 45 minutes is ‘about enough’ climbing time, and it makes the place much, much less crowded than it used to be. You actually are able to climb, climb, climb, rather than climb, wait, wait, climb.
Still, my past and recent experiences with the business /​customer-​service side of things remains an indication that this business can do better.

Decent community and routes, but terrible management.
I joined BKB a few years back and from day 1 you can tell management is interested in squeezing as much profit out of the business at the risk of delivering a really poor customer experience.
Up until recently really disgusting bathrooms with old/​broken lockers. When the amount of people was too much BKB finally got some more lockers and added a proper changing room, but that took 4 – 5 years.
There’s always a leak dripping down from the roof somewhere into a dirty bucket. Often this is right on the climbing mats.
Broken billing system. Me and several friends have been charged incorrectly several times and it took weeks to get the charges reversed. Then the employees say «oh this happened because you were enrolled in XYZ program…» like I’m supposed to know what that means. I don’t care — fix it.
One of my biggest complaints is that the air filters are usually off and look like they are covered in chalk. This sucks because everytime I blow my nose after a gym session all I see is gross, black soot. WTF. Solve this by adding a «no loose chalk» policy like many other gyms have. There are tons of products out there like chalk balls and liquid chalk that the gym could enforce and sell.
Prices have nearly doubled from the time I joined and despite the gym promising to lock my pricing in, it was a challenge to get them to actually do this. I had to talk to at least 3 people to get that done.
To top it all off, the gym has recently instituted a 75 person maximum capacity policy because they claim «Brooklyn Boulders in Gowanus is experiencing capacity limitations due to facility upgrades. We will be implementing a facility reservations system based on our members’ usage patterns, until operation is back to full capacity.» This is complete BS. The «facility upgrades» is BKB not keeping up with code and running a dirty, unsafe business for years. Now they are being forced to bring BKB up to code and the members need to suffer because of it.
Basically, go here if you like climbing, because there are really no other options nearby. As soon as another decent gym opens up in Brooklyn/​Manhattan I am saying goodbye to this dump and urge everyone else to leave too.

BKB is an expensive rathole whose owners do not care. Back when the place was first scraped together and almost a garage effort we all could jump on and support it because this was how it was done. Now many years later and make price hikes later the price of admission is enormous but the place hasn’t changed at all.
Bars that fall out and holds that spin. Walls that are well, well worn. Leaky pipes. The beast bench that’s not tacked down. Inconsistent and little bike parking. The bathrooms that up until a recent renovation were the grosses and regularly broken. After the renovation they’re only a little less gross and a little less broken. Changing rooms that feature $ 15 folding chairs, $ 5 dorm room sticky 3M hooks and mirrors. A new «working area» with a single, $ 15 power strip. Having to pay to attend the other NYC BKB gym. The latest ridiculousness is a waitlist, limited capacity and limited climbing time to get into the facility because they couldn’t be bothered to keep up with code.
Anywhere corners can be cut they are cut. The admission, in lieu of all of this, is absurdly expensive and not worth it.
PS: Not for lack of trying by the floor staff who generally are a really nice, caring bunch who are passionate about climbing! Read a bit more about how they’re treated:

Dress comfortable! Because this is a hell of a work out. Came here with my girlfriend and a couple friends to climb some walls! We brought a Groupon deal for about $ 20 each if I could remember.
The layout is pretty nice. The climbs are color coded. So challenge yourself! They supply you with climbing shoes and individual lockers but bring a lock if you needed to keep things away. The restrooms are equipped with showers.
There is also a small gym with weights, treadmills and all that other fun workout climbing equipments.
Be ready for a sore forearm the next day. It was intense and tons of fun. Kids are welcome but they have to be supervised.
If it is your first time. You will get a crash course from an instructor and how to climb safely.

I came here with a couple of friends at 4pm on a Saturday in April. This was my first time bouldering outdoors. There are two sections — the right side (closer to the waters) is for beginners, while the left side is more advanced. It only costs $ 9 so it’s a super good deal if you just want bouldering.
Even on a Saturday afternoon, it wasn’t too crowded. The nice thing about outdoor was the bbp view and it doesn’t smell like locker room. Difficulties are color-​labeled as usual.

Hi Guys!
I’m not a big review writer but I have to write about my experience in Brooklyn Boulders.
First! I love you guys there, everybody who is working there. Brooklyn Boulders changed my life. Thank you for Anthony Bagnoli who was my great Top roping and Lead Climb teacher. I also say thank you for Luke Livesey who is giving me a little advice and I took with him one private class and it was a great help to use my foot. Yesterday I made my Lead Climb Certification after three and half month membership. (usually they recommend this after six month membership) I made my first V4 climb after two and half month.:

I’m very happy because I’m 43 years old with around 200 pound weight who never climbed before. I’ve never thought I can reach this level but now I think I can develop more. I also trained very hard to reach this level. When I came to Brooklyn Boulders I was 210 pound with very tight body after other sports. (now 193) The first yoga classes were the most painful thing to me. :) But now I feel great with my body even a few little injury is getting disappear. The English is also not my first language what is made more difficult the first steps. I’m from one European country and I think first time most of people saw me what want here this big bald Russian guy from regular GYM. :) I came to Brooklyn Boulders because I want to climb outdoor once. Before I came here I already did many great hiking in USA. (Mt. Marcy one day solo in bad weather in California Mt Baldy and Mt Jacinto one one day hiking over 10 000 ft. and many other.) I also like fallow the great high altitude climbers. They are amazing people. So, I don’t know how many guy was develop like this in my age in Brooklyn Boulders but I think this performance is not too bad. Thank You Brooklyn Boulders! Climbing is Great! Cheers!

Went rock climbing with my girlfriend for our two year anniversary. I haven’t gone rock climbing in a long time, but they had people helping you set up. Definitely takes some practice before you get the hang of it though.

Great little place in brooklyn. Had lots of fun with the wife and kid.
Definitely a work out. Not for the not in shape people, like me.
Good variety of «things», was my first time, and last. They make it very easy and fun for beginners and from the look of things the folks that know what they are doing were having fun too.
Place is clean, modern, give everything you need. Just bring your hard earned, or obtained, Benjamin’s and you are good.

Amazing place for all ages and all levels! I finally bit the bullet and purchased a year membership with BKB in January after having bought a few day passes to test the waters. Bouldering is challenging yet extremely fun. They constantly reset the walls so you’ll never run out of problems to climb!
For first timers:
— $ 28 day pass, $ 6 shoes, $ 6 harness
— Sign the waiver online before you arrive, it’ll save you time in line!
— Changing rooms available but no showers
— Lockers available (bring your own lock) or open cubbies
Thinking about getting a membership… do it!
— you’ll have access to their yoga classes
— a basic but perfectly usable gym area
— 2 guest passes per month!
— discounted classes and retail products
When to go:
I find that weekend mornings before lunch, weekend evenings after 9 PM, weekday mornings, and weekday evenings after 8:30 PM are usually the least busy. The rest of the time, it can get quite busy and you’ll have to wait around to climb. However, it’s great to go when it’s busy since there’s more opportunity to meet other climbers, get advice, and see how others climb!

I decided to try this place as a random fun thing to take my boyfriend to for his birthday. I bought the «Learn the Ropes» class deal on GroupOn, which sold for about 50% off the original price.
The class itself was 2 hrs of almost individual attention. The classes are in groups, but they cap the amount of attendees, so no matter what your instructor will be able to pay close attention to you. Our instructor was Stacey, who was great! She explained everything clearly and made sure we all knew what was going on before she moved on to the next topic. She had tons of patience too, which is great for beginners like me!
After the class you’re free to use the facilities as long as you want. We didn’t stay too long because we went on a Sunday and the place was packed. I suggest trying to go during the day on a weekday if possible. It’s probably the least-​packed time to go.

Old warehouse turned into rock climbing central! The space is pretty large and there are plenty of walls to climb* and take advantage of. You’ll also find your standard gym equipment: 2 treadmills, 2 bench presses and some other things. There are lockers on site so bring a lock to hold your things. The staff is super friendly. I just went during the winter and it was cold inside so if you get cold quick take an extra layer.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
*you can only make use of all the walls in the gym with the help of someone belay certified. Brooklyn boulders does not provide staff to belay those who are not certified. There are 5 auto belays to use in the event that this is the case.

It’s crazy how big climbing has become. I had already moved from NYC and had been climbing outdoors for many years before I came here for a session. My first visit to BKB was after it had just opened and really enjoyed it. Many of my friends painted the gym and I got a free pass to check it out then; I used to paint myself when I lived in the city but I moved out west and put down the spray paint and picked up rope. I’ve noticed they’ve changed some things around but grateful they kept the slackline… another favorite activity. I remember it being near where the workout area is and it seems to be in a better spot out of the way. The entrance/​check-​out area is a bit funky and used to be on the other side of the building… it’s just very tight where it is now and when you have lines of customers waiting to be checked in, people are squished together. This review is for their bouldering and the facility itself, which I’ve used a few times. Their day pass price surpasses any climbing gym I’ve been to in and out of the country. Boston was a close second at $ 22/​day. This time around, the gym was extremely crowded. I went on a Friday during the day — semi-​crowded but Sunday around 11ish, for the two hours I was there had me witness the most crowded I’ve ever seen a climbing gym. Thankful that my home gyms are not like this. It seems that for many of the patrons at BKB, they are primarily indoor climbers and beginning/​moderate — very nice and not pretentious at all. I’m sure there is a percentage that frequent the Gunks and who make climbing their lifestyle. Regardless, the folks here that I worked in with were fun and friendly. Justin, the membership manager was super nice and helped babysit my phone while it plugged in for a charge (he was there working anyway) — although you can easily leave things around and expect them not to be stolen. That is the kind of crowd here. I would not suggest that of course, but now post-​visit, I can say, I left a few hundred dollars cash in my bag and it sat at the bleachers for hours unattended. No one messed with my stuff… they are just busy climbing in a plastic paradise. I enjoyed most of the problems V0-​V5, I can’t speak on the harder ones. I found many of them to be reachy though and good setters should remember that they can still make a problem challenging without making them reach-​y. My home gym is very good at that. The bouldering grades were fairly standard for U.S. gyms, having just left Houston, TX Rock Gym is the hardest gym I’ve been to, so it’s a relief to come here. Problems are usually softer indoors but glad it’s that way so I can leave feeling better about myself ;) They have a variety of walls… they have the vertical wall with easy and then harder, technical problems. They have varying degrees of steep walls — very fun and even some V2’s and V3’s. Then they have the overhanging wall with a very fun V3 or 4 on it that will make you feel like the Hulk when you send. But then you see it’s just V3 and realize jugs on steep walls make you think you’re strong. But who cares? It’s just SO fun. :D They have sloper problems, side pull problems, high-​step problems, technical, heel-​hook, crimps, campus, all types and forms of training. I saw they had a small work out area with two treadmills; smaller than most places but I didn’t care because I wasn’t there to use these. My stay was short and I wanted to maximize my climbing. Overall, I had an awesome time, I enjoyed it here but to summarize again, the small shortcomings were too many reachy problems, (I can understand a few because some may need to train for The Sting if they are short ;) but friends that have run and own climbing gyms have said that you can create good sets of problems without making most reachy) and then the other was several unsupervised children running around. Many of them were just hanging on the slackline and I feel that’s fine (and I even played and helped some kids across) but it might be nice to teach them to share and let others who really want to train get their chance on it. I know more modern gyms have resolved this by having a certain area and space set for children. I think that works well. One gym I went to in CT had a whole different building next door set up for just children so adults can train. But I understand some take training more seriously than others. The music was not too overwhelmingly loud, mostly rap which I like anyway. I will probably check out The Clifs next time in town just because I haven’t yet but BKB is a solid climbing gym and I’d come back — I’d just try to come at less crowded hours, maybe weekday mornings.

I took the «Learning the Ropes» class at Brooklyn Boulders last Wednesday evening, because I want to learn technical climbing skills I can use outdoors once the horrible New York winter ends.
The facility was lively and very large, with several kinds of climbing walls to accommodate the widest possible range of skills.
The staff were all friendly and quickly provided the gear for the class (included in the price).
A young woman named Stacey taught the class, which consisted of teaching us the basics of climbing and rope handling including knots, belay equipment, basic team communications, and the best form for wall climbing.
She was very pleasant, friendly, competent, and patient. She had each of us try out the various belay team positions and gave pointers to us at each step of the process. We all greatly enjoyed the class and learned quite a lot in the allotted two hours.
Stacey also gave us a short tour of the various walls, and gave us a rundown of climbing etiquette and safety tips (don’t climb into someone’s path and don’t walk under someone who may fall on your head…)
All in all, I was impressed with Brooklyn Boulders and plan to continue my climbing education there as well as take advantage of the challenging walls. Indoor climbing, it turns out, can be every bit as challenging as outdoor experiences.
BTW: the website incorrectly says the entrance is at the corner of 3^rd Ave. and Degraw St. It’s actually just off the corner of 3^rd Ave. and Douglass Street, one block north of Degraw.

Awesome place. I like that they have other equipment besides climbing so that one can better target all areas of the body. I do wish there were more classes to take but now I’m just being picky.
People here are great, though admittedly I haven’t really ever needed their help with anyone. There’s a nice laid back vibe to the place that I also like.

I’ve grown super frustrated with Brooklyn Boulders over the past several months for the following reasons:
1. Top and lead roping routes have not been reset since NOVEMBER 2015 (!!) and I was recently informed by staff that because of the gym that recently opened in Queens, they won’t reset for another month (at least). This makes climbing for members who regularly visit pretty repetitive.
2. I love that new climbers can learn how to and enjoy climbing at BKB. But I don’t love the incredibly relaxed standards, and lack of direction that new climbers receive, which truly puts them in danger. Almost every time I climb (several times a week), I see someone who doesn’t know how to belay or tie a knot properly roping in and climbing.
3. The top/​lead roping area smells awful. Body odor is a permanent characteristic of the carpet; I think the cleaning closet has been locked for some time now.

Great place I had so much fun the other day when I went. It’s a great work out the place is very clean staff are very nice I will definitely be going back.

Ok, so this is for 4.5 stars really. We came here in December to do a little celebrating for my birthday. Indoor climbing is something I’ve never done before and I was really looking forward to it although I do prefer to climb outdoors (Table Mountain in CT, bottom to top baybay!!) and hike but I figured it would be a fun first. And boy was it ever! There are definitely lots of regular and expert climbers here, staff included. It’s inspiring to watch them and they’re not intimidating at all because when you think about it, everyone was a beginner at some point.
We secured day passes for $ 10 per person due to some special promotion they had for December, so that was a definite bargain compared to their usual full price $ 28 pass. We were given a quick tour by a friendly staff member who informed us that since we didn’t take a learn the ropes class we could not climb on a number of the walls there. The ones that we could climb where we hooked up our waist harness and propelled down from the top are in the middle of the place, right by the mock Brooklyn Bridge. My squad loved those four climbs and did them several times each. The walls that don’t utilize harnessing are a little more intimidating because of the possibility of landing the wrong way and twisting or breaking something. The time flew regardless and with sore shoulders/​arms and tired legs we made our way out to RPSC nearby.
My husband and I definitely plan on coming back shortly and we’re going to utilize the $ 40 deal which gives you a 2 hr lesson and day passes for 2 return visits.
By the way I knocked off have a ½ star because of the mildly unpleasant smell of the reception area and the locker room but that’s to be expected. Stank ass toes, people, but that’s the way it goes.
I feel so lucky to have this in my backyard and I can’t believe we took so long to come here! I think everyone should give this unique workout a shot. It’s challenging and very much worth it!

Took the Learn the Ropes class with Stacey and thought it was great. She explained everything very clearly and patiently. I would highly recommend her class!
The gym isn’t huge, but there is a good amount of variety in terms of top roping and bouldering options. It was super crowded when I was there (Saturday afternoon), and there were tons of kids everywhere. If you can, it may be a good idea to come here weekday morning or weekend late evening.

Great venue for rock climbing!
Was my first time here and headsup, beginners will exhaust and have ripped/​chapped hands in about 2 hours give or take.
Good staff, place looked a little unorganized but still good.
20 $ day for gear and entry.
Shoes fit smallers! So go a half size up (:
Lots of places and levels to rock climb and theres even a gym which I would have used but was too tired and would prefer rock climbing til exhaustion since thats what I paid for.
I recommend this place to friends and family that just want to have a nice upper body workout!
I believe they also had free ping pong and bean toss in one of the areas.
If you have extra belongings bring a lock! They have free lockers for customers!

Are there people out there that don’t like Brooklyn Boulders? They must not like fun.
I’m not a climber. I mean, I’ve climbed on several occasions, but I’m not a regular here. I don’t have as much insight as someone who visits consistently, nor do I have as much knowledge as a few of my friends, who are pretty hardcore about their climbing.
But from my beginner’s perspective, this place rocks. Not only do they seem to be constantly updating their equipment to make for a better experience, but everyone here is cool. The staff is absolutely one of the best aspects of this place, as they are all committed to helping you learn. Everyone on staff is a climber themselves. They are great teachers and even better guys/​girls.
Even if you’ve never done something like this before, I’d check it out. It’s low-​key, fun, and non-​judgmental. Plus it’s a great workout, which we could all use a little more of.

There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about BKB. The facility is a lot larger than you expect and there is something for everyone — belay, auto-​belay, bouldering, slack line, and even a little gym area to work on everything from hand strength to core to cardio.
Their staff has always been friendly and helpful (if sometimes a bit distracted) and the crowd of people you meet are awesome. People do their own thing, I have never seen it too crowded and love the atmosphere here!

I love this place every time I come here. There are so many walls and routes of various difficulties. You can alter your rock climbing workout with some more traditional weights, and it is solely because of BB that I know that ski-​ergs exist. Everyone should come here at least once.

My husband and I got a Gilt voucher to try out Brooklyn Boulders. Our voucher included gear rental, the gear is not glamorous, and I think if I was a regular climber I would invest in my own pair of climbing shoes immediately. Also, bring chalk! No one told us we would need chalk and my husband and I later noticed with aching hands that everyone seemed to have these nice pouches of chalk and protected hands.
We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, so it was more crowded than we would have preferred, it is probably best to visit on a week day. We also felt like the employees were not helpful or friendly.
However, the facility is really large and there are lots of different level rock walls to try. We had a really fun time trying out different rock walls and learning how to boulder. You could easily spend a long time at Brooklyn Boulders challenging yourself to different walls.
I think bouldering is a great work out, and it provides a nice escape from life. It was a great date with lots of laughs. We would definitely go again, and we are looking forward to trying out the new Brooklyn Boulders in Queens!

Decided to pick up the chalk this year and have been climbing here 1−2x a week. One of the key factors that I really love is that it’s open so late! Which suits my work schedule perfectly and gives you an alternative on weekend if you don’t feel like partying. I’m a martial artist but when I get off work I won’t make the last class and I’ve gotten slightly bored with weight lifting. BKB offers the mental stimulus that I get from martial arts and the physicality from resistance training (they also have weights so I can do both).
The routes change pretty often to keep the experience refreshing, which also helps you progress skillfully and athletically to move on the more difficult climbs.
The feel/​design of the place really makes it feel alive and part of this awesome city (New York stand-​up!). I’ve gotten to go to other climbing gyms and they are clean are bright and soulless like a big box gym. BKB strikes it right with their approach in developing not just community but culture! Can’t wait to see how they continue to improve and their new QB facility!
Btw if you don’t like yoga pants, man-​buns, and beards then brace yo-​self!

First time bouldering and we visited because of a gilt city deal we got for a whole day pass, learn to boulder class, and equipment for such a great price. Our instructor, Stacey was very informative with everything she taught us. She definitely went through all the safety procedures and bouldering techniques step by step and had us try it out in front of her.
The location wasn’t as big as I thought it would be and because it was a weekend morning, it was very crowded. There were lots of kids and adults. I wish it wasn’t as crowded, but we were still able to get in our bouldering time.
They also have a gym set-​up as well to work out and warm up, if you’d like. I’d definitely boulder again on a less busier time and day.

I’m optimistic about BKB’s improvements, but I don’t see myself ever making this my home gym.
While the setters here are arguably more creative and set more thoughtful problems/​routes than those at The Cliffs, the venue itself is smaller, more worn, and severely lacking in HVAC compared to its LIC competitor.
Among the things I love about BKB, their massive variety and complexity of bouldering problems wins me over every time I’m here. Whether you’re into solving balance-​y projects on the slab, building strength on their 30/​45, or hanging upside-​down on The Beast, there’s something for everyone. Additionally, BKB’s community is strong, and many regulars are entertaining and inspiring to watch as they flash V8s and up.
With the limited real estate for top-​roping and leading, there’s not much to be said about roped climbing here. Especially not compared to the taller walls and greater options at The Cliffs. I do enjoy some of the easier lead routes that go up under the arch in the main room. The stalactite is also a unique offering that BKB has going for it, although once you’ve sent the half-​dozen or so routes on it, you can pretty much write it off for about a quarter before their reset.
I’m curious to see what changes are made after the current construction’s complete. Already, the restrooms are far superior to the tiny, cramped quarters that previously existed.
I’m a huge fan of the deals offered on Rush49 for discounted 10-​pack passes. I’m not sure why BKB doesn’t just offer deals directly and claim the full price for themselves. Frankly, their own 10-​packs are more expensive (about $ 130 – 140 a pop) and expire after three months, versus the lower-​priced ($ 115 – 125) offerings on Rush49, with a six-​month cutoff. Why anyone would purchase directly from BKB is baffling to me.
While I want to see BKB be successful and continue to evolve and improve, I don’t hate myself enough to hold my breath. Instead, I’ll occasionally pop in for a dabble, and that’s just fine by me.

I gave this place a chance since everyone has been talking about it and I’m so glad I did! I’ve never climbed before and I honestly thought I was going to embarrass myself. Thank goodness I didn’t.
Checking in was extremely easy and the climbing shoes and chalk bags are included. I was not quite fond of the fit of the climbing shoes. It does take some getting used to if you’ve never done this before. They said having a snug shoe is better for climbing. However, I found my toes were curled the whole time and it was difficult to walk and stand for a long period of time.
I particularly enjoyed challenging my body through the different routes and difficulties. I just learned to Boulder and looking to do more on my next visit. I got a killer 2 hour workout that left the muscles on my arms, shoulders and chest burning for the next 3 days. Can’t wait to do it again!

If you are awesome like me, there comes a point in your life where 99% of what you do with friends involves potential for a head injury. I am so pleased to add BK Boulders to the list of Crazy Crap To Do With Friends.
We bought some kind of deal (which apparently happens often with this spot) so it was $ 19 to do… climby stuff… and they give you shoes and a harness if you want to do rope things.
I don’t know any Official Bouldering Words so pardon my ignorance but for those of us who don’t know anything about climby-​rocks, this place is A. huge, 7. filled with incredibly agile children just scurrying up the walls like weird lizards, h. I already said huge, 6. did I say VERY large. There are different rooms for different climby type adventures (dude I don’t know. so that’s what I’m calling it) and all the «routes» to climb the walls are marked with skill level — so you just find your color and use it to guide you up the wall gracefully until you’re like wait how does the human body do this and you fall off but HEY it’s cool because you’re either attached to a rope that will ensure you don’t plummet like a rock OR you’re not attached to a rope but you fall on a big puffy mat so you don’t die.*
*you don’t die, obviously, but here’s the part where it’s good to have listened to whatever nice staff member gave you an orientation (we had to ask for one since my friends had been here before) and told you to fall neutrally and not break both your ankles. YOU’RE WELCOME!
In addition to the different climby-​rooms (bear with me) of both the rope and non-​rope sort, there’s a gym (like, weights, cardio, etc) AND A GODDAMN FINGER STRENGTH WALL. If you have watched Ninja Warrior (or its less charming American spinoff) and have watched tiny insane warriors/​postal workers/​fishermen gingerly climbing way up in the air using only their FINGERS, this is how they learned, they are insane ballers from another planet or possibly wizards, and it’s really fun to try this and realize you are NOT a ninja warrior. GANBATTE YOU GUYS!
But I digress. Apparently the entire climbing matrix, which is a term I just made up for «all the different colored climby-​paths up the walls,» is changed every 8 weeks — so even the inhuman parkour people you see joylessly trying to fling themselves from one improbable position to the next don’t get a chance to own the whole place because it changes! SO THERE, YOU INCREDIBLY AGILE AND SKILLED JERKS!!!
My fiftieth point here is that lactic acid is real and it’s a bitch so decidedly NOT pro-​tip: don’t stand around too much letting your hands turn into withered pain-​balls, just keep on climbing and falling off stuff and YEP THAT $ 1 FOR CHALK MEANS YOU WON’T FALL OFF JUST FROM SWEATY HANDS.
Go! You’re welcome.

This place is so much fun! I spent most of my time with the auto-​belay because it was my first time. I attempted bouldering but by that time my arms were dead.
The space here is huge and there seems to be a lot of rock climbing walls for people to enjoy without being crowded. This is a great place to get a good full body workout and strengthen your upper body strength.

Looking for something to break away from your daily routine. —
—Create endorphins, set yourself a challenge and enjoy a giggle than here you are right: rock climbing in BK. –/​
At entry after filling out a form you are given a harness and climbing shoes.
We gathered in a group and were briefed about techniques and health & safety, which we then transferred into practice.
Yes so much fun –as with many things– it all looks so easy but when you have a go at it yourself it’s a different story…
After the climbing session I felt energised and happy to have tried something new.
This is a great place to enjoy your leisure time ((-with a twist-​)) with friends and family.
Yes I recommend this place to everyone and certainly will be back.

The bouldering routes at BKB are probably my favorite among the NYC gyms, closely rivaling MPHC. I think MPHC is slightly more technical (based on my half a year’s experience climbing, and at my current grade of barely V3). Few things bring me more joy than hanging out with friends, trying routes, and failing/​succeeding together.
The routes are challenging, creative, varied, and definitely fun. They have all sorts of walls of varying heights, routes that force you to lean on technique more that pure strength.
The range of climbers here is enormous. I almost always meet other climbers here above my level who are super helpful and willing to give pointers. So the community is a pretty big plus here — I’ve met a few climbers here who since have become good friends.
I believe there are more bouldering walls and creative routes here than The Cliffs. The top-​rope walls are not as tall and I’ve never done them here. I really come here strictly for bouldering.
They also have a variety of weights, a slackline, and, as expected, a collection of hangboards/​campus boards to practice on. They also have a ping-​pong table. So you could really spend all day here, if you don’t mind the chalk hanging in the air. Lots of good eats nearby too to fuel up (Dinosaur BBQ!).
You can also get a pretty great deal on various sites (pulsd, Rush49) for their 10-​pass and one-​day climbing passes.
The bad:
— They used to have more lenient 10 pass policies, but now you have to use all 10 within 3 months of activating. This seems to rigid too me – if I could come at least once per week for sure, I would have just gotten a membership. Also, you can’t start another 10 pass immediately after finishing one, you have to wait another 3 months to start. What is the point of this? If people are buying 10 passes, as long as you make sure they aren’t having their friends use the same passes, it’s really beneficial to allow climbers who are members of other gyms to come here regularly. I hope they change this to a 6-​month expiration from date of activation, and get rid of the 3 month wait period in-​between. It doesn’t make any sense for them financially. It just means I’m going to visit here less, and buy fewer passes in a year.
–BKB either has terrible or non-​existent policies regarding small children running wild around here. This is not just me being a jerk about children (I never was very good with them), but it’s seriously dangerous for the kids and for the climbers. I have seen one child hurt her foot because a climber landed almost on top of her, and luckily only grazed her ankle. I’ve seen countless more very close calls. The staff here need to either limit the children to one area of the gym (which is what I believe the Cliffs does — I never have issues with kids running under me there, even when they have events and birthday parties), or seriously talk to the parents about the dangers of allowing your child to run around under people climbing.
–Super crowded on weekend afternoons. Like, insane. Weekend mornings, as early as possible, are heaven here. You can have a whole section to yourself to tackle. Once it gets to noon and beyond, you’ll be waiting around a while for any number of routes. If you have all day, then it’s fine, but if you only have 2 – 3 hours it can be frustrating.
–Lastly, kind of a pain to get to. About 45 minutes via subway from midtown.
Other than the mild beef expressed above, it’s a great place to build up climbing skills and strength, and meet some great people along the way.