Bouldering Project - Gowanus — Attraction in New York

I was really looking forward to the (re)opening of this gym after it closed down for renovations. I was a member when the gym was still BKB and was very excited at the prospect that Bouldering Project would refresh and revitalize the gym, which previously had some great setting, interesting walls, but definitely needed some upgrades to stay on par with newer gyms like Vital and the new cliffs facility (oops movement now) that opened down the street.

My excitement has been partially met. It's great to see the space open once more and I had an decent time bouldering, but I can't help but be struck by how poorly utilized the space is, as some other reviewers have pointed out. The new layout somehow makes the space feel smaller to me than the original BKB layout, which is kind of crazy. Granted, some of this is due to the fact that they gave up some climbing space for a nicer gym area, youth room, yoga room, and locker rooms, all things the gym arguably needed. Still, I can't help but feel that the actual wall layout and shape selection could have been more interesting. Like others I worry that some of the walls are so close together that there won't be sufficient space to climb safely during crowded periods. Also, as another person has mentioned, very few of the routes currently overlap and they are pretty generously spaced out. I do feel the gym might be able to offer more and defuse some of that smallness feeling if they set more overlapping climbs to really utilize more wall space, but at the same time, it will be a constant balance between leveraging wall capacity and safety given how tight the spacing is between some walls.

I also would say the walls themselves are generally kind of uninspiring compared to other gyms I've been to. A novel feature (at least based on the couple of gyms I've been to) is a set of wedge shaped freestanding walls that have sharp side edges. The initial set of routes has a few climbs that require getting around these edges, which for me was novel and fun, but aside from that, the larger, primary walls felt kind of generic, at least on this initial set, and since the gym has two of these primary walls, which occupy most of the space, it left me with a kind of bland feeling overall. This problem might be mitigated with the right approach to setting. At the moment it all feels like one continuous, unchanging wall—many other gyms are able to leverage more space to create different zones, each with different wall shapes that give each zone its own flavor and keep things interesting. With large continuous walls like these, route variation/thematizing around wall sections might have to help deliver and amplify some of that character instead. This is not to say all the current routes are all the same—not at all, as far as they go, there's a good amount of variability and interesting setting—I think the psychological effect of the new layout is just such that it makes everything feel sort of undifferentiated when you're in the space. The MPLS BP has a similar layout, but in a much larger facility, where surplus space allows them to have a bunch of these larger continuous walls without issue. In this smaller space, I think different techniques might be needed to make a large continuous wall work well.

Overall, I'd say the revitalized space is worth checking out. You might find that the climbs are precisely suited to your preferences or style, or maybe the newer facilities are just the addition you are looking for in a gym. I have had zero problems when it comes to accounts and management so far (my old BKB account was automatically transferred without issue), so all good there. Personally, I find the walls and bouldering routes at some other places more interesting, but I am going to continue to keep an eye on this gym to see how things develop. Even though I think the layout and utilization of space in the gym could be better, with the right tweaks and route setting they might be able to balance things out and find a way to make it work...

The billing and management is hugely disappointing. Bouldering Project is a great brand and gave this location lots of resources -- I'm just not sure if they are able to run this place as well as it deserves.

This is my story. I had put high dollar amount in my account in the fall of 2022 right before I was informed of the BKB-BP ownership transfer. I was unable to withdraw the value, however -- I was told that the gym would reopen in 3 months, better than ever. The rest is history; the gym didn't reopen till a full year after the promised timeline, in Jan 2024. Leading up to the gym opening, amid the expectation that the gym would open in April, late summer, early fall, early winter etc, I had decided to apply my credit towards an annual membership. I made this explicit in person and in emails, that I would like to use this credit towards my membership. Now that the gym is open, I was shocked to see a charge of full membership on my credit card while my remaining balance in my account sits there untouched. This is a significant unplanned outstanding expense in my credit card that I'd like sorted out. If I do not pay it out, my credit will get hurt, and if I do pay it out, my other expenses will get impacted. Here starts my long journey of trying to get my money back, like it's not Bouldering Project Gowanus' business.

I first found out that the online system has changed and after going through the ordeal of registering a new account and hopping around for information I'm looking for, I started getting logged out randomly. The system doesn't even allow my browser to save my info, so I have to manually type my login info every single time I'm trying to back to the page I was on. The layout of the website has 2 layers of head bars, with no memory of whether or not I'm logged in after I moved to a different tab. I think school students can likely build better websites. I then resorted to email. Every email takes a few days before reply, which is so nerve racking given a big sum of expense is unresolved for me. They first tell me they "hope to" refund in February when they upgrade their system, which is in 1-2 month's time. And if I had learned anything from waiting on the gym's reopening, that might mean another year. Further if they are using the same tech team that built the new website, there's just no hope. After another round of communication to help them understand the situation, they offered to refund my money on my account, which is the sensible thing to do. However, as I move to expect my refund, I only found out that the refund would be by mail and only expected in a few weeks. Who still transact via mail these days? What happens if the check gets lost? Am I supposed to check my mailbox every day to confirm my receiving the check? And how do I inform them that the check is lost if I fail to find it after checking every day for a few weeks? After waiting for this gym for over a year, this is what I get? What did I do to deserve this? I'm absolutely exhausted and I would even say traumatized at this point for the mental toll they had put me through. I wanted to share my experience with anyone who is still on the fence about joining this gym after their first month.

I trusted this facility, and now I feel like I'm being punished for it. I'm made to feel like this is all my responsibility and Bouldering Project Gowanus did not do anything wrong. I'm left hanging in my email chain and left to sort out my own finances without support. This has been such a frustrating experience for me that I would absolutely not wish on anyone. The magnitude of absurdity of how I have been treated is unheard of in the very competitive consumer service industries esp. in NYC. I do not recommend this gym to anyone until a better management team...

Going on six months now since BP remolded the OG BKB, and here are 15 insights you might not know: The staff is wonderful, knowledgeable, and highly approachable. They’ll pretty much do anything to make you happy (within reason!) and they actually seem happy themselves—which is rare for a climbing gym in New York. Yoga is FREE for members. I haven’t utilized this amenity a ton, but every hour or so there’s a yoga class available covering all types of climbing related goodness. It’s nice knowing that that’s always available. The routesetters will not only acknowledge your presence, but also talk to you! I’ve asked Miles and his team many an annoying beta question and they’re always obliging and kind. The routesetting covers every style of climbing, from more traditional outdoorsy feeling stuff, to newer, more trendy styles (for the young-uns). The grades feel accurate, and the sandbagging limited. Most projects feel attainable with even the higher grades seeming doable. There’s some real magic happening on the walls, and most sessions I leave with an appreciation for what the setters are attempting. The lower grades offer nice introductions to more advanced techniques for beginners, and it’s easy to find a progression of warm-up climbs. The setting has a subtle way of pulling you into climbing problems that you might not usually prefer to climb, but you try anyway because it looks sendable. Kiddos. This is a gym that embraces families. I’ve got one. My daughter is loved, and encouraged, and I feel very comfortable having her at this gym. The climbing team coaches are the best. WAY above and beyond. There’s a slab wall that gets reset EVERY Monday. There’s spray wall, a kilter, and a tension board. There’s an on-site very knowledgeable PT named Carter (I can’t remember his exact hours) who has given me some rehab advice on my bicep tendonitis – it’s much better now. The music is not LAME. Yesterday they played a ton of Frank Ocean and the like. A few days earlier it was Bill Callahan. It’s super CLEAN. No more dirty feet. Not that I should be walking around the gym barefoot… but if you remember the old BKB? Yeah, it’s not that. The community is very, very kind. I don’t want to slam other gym communities, but sometimes the vibes can be borderline toxic. Or just collectively depressed. Years ago there was a much needed diversity push at BKB, and though we’re not there yet, certainly not as an industry, BP Gowanus is the most accessible, accepting, generous, and diverse gym I’ve ever climbed at. EVERYONE at this gym is very welcoming, and there’s a good chance you will find your people here. Absolute crushers climbing alongside brand-spanking-new beginners, and everyone is psyched to share the collective joy. The hangboard set-up practically demands you interact with other climbers, which, you know, is ultimately a good thing. There’s windows! And skylights! And sunshine streaming in. You’ll know immediately if it starts raining outside. Fallmats. Or Safety mats. Or whatever we’re calling them – super duper soft. If you’re older, like me, crashing down repeatedly isn’t great for the joints. They’re literally twice as soft of the mats a few blocks over at Movement, where occasionally I wouldn’t risk end-limit, high up moves while bouldering because those falls could be brutal. If you’re a bit older or new to climbing and falling scares you, trust me, these mats are amazing. Management is available. You can see Quinn walking around. Or in the office. Nikki is there to hear you out. If you need to say something someone is there to hear it. Somehow years later, BP feels in a good way, smaller and tighter, and happier....