Let’s Get Physical: The Haute 5 Fitness Clubs in New York

It’s January. More specifically, it’s mid-January. Resolutions have been made, weeks have passed, and if you don’t act now, you never will. For many New Yorkers, that means it’s time to join a new gym. (Even this writer did—and the word elliptical only brings to mind vague memories of calculus class.) Below, you can find our compilation of the hautest places to work out in New York. Whether you’re looking for decadence, serious sportiness, or just a great all-around standard, our Haute 5 gyms have it all.

Reebok Sports Club New York
Reebok Sports Club New York (a branch of The Sports Club/LA) caters to a high-end clientele, with equally high-end facilities and services in its 140,000 square feet of Upper West Side space. Are you looking to try rock-climbing walls, run in an outdoor track, or even grab post-work cocktails on a rooftop terrace? Reebok also offers a full schedule of workout classes (Splash Cardio Fusion, anyone?) and almost hourly yoga classes. The resident Paul Labrecque Spa and Salon offers superior treatments over extended hours. New York Magazine named the gym the best place for “people watching.” On any given day, you might catch Demi Moore or Tom Cruise on the treadmill next to you, along with high-profile business and political types.

Reebok Sports Club New York is located at 330 E. 61st St., (212) 362-6800.

E at Equinox
E gives gym-goers a private studio experience with the perk of having a full service gym next door at Equinox’ Columbus Circle location (where amenities include a 75-meter pool, yoga, Pilates, and a full service spa.) E offers its own T4 personal coaching, a comprehensive fitness analysis, and an individually tailored workout plan. Clients are guided by teams, which can include everything from fitness coaches to nutrition specialists, to golf experts. E’s personalized attention is matched by a dedication to luxury. The membership of only a couple hundred, are treated to Frette bathrobes in the private changing cabanas and Molton Brown products in the private showers. They’ll even wash your workout clothes and have them waiting (and smelling beautifully) in your locker for next time. An Equinox membership also offers the convenience of multiple locations in the city. Check out the Greenwich Avenue location for celebrity sightings (high-profile members include Julianne Moore and Mickey Rourke) and popular body sculpting classes like Kristi Molinaro’s 30/60/90.

E is located at 10 Columbus Cir., (212) 871-3001.

Madison Square Club
Celebrity health and fitness Guru, David Kirsch’s New York club is tranquil, private, and full of state-of-the-art equipment. Kirsch oversees the workouts, along with the Wellness Bar that serves up protein shakes, energy drinks, and mineral super juice with his own line of supplements. Kirsch’s clients include models Heidi Klum and Linda Evangelista, but you probably won’t see them. The focus at Madison Square Club in on your own private workout, not socializing. Individual training sessions and monthly memberships are available, but if you’re dead-set on getting into shape, you can purchase a year of unlimited private sessions for $25,000.

Madison Square Club is located at 210 5th Ave., (212) 683-1836.

The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers
If you’re the type to pass on pampering and Pilates, Chelsea Piers offers a sportier option, with facilities that are paralleled by none. True to its name, Chelsea Piers is a “sports center”–in fact it offers the most sports and activities of any gym in New York. Whether you’re into boxing, rock-climbing, basketball, beach volleyball, triathlon training, or serious swimming, the Sports Center has it. It’s no wonder so many professional athletes flock to Chelsea Piers for their workouts. It also happens to be the coolest place for your kids. Katie Holmes and Madonna have both enrolled their daughters in swim and gymnastics classes. And let’s be honest, if Suri is doing it, all the cool kids are.

The Sports Center is located on Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers at 19th St., (212) 336-6000.

Tracy Anderson Method Studio
Celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson has trained the likes of Kate Hudson, Emily Blunt, and Gwyneth Paltrow. In fact, Paltrow is such a fan, that she opened a studio with Anderson earlier this year. (Madonna also trained with Anderson for three years before the two had a much gossiped about trainer-break up.) Anderson’s studio is a bright open loft space in Tribeca. There, she teaches her signature “method,” which employs a variety of props (kick-bars, arm bands, steel cubes), pulsing music, and dance cardio moves. The studio offers classes as private sessions. Anderson customizes her training programs for individual clients. Her approach is geared towards women, with an emphasis on toning as opposed to bulking up. Her holistic approach also includes diet counseling.

The Tracy Anderson Method Studio is located at 408 Greenwich St. on the third floor, (212) 965-1408.