Gotham Archery - Manhattan — Local services in New York

We loved the BK location of Gotham Archery after visiting several times, so we thought we'd try the Manhattan location before a lunch in the city.

The two locations share a name, but the similarities end there.

For one, the location is incredibly tiny--just a fraction of the Brooklyn location. That wouldn't be so much of an issue had they structured their lanes properly and didn't horrendously overbook their facility.

The lanes were completely overbooked to the point of archers having only 6-8 inches of space in between each other--so close you can smell the next person's BO, even through a mask... so close that the person next to you keeps unintentionally hitting you with their bow.

This is especially noteworthy because the facility has Covid-19 safety notices posted throughout requiring all customers to maintain 6 feet of social distance, which also warns that those who do not comply will be ejected without refund... they then proceed to overbook their lanes and place you six INCHES--not feet--away from other customers. Apparently you get no refund if they defy their own rules either.

When the impossibly cramped conditions were brought to the attention of the staff, they simply responded "sorry guys, this is just how it is on the weekends."

Unfortunately, the problems do not end at their hypocritical/hazardous overbooking. The attending employees were often too distracted socializing with other employees or on their phones to even notice when an arrow was dropped or some other kind of staff assistance was required. Other times, they would hold up the entire group of archers (during a paid, one hour time slot) to teach newcomers the basics on how to shoot. We all had to learn the fundamentals at some point, but that needs to happen in the requisite pre-training course, not during everyone's paid, time-limited practice slot.

If you value your safety, or even just the ability to practice in peace, do not go here. They have no regard for safety or...

I booked a class yesterday at 6pm with a few friends. Two of us arrived on time, while the other unfortunately was running late because of their babysitter’s tardiness, which is out of her control. She came from 2 hours away in NJ and arrived at around 6:03pm. I understand that there is a strict policy that you cannot arrive late, especially on the weekends, however, these were extenuating circumstances. She was allowed in by the very kind and understanding person at the front desk, briefed on the safety instructions, and proceeded into the class, as directed. The class instructor was then increasingly rude, calling her out in front of everyone for her lateness, stating that he wouldn’t have allowed her in, which was incredibly unnecessary, and then proceeded to make condescending comments throughout the duration of the class. And yet, his comments were not limited to her, but also to my other friend who arrived with me on-time. The seemingly caucasian male instructor with the Ciele Athletics cap repeatedly made sarcastic and patronizing comments only to my friends, ensuring they understood that they were not doing well in the class, even with the gentle constructive criticism from the other aids. I would never go back and sadly would not recommend to anyone. The front desk person deserves a raise, while the instructor requires intensive customer...

The staff are very rude and condescending, except for Dan (our instructor, he has a dry comedic personality and it kept the environment light). 4 months ago was our first time at the venue, my fiancé arrived early and I was stuck in traffic from NJ. I understand the late policy but i had just missed it by a hair of minutes and was not allowed to participate. subsequently i sat on the side and watched everyone play. We were told we would be sent an email with an individual to reach out to in order to receive credit for my place in the future. Today, we decided to revisit the place, although the experience and staff kept us one foot out the door we had a chance to try and both play together. The same guy who assisted us last time greeted us in a nasty smart ass manner and would not allow us to use our last credit to play. $200 later and 2, 25 mins of shooting at targets, this is the worse archery place I have ever been to! Growing up doing archery in camp and for fun in a queens location, I know it should be an enjoyable and fun process. The staff ruin it and pack us like sardines in a small room, for all the safety concern and “live weapons” they definitely have us too...