Crunch

It was 5 stars when it Was open 24 hours Mon– Fri
Do not know why this changed?
Very disappointed

90% of the consumer experience has been downsized here. We now have a small and dank basement to workout in. A good portion of the equipment is gone, never mind losing ²⁄₃ of the square footage. We’re like crabs in a bucket climbing over one another. Boxing ring, sauna, squat racks, high ceilings, WINDOWS (no windows in the basement, just grey concrete walls) gone. You essentially feel like you’re working out in a subway tunnel.

New location has no squat racks. No platform. Weights are n the basement so no more natural light. The ab machine i use is nowhere to be seen but there are dozens of other silly machines. No more sauna. Very disappointing but not surprising.

Great trainers, clean, and not too crowded. Perf! This place and it’s trainers have kept me motivated for 3 ½ months. I’ve never felt better!

This Crunch Location is the biggest and weather you want to workout with free weights, assisted weight machines or just do cardio this location has your back.
The staff is ok; the trainers are cool and cordial, if you become a regular they would say hi or acknowledge your presence with smile.
The locker room and amenities are usually clean; there’s a sauna at the men’s locker room. That’s a plus.
Also during weekdays, including Friday nights this place is open 24hrs. Ive been there squeezing a workout after work (2ish am) and it is not creepy at all.
The bad thing about this place is that the equipment is a little updated (but it works, and in fact its rare to see a machine out of service) and also there is no wi-​fi.
The crowd here is very eclectic but it works, it a very comfortable vibe.

The front desk needs to get it together. I came as a guest, and found the whole «on boarding and off boarding» process to be tiresome. You are asked to fill out every piece of PI possible (minus SSN) and they even had a hard time finding my drivers license (which was given on the way in) when I was ready to leave.
The hip hop dancing class I came to attend was great, the instructor was excellent, in a non-​threatning kind of way (for those of us who aren’t born to be dancers and have 2 left feet). The studio style room was pretty big.
The locker room is also pretty spacious, just bring your own lock.

I like this Crunch a lot. I do. But coming here during peak hours is like having my brain scooped out. The amount of stupid people that come here during peak hours is unbelievable. Seriously. When I say stupid people, I mean people with ZERO common sense.
Oh and let me not forget the fact that people absolutely REFUSE to put weights back in this place, especially when there are signs plastered all over to put them back. But who am I kidding. It’s too hard for people to read nowadays. I contacted the manager of this gym about it a while back and he was less than helpful in his response. It was pretty much «There’s nothing I can do about it» type of reply. Figures.
I don’t get it. You take the weight off of a peg. How f*n hard is it to put it BACK where you found it? Or just any peg off the floor? Even better? A fixed ez barbell, on the floor, right in front of it’s own rack. Rather than putting it back, just leave it on the floor? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
This place just OOZES stupid.

There price and sign up fee are way too much, the gym is packed with muscle over doers, the sales staff is really aggressive.
Amazing Amazing Impressive selection of classes. Very clean locker room.

Crunch on Lafayette is by far my favorite gym in the city. I’ve tried the Crunch Union Square (too crowded), the Crunch Chelsea (too many cruisy Chelsea gays), the Greenwich Crunch (no longer open). Lafayette is just right. There’s an eclectic range of people, from people who look like they work out once a week, to people who look like they might be pro boxers.
There’s rarely a line for weights and machines, which is mucho importante when you don’t have all day! The staff is super friendly and the trainers aren’t aggressive about approaching you. I’ve had a couple trainers correct my form during my workout (completely unsolicited) and it was hugely helpful during future workouts. They’re a pretty awesome group.
The showers and locker room are super clean and it seems, in general, there’s always someone cleaning. I like that! Also, this is one of the only gyms I’ve been to with a sauna. Super dupes relaxing and my skin feels great after. :)
The only downfall is that the machines could be updated. Not a huge deal though.
Love this place.

It is very nice and clean. I like how it is colorful and décor is good. They field a good variety of machines and even have a boxing ring! Just could update the equipment a little better!

UPDATE May 27: they have moved to Bowery, and there isn’t a power rack or a squat rack in the entire gym. They have really bad quality barbells now, too – thick and chrome-​plated. What used to be a decent free weight facility is now a cardio bunny heaven. Oh well.
Previously: Just an update for people who are thinking of joining this place for the lifting equipment: the Bowery location will not have an Olympic platform or bumper plates, and they could not tell me how many squat racks they are going to have at the new location. The square footage is smaller at the new location and they are not taking any of the old equipment there. So their assurances that all the equipment will be available at the new location are a lie. FYI.

I wound up quitting this gym because it was too expensive given how busy I am.
It’s probably a great gym if you’re super into working out, but their emphasis on classes (and the resulting higher gym membership fees) weren’t for me. If I avoided taking a gym class my whole life, I’m not sure I’d be the lesser for it.
Considering joining Blink because I’m a cheap bastard. Except when it comes to restaurants. Or drinking. Oh well

Crunch does not value its members. I’ve been a good standing member of Crunch for over 5 years. I took a medical leave to have my first child. They denied receiving documentation from my doctor to extend my leave due to my recovery and charged my account. I followed up within a day of the charge and they would not refund or credit my account. I ended up canceling my account because of their rude customer service. Do not join this gym/​company.

I only recently started to take my workouts seriously even after having signed up for a crunch membership almost 2 years ago. I had signed up for an all location membership on 13^th street but decided I liked the feel of Lafayette the most. The crowd is pretty eclectic, enough that I don’t feel like an outcast for not being super in shape and enough where I can look for motivation from those who are.
My credit card was entered incorrectly from my initial sign up and I was charged late fees multiple times. Staff was nice enough to notice it was an internal mistake and not my own and in turn refunded me the late charges.
Staff in general is «A-​OK». The trainers here are slightly intimidating… But perhaps they should be.
This location needs a major evaluation of their machines, mostly on the 2^nd floor. A majority of the ellipticals are in bad shape. And although it doesn’t really affect my workout I notice a lot of the lightbulbs have blown out and for the past few months I’ve seen no change. Half of the shower heads in the mens locker room are extremely weak.
It’s very clean from what I can see, then again I am not going around with a black light to inspect. I always see the guys with the vacuums and dusters weaving in and out of people as they work out.
My off day at the gym is Tuesday, mainly because of the crowds and the DJ BOOTH. I don’t care for either… but maybe some people enjoy it. Who knows.

Crunch Lafayette is definitely one of the better gyms in the area.
Equipment:
–They have a boxing ring if you’re in to that sorta things…
–I usually just use dumbbells which the ones upstairs are pretty antiquated and don’t have the same increments as the other locations.
–Lots of cardio machines and they are always available
Classes:
Classes here are like those in all locations, hit or miss. Once you find an instructor you like and you’re set… until then, good luck.
Locker Facilities:
–Ample locker space with both short and tall lockers
–Can be unusually warm
–Showers lack water pressure
All in all, the price is right and I have my instructors figured out. Crunch tries for the frills but always falls short on the thrills.

Crunch’s customer service is worse than Time Warner’s, and that’s saying something. Lafayette is the gym where I signed up 7 years ago, so that’s why I’m adding my review here.
After my credit card got stolen and before I had received my new card, Crunch charged me a $ 15 late fee because their monthly charge didn’t go through. I thought this was bad customer service (truly every other monthly bill just called me up and asked me for a new card number — but not Crunch, who waited several weeks and then sent me a letter in the mail to inform me of the fees). I asked to cancel my account, and said I would pay the monthly gym fee, but not the $ 15 late fee. They said their policy was that they would reverse the late fee if I kept my account, but not if I canceled my account. I said the late fee was the reason I *wanted* to cancel my account. This circular argument went on for a while.
In the end, I lost the battle with Crunch. Very frustrating. Oh, and they never responded to my emails to the email address they gave me to rectify this, they «lost» my iCrunch login, they gave me incorrect numbers of who to call in customer service, and when they transferred me between departments my calls mysteriously got dropped.
Can’t wait to cancel!

My even keel is the result of two things. The first is walking around NYC everyday and looking at all the ridiculousness and the second is going to the gym since I was 15 years old. I couldn’t believe people just walked around naked when I was so young but at this point Im unfazed and if you have seen one ballbag you have seen them all.
Good times ha. Back to the gym, this Crunch is the best of the Crunch gyms in NYC. I am slightly partial to the 56^th Street NY Health and Racquet because it has basketball and racquetball courts. However, despite the name of the business being called NY Health & Racquet Club the 56^th street location is the only one to include racquetball so if racquetball isn’t a game changer go with Crunch.
The classes and trainers are a step above at this Crunch. Yoga, cardio and cycling are all covered by trainers that bring out the best in you. I used to be all about working out alone, but classes and group training really are a fantastic way to get some extra performance out of your body.
This location also boasts a boxing ring along with punching bags, a plus compared to the competition. I was running on the treadmills last night and watching some sparring got me pumped, I had to turn the dial up from my casual jog and turn it into an almost all out sprint.

I actually stayed in NYC for a little over a week and instead of doing touristy things, I’ve decided to live like a «local». By living like a local, I mean not going to the usual museums, Broadway shows, and binge eating at every good restaurant I could find. Rather, my days consisted of the gym, power naps, and then spending the rest of my time drinking.
I went to this specific Crunch a mere five times and I can safely say that this is by far one of the cleanest gym I’ve ever been to. With rent prices over the top in NYC, I might as well live at this gym. I mean, the showers are clean and the woman’s restroom is already stocked up every bathroom essential needed. Also, there are so many equipments provided, you will never be stuck standing around waiting for a machine.
As far as the classes, they were amazing. Some of them were a little ridiculous, but I still had a fun experience sampling them. One in particular, POUND, was definitely different. POUND was a class filled with squats, lunges, and heavy-​duty core workout all while POUNDing the floor with rubber drumsticks. It was almost like Stomp meets Xbox’s Rock Band but on acid. Catch my drift?
This specific gym definitely motivates you to workout. Especially since a majority of people that go here are very attractive. I cannot say the same about some of the people that go to my local gym. Sorry.

Loves it,
This gym is 24 hours. Friendly staff, lovely group exercise classes, clean and not to mention HUGE changing area with sauna.
Everything you need is here, this is the gym to be!
PS. classes do fill up pretty quickly, so I’d suggest to go there early to secure your spot lol.

Better mix of peeps and definitely better beats as house beats roll deep, I can hear it from the street. A street that’s for me, lacking all the wannabes.
Plenty of space to lift your weights, or run so long that it gets late. The staff is really great, serving great shakes so that you stay, lifting weights that very way.
Not my regular spot, but this spot is hot. With a passport membership I’ll be sure to take a long shot and frequent this trendy downtown gym at the tops. Not my typical drop because convenience says not, I’m uptown way too often, gotta mix up my crop.

Too bad I can’t afford to join a gym, but if there was a gym I would join, this would be it.
A fellow Unilocaler had some free passes and asked if I wanted to be a gerbil on a wheel. I said yes. It has been raining for the past week and I don’t like running outside when it is wet.
This place really helped me get my adrenaline fix. Now since I had a free guest pass, I had to listen to the sales pitch for a few minutes, but it wasn’t too bad. This place has 3 floors and it is massive. It never felt cramped and there were so many treadmills for me to chose from. I was in heaven. This place also has some serious runners. I was wedged in between two people who were clearly conditioned and fit. That made me work harder too. I ended up killing 7 miles on the treadmill that day. Thanks to the guy next to me who was on an incline and sprinting!
The locker room had ample space and many showers. You never had to wait. All the showers had shampoo, conditioner and body wash. The sinks also had mouthwash and lotion. They also have two hair blow dryers and they have towel service. This is my gym come true…
I am seriously thinking about joining this gym. They also offer hot yoga classes. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
Now I just have to figure out how I can come up with $ 100/​month for this addiction.

You can say this gym’s a bit dark, a bit industrial, but that’s how I kind of like my gyms. I can’t work out in a place that feels like a spa. Crunch Lafayette doesn’t have the fancy frills of its competitor around the way. Would I like an updated women’s locker room? Of course I would.
But that’s not the main reason I avoid this Crunch gym as much as I do. The women members are just terrible. First, most seem unable to afford a lock and throw their stuff in whatever locker, leaving others to open each locker in hopes of finding an empty one. The set up in the locker room is cramped, annoying. Rush hour is madness in that locker room. And most of the women I’ve encountered have been pretty damn catty, pushing their way through as if they were the only ones there. One girl even had the audacity to cut me off when I was washing my hands. Wait. Let me specify. She pushed my hands from under the running water. Jerk. I can’t deal with attitude at a gym. It ruins the high you get from having a great workout. Sucks too because this is a very convenient location.