VITAL Climbing Gym - Lower East Side — Local services in New York

I’ve been climbing for a large part of my life now and have the privilege of travelling the world for it. This is one of the nicest facilities I’ve had the pleasure of climbing at. Here’s what I love:

-Wall angle variety -Old school and Comp style variety -Full training area with two full boards and an impressive selection of workout equipment -A beautifully designed interior so the vibes are always great -Wonderful work space and easy to use class booking apps (for yoga and whatnot) -Lockers that lock, along with plenty of change rooms and bathrooms -24/7 access and a slack line

And the list goes on.

I’ve read a few reviews complaining about the music — I love the music and volume personally. If you don’t like more energetic tunes buy AirPods? Also, it’s a gym. Sorry people aren’t trying to climb to Rachmaninoff. Get a grip.

I’ve also read some reviews complaining about the price compared to places in Europe. To that I’d say: we’re not in Europe? Sorry it’s not 14 quid for your day pass buddy and not 12 pence for a pint, this is New York City. 24/7 access with no additional fee for classes is not cheap. Plus, as someone who’s had memberships in multiple states and countries, believe me when I say this one is worth it if you make it worth it. Yes, it’s pricey in general but it pays for itself effortlessly.

Lastly, to those upset about vital not offering guest passes; tell your friends to get their money up.

This gym rocks.

P.S. My only suggestion is to expand the pro shop— would be cool to have access...

I've been going for over a month to this gym and the gym itself is really good. Both the climbing and gym areas have really good equipment, it's never too crowded, it's clean and people working there have always been nice to me.

The one thing I'd really wish they would improve and I think is subpar to the overall level of the gym is on amenities. They do not offer the possibility to rent a locker, which to me makes no sense since they have hundreds of lockers that are always empty. I already need to carry climbing shoes and chalk every day so that in addition to toiletries, clothes, etc makes the bag very heavy which is a pain. Another thing is that they offer a really small bath towel (like a face towel size) and while it's not that big of an issue, for the membership price I'd expect a real towel. I would love management to consider offering the locker rental (for a fee) since it would make the lives of people who commute to the area...

The Good: the gym is quite beautiful with a nice cafe conveniently located. Climbs are pretty fun.

The bad: The staff. They interact with each other just fine but God forbid you ask a question, need help, or make a mistake. I took my shirt off for one climb I was projecting and as soon as I finished I put it back on, but the guy that came over to tell me that wasn't allowed did it in a way that was so aggressive I felt like I ruined his life. I came up to apologize after and said I didn't know that was a policy and he just shrugged it off.

I've been climbing for 10+ years, mainly for the community, if he is representative of the staff, that they hire, then there are dozens of other gyms in the city I would recommend over this one. Especially if you're just getting started - climbing gyms are generally much...