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Will Equinox Get Muscled Out of 50 Murray?
The owner of 50 Murray is suing to get Equinox out of the building, reports the Real Deal: “Clipper Equity served Equinox with ‘a notice of intent to terminate the lease’ if the alleged noise issue is not resolved by Feb. 16, according to a complaint filed with the New York State Supreme Court Wednesday.” Equinox, meanwhile, filed a countersuit: “In its suit, Equinox Tribeca disputes ‘that the very same noise and vibrations that have been associated with normal exercise at the health club for the last 14 years suddenly rise to the level of defaults under the Lease.’ The gym claims it can address noise issues without having to move out. […] Equinox seeks an injunction to block the termination, as well as $8 million in damages—the sum it claims to have invested in building out the space.”
According to the Real Deal, Equinox’s 15-year lease is up next year, but it has an option to renew for five more years.
In the New York Post (which thinks the Sapir Organization still owns the building), there’s this: “Equinox—which even gives residents special discounts and cites hundreds of tenants becoming members since the club opened in 2002—says it has installed thicker floors in the weight room to further dampen sound. The rental building’s own Web site advertises the gym as a ‘major draw.'”
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This is interesting…this comes just at the time I’m giving thought to cancelling my Equinox membership because it’s so crowded. Yeah…any other gym I join will be as or more crowded bit will cost one-fourth the amount. They did recently double the thickness of the rubber floor padding but I guess it doesn’t sufficiently muffle the sound of the weightlifting lunks who drop their weights from shoulder height.
Hahaha!
Would be delighted if they stopped posting their sexualized ads on the side of the building which seem visible only in.my apartment across the street, and not to anyone at street level.
It has definitely gotten a LOT louder in the past few years. With Cross Fit taking away members, Equinox has turned a blind eye to power lifters dropping their (400 lb) weights, slam balls against the wall at 5:30 AM, excessively loud grunting, etc. Not to mention everything is covered in chalk. The club itself is showing its age with old and beat-up equipment. The extra padding wasn’t even put in the correct area. Nor does it do anything to dampen the noise that can be heard up to 5 floors above the gym.
As a new Tribeca citizen and longtime Equinox member, I can say the Murray St. location is one their worst. It’s much older than others (especially the locker room) and feels like a warehouse as its all the equipment is on one long floor. And yes, it’s very weight lifting-centric compared to others. Might as well just jump across the West Side Highway and go to Brookfield Place. The big worry about a closure would be that all members would spill over to BP and make it even more crowded.
I guess you haven’t been to the Equinoxes 19th Street or 96th Street. Those are much older. The locker rooms at Tribeca were updated in the last few years, IIRC. I don’t find it more lifter-centric than other Equinoxes. But I do not get why weights are dropped on the floor so often. Seems really unnecessary unless you’re in a competition. Perhaps they could make a rule against it? But I don’t see how they could enforce it. They don’t enforce other rules like no talking on your cellphone on the gym floor. I sure wish they’d enforce that one.
Agreed…there seems to be little concern on the part of management to enforce even the simple rules so I don’t know how they would enforce not dropping weights.
I quit Equinox last year after 14 years- I was one of their first members. I got sick and tired of the price. I also was a personal training customer. While my trainer was the best and I miss working out with him, it was the best decision I’ve made. I work out on my own now and feel just a fit as I did as a member. The staff is fabulous but I think their high end brand is silly. I also felt that as a long time, loyal customer, they rarely offered any sort of loyalty appreciation – aside from an international charger set which I can buy myself. A gym is a gym is a gym.
Blink Fitness should open a location in the still vacant space NYSC used to be in at 151 Reade Street.
I checked out Equinox for about 5 minutes when I moved to the neighborhood…then joined TriBeCa Health & Fitness over on Chambers & Church. I live directly across the street from Equinox on Murray Street, but why pay 3 times as much for Equinox and their corporate sales force when a better-conceived and better-maintained gym, run by someone who actually lifts weights, is right around the corner?
As an original member of the gym it would be sad to see them loose their lease. There are no other reasonable alternatives other than these new fancy private clubs, that don’t offer the range of classes. Of course, clients can be asked not to drop their weights on the floor. That should be the job of the many trainers who are standing around. These trainers should be more involved with all the members and not just watching their own clients. If they loose the lease, what kind of business can afford that large a space? Do we really need more law firms and banks? The real problem is the greedy landlords that are killing retail and restaurants. Look at all the vacant spaces coming to market. (PS: Equi-porn is in the eyes of the beholder)
I dont find this location any louder than the others, but agree with other commenters that it’s getting a bit long in the tooth and due for a refresh. Now that some of the other older clubs are redone, they can look at this one. (IF they dont get evicted that is)