VITAL Climbing Gym - Brooklyn — Attraction in New York

I’ve been working out here since August of last year and really enjoy it. 24/7 gym access was and is the biggest selling point for me. I’m able to train hard during hours that the gym is virtually empty and leave before or as “casual hour” begins.

Prior to joining Vital I knew little to nothing about bouldering but have since gotten into climbing after taking a class with - I think her name was Hailee. Great class taught by a seasoned vet. I was pretty blown away by how easy she made it look.

The space is massive and could only be done in a neighborhood like this. While most other gyms throughout the city are dark, dank, basement spaces; Vital is open, airy, and brightly lit. The amenities are many and varied. In addition to working out and climbing it can also double as a workspace(as long as you get there at an off peak time) with the Great Table in the main lobby, a patio area, and a rooftop space.

Also, I love that there are no locker rooms. I didn’t realize how much I hate locker rooms until I joined up here. Clean modern bathrooms with showers both on the ground floor and additional showers and bathrooms on the rooftop level.

However, it would be nice if they would update or add to some of their equipment. The skill-mills or self propelled runners are pretty old and every time I sprint I think they might explode. A couple of sturdy Assault Runners would be amazing.

They definitely need to add some heavier weights to the dumbbell rack. 95lbs is currently the heaviest. Very Planet Fitness except we’re paying a lot more than 10 bucks a month. Up to 110 would be solid.

My main issue is that some of the employees just seem way too casual. Half the time It’s hard to tell if they even work there. Then if you can identify them as employees you kind of have to interrupt their “chilling”. Personally, I wouldn’t care if it weren’t for the fact that they never turn on the sauna when they unlock it so we all have to wait 15-20 mins for the thing to heat up.

Overnight guys are awesome though. Always helpful and around when you need them.

Almost everyday that I’m there the bathrooms are out of paper towels, body wash, and shampoo. I have to wander around looking for an employee then wait for them to get around to filling these things up when it should just be done routinely.

Despite a few lingering issues, I’m really happy with Vital and if they’re able to address those things I see myself being a member for as long as I live in the...

Visually stunning gym that looks like an architectural rendering brought to life. The roof area, in particular, is spectacular, and climbing outdoors during the warm breezy summer has been a literal breath of fresh air (especially as the gym has been clinging to a masks policy, for many weeks later than most gyms have abandoned theirs, unfortunately).

The 24/7 members' access and the fact that your membership is month-to-month without onerous penalties are two other features that show Vital is focused on subtle innovations that help them stand out. The prices, given the location, are also quite generous at the time of this writing. (Making Vital a no-belay gym was probably a savvy business move to keep those insurance costs lower).

I have to dock a star for the conspicuous absence of locker rooms. The decision to exclude this nearly universal feature of a gym is really making me miss Brooklyn Boulders, and well, every other gym I've used in my life that offered a simple dingy space where I could change in 30 seconds or less. There are a few (maybe 4?) combination toilet/shower single-occupancy rooms that provide unnecessary logistical hurdles, like waiting for someone to finish showering so you can simply switch into pants without flashing the crowd. Or, waiting for a shower that's not actually in use, because someone happens to be in there using the toilet. I don't understand why these basic amenities were combined in ways that make for all kinds of combinations of bottle necks.

Additionally, the very popular gym floor probably deserved a larger swath of real estate, a good portion of which is being devoted to a "training wall" with some sort of electronic interface (never seen anyone use it yet), and another good chunk monopolized by aerial silks, which, while probably fun, can only serve like 4-6 people at a time and seems kinda niche given the large footprint.

I have a feeling there will need to be rectification of the weights/gym floor area size, especially as the rooftop crowd moves inside for the winter. The locker room situation is probably hopeless though. Maybe add some simple changing...

This place is a freaking resort. I love this gym so much. I always had trouble getting myself to go exercise, let alone want to. Climbing is the sport for me and the ambiance/design of this place is unparalleled by any other gym in the city. It's downright gorgeous, the exterior, interior, nice lighting, color choices for the walls, outdoor design – even the staircase is painted in an awesome way. They have private bathrooms with showers bigger than mine at home that surprisingly don't have a super long wait, especially depending on the time of day. They also have a sauna. I love the sauna. Super sick to have. The outdoor climbing is unbeatable in summer, and is even okay to use on a warm day in fall/winter. And the views are awesome, especially if you climb the top-out one outside. They also have a full weightlifting gym with new equipment and is surprisingly legit, not just a few machines and dumbbells thrown in the corner. And there's no shortage of climbing equipment – hang boards, tension board, moon board, etc. The holds/walls are also new so they feel good and aren't worn down and covered in rubber. I also really enjoy the route setting – it's creative and none of them are super hazardous like I find at some other gyms.

The cons?

1. There's one of them, though they're planning to expand as I write this.
2. It's not cheap – $135/mo, but you get the unbeatable quality, the sauna, and FREE yoga and aerial silks classes which offsets that price anyway (there's more classes but those are my favorite ones). Other climbing gyms are between $100-120/mo so they're not even much cheaper anyway and they're just worse than this one.
3. No top rope. If you really prefer top rope, this isn't the place for you.
4. No free guest passes except on your birthday. This is the only real con to this place at this point considering the price is totally fair and they're expanding. But considering everything this gym offers, it's totally worth it.

This is the space where I can zone out and let all my stress go and I love it to...