Planet Fitness — Attraction in New York

Disclaimer: Written with buyer's remorse.

TLDR: Amazing playground for teens. An abomination for those who are serious about working out and paid for their membership.

This is a great workout place for teens with Planet Fitness' High School Summer Pass. You can: Stay on any machines for as long as you want while you share your updates on your favorite social media Congregate around multiple equipments with your friends to hang out and chat for as long as you want Leave the weights anywhere you want Leave the equipments as is without wiping it down after you use it Best part? None of the staffs will say anything at all and nobody will hold you accountable!

For people who are serious about working out, actually paid for their membership, or is considering getting a membership, this is an abomination of a Planet Fitness.

If you are looking forward to a great workout before 9:00pm, you are in for a treat! After going to this location consistently during different times since its opening, the crowd has gotten worse and worse. May the odds be with you.

The following is a preview of your wonderful experience at this location anytime other than early (before 10:00am) or late hours (after 9:00pm):

Prepare to be greeted with swarm of teens congregating in almost every equipment while hanging out and staring at their phones (with the occasional tripods of course) Prepare your ears for the beautiful sound of slamming weights by the same swarm of teens who do not care about the equipments Prepare for dumbbell racks that are mostly empty. Prepare to play treasure hunt around the gym to figure out where the dumbbells/plates/attachments are because they are mostly misplaced. If you are lucky and surrounded with kind souls with proper gym etiquette, you will find them at places where they belong. Prepare to wait for at least 15-20 minutes for a bench or a Smith machine. Yes, there are lines/congregations at other equipments too so get in line if you really want to use the equipment.

This summer gym membership for high school teens means well but the execution of it is abysmal. Perhaps some restrictions of time during which summer pass holders are admitted would be helpful so people who paid for their memberships can actually enjoy their benefits as advertised. As a paid member, this feels more and more like a scam.

Also, whoever "Planet Fitness (Owner)" is, please don't bother responding with ChatGPT style responses. Instead of asking us to "address our concerns" to whatever unattended email addresses there are, what about actually doing something about it, especially with respect to the location getting overwhelmed and abused by teens? Also, do you actually think that the staff would do something about the teens? Let's not fool ourselves. Of course, it is very easy and convenient to shift the responsibilities to the staffs on the ground who have literally no control over this poorly executed summer...

Place is new and has a decent amount of equipment. However, it gets crowded and you realize it should have more equipment considering all the teens going there for free. It was hard to get a machine on a Monday at 10:30am which is a joke. All the treadmills were taken also. If you are going to let teens in for free you need more things for paying customers to use.

It was also beyond hot, like no AC hot, and the disinfectant bottles were low to empty to clean machines. Even a paper towel rack was empty. No one seems to be checking these things.

Saw someone wearing jeans. I only say that cause it specifically says no jeans. Machines being slammed and abused already. People sit and waste time not using a machine. You can't preach all these rules and then let it be like any other gym.

They should have had a floor of cardio and a floor of weights and machines. The dumbbell area is the size of half of my apartment (not a good thing). Only 1 leg press that is plate loaded and 2 (corrected from 1) machine leg press. No hack squat. Hard to do legs here.

I will keep my membership cause it is very close and I can do cardio here. The machines and elliptical are very nice. I already know though cardio is the only thing worth the effort on my next trip. Gym is like a hangout, not a gym. I do not recommend to join.

Update as of 7/8/23:

I went back today and had a good workout. It was less crowded which helped but that doesn't mean it is still not hard to get a machine. Sure going on a Saturday morning helped with a lesser crowd than my first day on a holiday weekend. I cannot imagine this place at peak time during weeknights. I do full body so I am flexible in my routine which helps and is what I recommend when going here. If you go just looking to train one body part I think you have a hard time finishing timely.

Why does no one monitor people taking up time on machines? No one monitors weight slamming. No one monitors wiping machines clean. Where are the floor staff making sure rules are followed? You are planet fitness and preach these rules as your selling point. I can go to Average Joe's if I want no rules (hope you get the reference).

You do feel AC when you come upstairs but it quickly felt way too hot soon after arriving. It needs to be cooler and not sure why this has not been addressed yet. Enough comments say it here that something should be done.

I like the variety of machines as I can't get them where I currently go. I also like the elliptical and pre-cor cross trainer. I love the fan on both to at least make me feel 5% cooler.

My point with an updated post is there are positives. I am trying to point out the good and bad and be fair. Parking is great as well. I am still leaving review as 2 stars. Maybe when summer is over and paying customers actually are priority I can...

UPDATE I ABSOLUTELY SPRAINED MY KNEE ON THAT MACHINE AND HAVE BEEN IN EXTREME PAIN FOR TWO WEEKS BC THE STAFF NEGLECTS TO MARK MACHINES AS BROKEN. Also clock the response from the social media team that must manage their google reviews. No mention about the broken machine with a lack of signage. More of a response on my attire. I rest my case. // original review - Just got reprimanded for wearing a cut off T after I complained a machine was broken and I alerted an employee who failed to notify the front about it. I asked if they were told about my complaint and they said no. I said you should put up a sign bc I almost really hurt myself. They said we did but people keep taking it off. So, you can’t tape it up to make sure people don’t use it and injure themselves? I witnessed 3 more people try to use that machine while i used the one next to it. (Leg curl closest to smith machine if anyone cares). I was then told about my shirt. I said, why are you choosing to tell me now about my shirt? Is it in retaliation to my complaint? I then went around the gym to see who else were wearing cut offs. I spotted 4 people wearing cut offs, 4 people wearing flip flops, and 6 people wearing string tanks. All against the “rules”. I asked the front desk again if she was planning to let them know about their failure to comply with the dress code. She stated she already did. I then went around and asked every single person I spotted if they were spoken to about their attire. Not a single person was spoken to. If you’re going to try and “flex” your position at this location when I make a valid complaint about the safety of your equipment, I’m not the one boo. I didn’t catch a name but she wear lashes that look like they were snatched of miss piggy. Additionally, you can’t enforce one rule, while neglecting the rest. Crowds of 8 teens will monopolize one machine, literally wresting each other to the ground like animals while people are lifting very heavy weights. No one from staff is walking around making sure weights are reracked, or if anyone is wearing proper foot attire where they can break a foot by wearing thong flip flops or crocs. But my cut off is the issue? Cool. For a “judgement free zone” I certainly felt judged. And all because I said a machine was...