Blink Fitness

I joined a small, bare-​bones Blink gym with a great location for my life. When my card expired while I was out of town they kept charging my expired card month after month, even adding on a maintenance fee! They let me know months later via a law firm (on retainer for Blink) sending me a notice of debt collection due and threatening my credit history via phone call.
Feeling like I was scammed and fleeced, and threatened, is not the experience I was looking for in a gym.
Stay away!

This place is fine for what it offers. What I don’t like is the hidden cancellation fee. They charge you to get out of your monthly membership and it feels like a scam. They don’t offer a lot at this place so I don’t feel like they should be trying to gouge people with random fees. Not worth it.

Friendly staff but this place has no squat racks. No bench press either. Wtf did I come all the way here for. NO bars either like… What. You guys have like 40 treadmills and no rack. You can definitely afford it.

Unilocal is getting this place so wrong. Just changed over from the Equinox after I spent a bit of time out of New York and decided to recalibrate my first-​world life. I say that to explain why I might be so delighted to be paying $ 25 a month as opposed to $ 230.
I rarely took classes at Equinox and was put off by the incessant salesiness of the place, from the trainers to the spa. HERE THERE IS NOTHING TO SELL.
I bought a lock for $ 6. T-​Shirts are $ 10. Water is $ 2. Towels are $ 4 or $ 7. It’s the Marriot Marquis of Gyms. And sadly, the equipment is the same — minus a few things that I don’t miss, like weight bars, and Indian Clubs.
The front desk people are ridiculously friendly and helpful. You hear that Blink? I hope you are taking care of these people because they are your everything.
I come, I cardio, I lift a bit. I save $ 200 a month and can’t wait to consciously spend that on something great.

Great value for the money! Friendly staff, clean machines. I wish they had spin bikes, though.
I’ve also started working out with Tamel Straker and he’s amazing! He only needs me to book half-​hour personal training sessions, as he does high intensity workouts. Definitely worth the $ 28 per session.

I was pretty upset about their cancellation policy. They make you pay tons of money only to cancel your membership so I would read the fine print carefully

Blink fitness…- gym where everyone sits on the equipment and texts when you just want to work out. The staff is extremely friendly and warm but the people who go to the gym need a course in gym etiquette. They allow people to work out in street clothes, text on the equipment (thereby turning them into expensive CHAIRS), use up LARGE amounts of space at packed times (when it’s packed DONT JUMP ROPE), people leave their personal belongings all over the place and don’t put locks on their lockers. Locks serve two purposes: 1 keep people out of your stuff and 2 lets people know that lockers are occupied so they don’t open 30 lockers only to find out they’re occupied. When my membership is up-I’m done. It’d be a better place of the trainers weren’t just interested in selling sessions-​but about guiding people to use the gym properly.

If I was reviewing purely on the business and business practices I would give Blink zero stars, however their space, equipment, and value for the cost is actually pretty great. That said, Blink has some of the shadiest business practices around. I cancelled my membership in person only to find out over a year later that they’d still been charging my credit card. I canceled my card, assuming that would stop the charges, but I’m now being pursued by a collection agency asking for back payments since I canceled my card. I tried contacting Blink but they’re claiming I never canceled my membership and still owe them for back payments (I haven’t visited their gym in years).
If you cancel your membership, be sure to get everything in writing and keep an eye on your credit card. In talking to others, this wasn’t an isolated case.

Blink is such a friendly and great gym environment. I am always greeted at the door, and I have never felt pressed to finish up with a piece of equipment. The place is clean and does not have a weird odor (like some other review mentioned). I highly recommend this gym for someone on a budget looking for access to gym equipment.
Note: they do not offer classes, but for the monthly price that is a-​okay with me!

I forgot cancel my membership after I left New York. Blink make it impossible to cancel on the phone or online.

I’ve been a member of this gym for nearly a year now. It was a great gym, no hassles, great price, clean & great assortment of machines (no classes)
I would have given it a 5 star rating 4 months ago.
They’re downfall is catering to the masses when it comes to technology. They make it nearly impossible to make payments or cancel a membership.
For example, I signed up with autopay for my monthly payments. However 4 months in my card was compromised. I called the gym & they said you pay online. I had the front desk walk me though doing this, but neither of us could find a «pay your bill» section of the site.
They later let me know they removed this feature from the site. But also said they cannot take payment over the phone.
So my only option of updating my card information & paying my bill was to go in & do it.
For me, I travel a lot for work so this can be sometimes tricky. Basically by the time I got in to blink I needed to make three months payment.
Today, I called to cancel my membership, as it’s up on April 4^th & I just don’t use it as much as I’d like to.
Of course, they can’t cancel it over the phone or unsubscribe on their site. I have to go in the location I signed up at. Big shocker.
Come on Blink! Technologically advance yourself. In a world where people are making life work via cell phone, you need to adapt yourself.
It’s 2016.

Blink Fitness is a very affordable gym chain that is a branch off of the infamous Equinox to compete with gyms at a lower price point. They CHARGE $ 25/​MONTH. Its great for someone who just wants the bare necessities from a gym. There are NO classes, NO free towels, and pretty much NO ammenities. Like I said before… BARE NECESSITIES with no fluffs and frills.
P R O S
+ I like Blink a lot because of the CLEANLINESS of the facilities. They do a great job of keeping Purrell hand sanitizer and wipes everywhere and I always feel great working out in spaces like that. I have been to my fair share of gyms and I think Blink has been exceptional with their cleanliness.
+ The staff is always super friendly and patient with me (especially when I’m fumbling with my keys looking for my pass). Although I’m not sure if a lot of them are well-​versed about fitness (since Blink does offer one free personal training session with your membership), they are still very nice and helpful when it comes to new members and questions.
C O N S
+ If you start a membership here, want to note that although they have a $ 25 monthly charge, there is a $ 60 FEE that was NOT mentioned to me when I first signed up that incurs EVERY MARCH annually. It is a once a year fee that «maintains the facility and the equipment.» With that being said, I would have appreciated more transparency with that since, when I signed up in January, there was no mention of such fee.
+ Because the NoHo location is a lot smaller than the other ones, everything seems squished. The locker rooms are impractically small because there are so many lockers lining this tight square space, but only 2 small benches with very little personal space. There are also 4 bathrooms, 3 sinks, 4 showers. I have been to the Penn Plaza & Murray Hill location and both are much larger.
+ BEWARE: it starts getting super crowded around 5−7PM. I sadly went at 6PM once and had to wait around for a lot of the machines I wanted. There are a lot of treadmills, ellipiticals, stairmasters, but when it comes to floor space, weights, machines… that’s another story. Also, want to note that the floor space also has no mirrors which may be a big deal for some.
+ Organization can definitely be improved. The kettle bells and free weights are all over the gym floor — I never know where I can find them. I know some people aren’t as respectful and don’t put the equipment back, but at the same time there needs to be structure in the gym so its clearer where things go
ALL IN ALL…
You honestly get what you pay for. I can’t complain about much paying $ 25 for a clean space with all the right equipment. I come to this location a lot because its the closest commute from home, but I think I will be frequenting the other locations during busy hours. I came here one afternoon during the week when I had work off and it was great because it wasn’t busy, but rarely do I have the luxury to workout during a weekday afternoon. May return, but definitely with caution.

I think it’s very underrated to run a gym with all your basic necessities for $ 25/​month, but Blink does a fantastic job operating and maintaining the space it has with the amount of traffic it churns. Their hours are relatively standard and flexible around holidays too, but I would stay away between the weekday hours of 7−9pm if possible.
Without having actually counted, there are roughly 20 stationary bikes, 30 treadmills, and 30 elliptical machines. There are two adjustable bench/​squat machines, dumbbells, and plenty of upper/​lower body machines. My only real complaint is I wish the water pressure for the fountain was stronger. Yes, the small things…
There are no towels, no classes, no olympic stations, but if you want a gym membership and live nearby, you can afford to skip a couple beers a month.

Look, here’s the deal with Blink. Monthly dues are $ 25 (which is a little more than the price of a martini at most restaurants in the ‘hood and less than a single class at the SoulCycle next door.) Stating that the gym doesn’t offer a lot of amenities is like complaining when Spirit Airlines charges you for carry-​on luggage.
True, Blink has no towels, no bar bells, no Olympic bars, no Cybex machines, and many of the other standard amenities and equipment offered at many NYC gyms. But again, it’s $ 25/​month! If you want a no-​frills gym to do some standard cardio on a treadmill/​elliptical and some basic machine/​dumbbell lifting, Blink is fine.
Personally, I belong to Equinox and take lots of fitness classes around the city. However, this Blink is two blocks from my apartment so when it’s freezing cold out or I just want to run in for a quick workout, this place serves my needs just fine. I used to belong to NYSC on Mercer St for $ 79/​month but the vibe there is creepy and they haven’t updated the equipment since 1972.
As an added note, I will say that all the people who at this Blink location are extremely nice.

Sub-​par budget gym. No barbells, which seems like a gym staple. Very crowded 75% of the time. The men’s locker room is hilariously small and unless you like touching bare-​assed with other dudes (and props to you if you do!), you are out of luck if there are more than 4 people in the locker room changing.
Also, the water pressure in the water fountains is so weak that you almost have to touch your lips to the spout. Don’t worry. I didn’t.
All of which is somewhat excusable due to the price. You won’t find much cheaper in the city at $ 25/​month.
The inexcusable part, however, is when you inevitably attempt to cancel your membership. The gym’s policy is to make it impossible to cancel over the phone or online. You have to trek to a location and do it in person. In an age where you can order booze from the comfort of your couch, this is unacceptable.
Additionally, when I went to cancel my membership, I received a document that led me to believe that I would be receiving a prorated refund of the portion of the month I would not be using. You know, like a reasonable human would assume. Boy was I wrong. Apparently, you are required to give Blink 45 DAYS NOTICE before cancelling. I barely even know what I’m eating for dinner, much less what my gym desires may be next month.
So, to sum up, not only did I have to go out of my way and trek to a crowded, low-​water-​pressure-​having gym, I was charged an ADDITIONAL $ 27 for the inconvenience. All for 45 days of gym time I wouldn’t be using.
I’m sure that somewhere in the fine print of the membership details, all of the aforementioned policies are laid out in overly complex language, and good for them for covering their asses legally. The question that remains is WHY these rules exist to begin with. They are a transparent attempt to bleed the customer of more money. For shame, Blink. FOR SHAME!
I suppose you get what you pay for. You keep being you, Blink. I’ll keep being me. Away from you.

The robotic, mandatory greetings by the front desk are inauthentic, cold, and unnecessary.
If you’re not genuinely happy to see members, why say anything at all?

I recently renewed my membership at Blink, and I’m glad I did.
A few years back, I was at the Blink Chelsea and loved it. I decided to join this gym location since it’s pretty central and close to my work. Plus, I thought If I signed up for membership, it would encourage me to work out and prevent me from getting out of shape (so far, so good).
Compared to the other gyms I toured, this one was clean, had new equipment, and for a fair monthly cost. This gym gets pretty packed during peak hours (professionals trying to get in their basic 20 mile jog after work… typical NYC), so just something to keep in mind. I really don’t like the fact that they do not have wifi at this facility. I know it’s not a huge deal, but while working out, my reception was weak and had a hard time listening to music while working out.
There’s really nothing more I would complain about. The fitness center has a fair membership price (the deal I got was $ 25 monthly for premium status. I’d say that’s pretty good), clean, and has all of your basic workout needs.

I’ve been a member of Blink since I moved to the City 2 years ago and have thus reviewed many of its clubs (Chelsea, Penn, Midtown). Therefore, in this review I will detail what makes this specific club different from other Blink locations and why I like Blink in general so much.
TL;DR: Blink deserves 5 stars for a clean, reliable, and cheap gym, but this location is at 3.5 stars.
Joining Blink is like pledging a fraternity, except less painful. As a member, you can work out in other locations, just as fraternity membership lets you visit other chapters (and drink their beer free of charge, but that’s another story).
For the longest time, Blink had an unusual pricing structure meaning that my membership allowed me to work out in all NYC locations except for NoHo. They recently changed that and I decided to check out this illusive club.
I’m really not sure why Blink billed it as their flagship gym. Yes, the location is prime and I do appreciate the natural sunlight/​cell reception (my usual workout locations in Chelsea and Midtown lack that).
However, Blink NoHo mysteriously lacks barbells – a staple at most gyms, including its other locations – and the locker room is quite smaller than its contemporaries as well.
Now for an actual copy/​paste of my other Blink reviews.
Of all the cities and gyms I’ve worked out in, Blink is by far my favorite for three reasons: cost, product offering, and cleanliness.
Blink’s staff is friendly and the environment is very clean. Seriously, take a gander; chances are you’ll see at least one staff member cleaning as you work out.
They’re so straightforward about signing up it’s refreshing. Essentially, you get a one-​day free trial to check out the gym, no questions asked. If you want to sign up, they have kiosks at the entrance that guide you through the process and explain the 3 different membership types side-​by-​side. You know just what you’re paying – in my case, just $ 25 a month, a real value. There’s no high pressure environment. Sometimes gyms can intimidate you with used cars salesmen tactics (it’s happened to me at Crunch). Not here though.
My jaw always drops when my friends mention how much they pay for gym memberships in the City. $ 60? $ 80?! $ 100!!!
$ 25 a month lets me lift as much as I want, in various locations, and I can bring in a friend. I’ve paid twice as much for memberships at other gyms that are not as generous with their offerings, or as nice to their customers.
You do have to determine what it is you’re looking for in a gym membership. Don’t pick Blink if you want classes, because they don’t offer them. This place might not fit your needs if you need plenty of bench press equipment too. If you’re a snob who needs Egyptian lavender infused towels to lift, go elsewhere. But for an average, cost-​effective fitness enthusiast looking for cardio and standard weight lifting, you can’t do better than Blink.

This is a clean, yet busy gym. If you are into using a treadmill or elliptical, you’ll have no complaints here. There are always different channels playing on flat screens in front of you, and you can go to the back if you want your own, smaller screen.
If you’re into lifting, you will run into problems here when coming during gym rush hours. You’ll have to be assertive to get your weights and bench.
Ultimately, for the price you’re paying, the gym looks good; and I feel good going in and out.

For the price it’s really good. The gym itself is kinda small however really enough if you don’t ask for much. $ 25 in NYC can only go that far. My $ 25 only last a dinner or not even most of time.
This is not my regular gym and I am only here for 1 time. The people here are young. If you are in your 40s, I would advice going elsewhere if you don’t feel comfortable. The warm up area is small as well as the rest of the gym. If you only pay that much for gym, you should expect to let some downside go. I did.