5 Gym Alternatives To The Steamy, Sweaty Mess At Sheepshead Bay’s Bally Fitness
February 13, 2014
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been looking for any excuse to pack your bags and abandon Sheepshead Bay’s Bally Total Fitness (1720 Sheepshead Bay Road). You’re tired of dumbbells that sit in a pile on the floor rather than on their respective shelves. You’re tired of never being able to get a decent workout between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. due to the post-work crowd. And do I even need to go into detail about the swimming pool filled with an amalgamation of water, human sweat and dead skin cells? I’m sure I’m not alone – just take a look at their (sometimes hilarious) Yelp reviews.
For years, Bally was just about the only game in town. But a spate of gym openings in the past year (and more to open soon) brings new options to the neighborhood, as well as helped shine a light on some old ones that may have gone under the radar. Whether you’re a Bally member looking to flee, or a newbie looking for a gym, here are five solid alternatives around Sheepshead Bay.
Poised to be the crème de la crème of fitness centers, the $20 million complex replaces the old Brooklyn Racquet Club that shuttered in 2011. This staggering 120,000 square foot complex has everything you could imagine in terms of exercise activities: a junior Olympic pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a gymnastics arena, nine tennis courts, a full indoor spa, and a whole lot more to list. Feeling hungry after a workout? MatchPoint has a tasty restaurant overlooking the tennis courts with tons of fresh and healthy food options, including all the post-workout smoothies your body could handle. If you’re looking for the full package with enough activities for the whole family, then MatchPoint is the way to go. 2781 Shell Road
– Daniel Gokstein
