TMPL - Astor Place — Local services in New York

I cannot recommend TMPL. I was a customer of NYC (now TMPL) since 2009. I primarily worked out at the ASTOR location since 2018 until this month when I was basically forced to surrender my membership due to an incident that happened with one of the team members. About 2 weeks ago when I was taking a shower one of their locker room employees harassed me. He yelled at me that the showers were closed and I had to get out. I was full of soap at this point and I told him, I would be out once I am done to which he kept on yelling at me and opened the shower stall. I yelled back at him and closed the shower stall, finished my shower and as I am about to head out he comes around again, yelling at me like a crazy person. I yell back at him and tell him "there is no sign here anywhere that says the showers are closed" He just keeps on yelling at me and telling me he is getting fired for this and all kind of none-sense. Then I am telling him that he works here which means he works for me and not the other way round so it is absolutely unacceptable that he yells at me. Now, another person came to his defense as this guy only heard me yelling at the guy, so now it's two against one. I am the white guy and two African American guys, so I totally see what this looks like and I must admit I felt ashamed by what I said to him. However this was in no way racially charged, all I meant to say was: I AM THE CUSTOMER. I tried to explain myself but was just getting yelled at even more, now by two guys. I decide to let it go and get changed. When I leave the locker room some other employee waits there for me and tells me that I have to come with her into the office. I am telling her that I am not going to be talked to like a little kid after I was just yelled at by one of her team members for no reason what so ever. I leave the gym! Two days later I receive a call by manager Mark who wanted to hear my side of the story about an incident that was reported to him. Turns out that the guy (who opened my shower stall, yelled at me for no reason at all) claims I used racial slurs and that this was supposedly confirmed by witnesses. After a long discussion Mark and I come to the agreement that I will just give up my membership as I understand we will never get to the truth here as it is my word against theirs. The agreement we had was that I will use my membership until I leave town (mid December) but I will not enter the ASTOR location to prevent any further issues with the team. I did not intend to leave this review however the reason why I decided to do so anyway was how my last day at ASTOR place went about. I went to the Avenue A location two days ago and I was told my membership is no longer active, so I explained that I had an agreement that I could still work out here for 2 more weeks but I was told NO. So I asked if they could at least let me work out today as I am already here and the manager there tells me: No, because of the notes that are attached to my membership. So basically the internal notes told them that I was a racist. I stand by what I said , which was not the right thing to do. However after you are being yelled at non-stop for no reason and then basically kicked out of the shower while full of soap, yes I lost my temper. This being said I did not use racial slurs. I voluntarily surrendered my membership as I understood there is no way to find out what really happened. The feeling I was left with when I left the Avenue A location was abysmal, everyone was staring at me and treating me like scum. Don't just take my word, please take the time to read other reviews here. There are numerous testimonials detailing similar encounters with their...

Since posting my latest review here (and in other places), I had a voicemail from some interim manager from a Florida area code and a phone call from a new manager at this location.

He talked a good game and tried to press me into coming back for a no-strings-attached free month. Then he offered to refund the monthly fee I paid just before being driven out of this facility (as described below).

Unsurprisingly, no refund and no reason to ever trust TMPL.

Join this gym at your own peril The only thing “elite” about TMPL Astor Place is the membership fee.

It was a great place when it was a NYSC Elite gym. The staff was friendly and customer service oriented, and the facility was well-maintained.

Since Town Sports Inc. folded some of the NYSC Elite (and other) gyms into TMPL, the Astor Place location has gone steeply downhill.

Equipment breaks down and isn’t repaired for weeks or months. Some front desk people are nice, others can’t even look at members when they walk in. Any issues or problems that you try to bring to their attention are dismissively waved off as you’re told to tell the manager.

At least as of a month ago, members can only get towels by asking for them at the front desk. They used to be available throughout the multi-floor gym, but then management claimed that they’re trying to be eco-conscious by making it inconvenient for members.

However, if you are looking to do lots of texting in a gym that is trying way too hard to be edgy, TMPL Astor Place is for you. You can monopolize any and all equipment, leaving other members cooling their heels while waiting for you to finish tapping out the next great American novel on your phone. Then you can take lots and lots of selfies throughout the gym — and the locker rooms.

You can also leave your backpacks, coats, and other belongings all over the floor. And there is no need to put used towels in the many bins around the floor, nor free weights back on their racks. Feel free to leave half-empty bottles of overpriced “enhanced” water and muscle drinks on/around the equipment.

And speaking of gym equipment, don’t bother to wipe down any of it after sweating all over it. Other members exist solely to clean up after you.

If you want to bring your dog, feel free — no leash required! Sure, you can buy fake service dog certification papers online and management will accept those (even though federal, state, and city governments do not issue nor recognize any “official” certifications). Then you drop your dog’s leash and start your workout as the dog spreads out in the middle of the gym floor and goes to sleep, as all legitimate service dogs do. Or, you can just leave an unattended, leash-less dog at one of the cubicles next to the elevator.

However, if you have a serious allergy to dogs, you will be treated as a second-class member whose legitimate health issues do not matter. Staff and management will suggest that you either go to another TMPL facility or use other areas of this gym, even though there is not sufficient equipment all over the place.

When you have to cancel your membership and it’s the first week of the month, you not only lose the entire month that you already paid for, but they will also be petty and bill you for a few days into the next month — even after you have submitted a note from a doctor, explaining why you can no longer use...

I would first like to recommend that Google start offering a six-star rating for businesses like TMPL that stand far apart from the competition. In the meantime, I will share with everyone looking for a new gym in New York City, how impressed I am with TMPL, Astor Place. The interior looks like a European castle, with high ceilings, exposed brick, and dim lighting that's very easy on the eyes (not the bright fluorescent lights you see in most fitness facilities.) The music is always energizing and never excessively loud. TMPL is by far the most spacious gym I've ever been in, with so much equipment that my workout is never interrupted by having to wait for machines or weights. They also have various Life Fitness and Matrix machines that I haven't seen in any other gym in the city. The women's locker room is enormous - I actually got lost in it the first time I was there. While trying to find my way out, I stumbled upon something that looked like a hair salon in the middle of the locker room! It's stocked with everything you need post-workout, including towels, hair dryers, razors, body lotion, mouthwash, hair gel, etc. Most importantly, it's extremely clean, as is the rest of the facility. The staff is professional and courteous. Even the people cleaning the gym (and a high five to all of them - did I mention how huge the facility is?!) are smiling and friendly to the members, which is something I haven't noticed much in other gyms. I've had great interactions with Kim, Rachel, Maurice and the general manager, Rolando. They've all been so welcoming which has added to my fantastic workout experience every time I've been there. I'll conclude by mentioning the hydro-massage chairs, from which I'm writing this review. The chairs also offer solitaire and health-related articles to read if you feel the need to multitask. I have yet to experience Monday's DJ night, but will surely post another review once I do. So again, if you're looking for a new gym in the city, go straight to TMPL, Astor Place and ask for any of the above mentioned staff. Since no one is waiting to use it, I will now enjoy another 10 minute...