While in New York briefly for work, I dropped in for a workout at CrossFit Wall Street in Manhattan. Had timing not have been so tight, I wouldn't have dropped in at CrossFit Wall Street. They have the most extensive visitor policy I've seen to date and it took a lot of effort to get the green light for a drop in there. Needless to say, I had a pretty good time there.
This trip to the city was pretty sudden. I booked plane tickets in less than 24 hours from departure and hence was scrambling to find a gym on my way to the airport. I was happy to find a gym two blocks from my hotel, but not so happy when I read their strict visitor policy. I messaged CF Wall Street hoping that my blog, being on the Catalyst team, and CF Regionals team in the past would help bypass the email from a CF coach. If I have to ask people to do things for me, I like to give them ample time to do so, and not like a couple hours.. so I didn't feel good finding a NorCal coach who was willing to verify I completed CF 101 in such a short amount of time. Things ended up working out and Mickey was awesome and sent that email asap. I reserved a class and finally met all the requirements to drop in at CF Wall Street.
I dropped in for the 7pm class a couple Thursday's ago with David. It was a full house and I was happy to see the workout quite in my favor =P
I dropped in for the 7pm class a couple Thursday's ago with David. It was a full house and I was happy to see the workout quite in my favor =P
- Warm Up: 1min jump rope (singles), 25 KB Goblet squats, 1min double unders, 50 Mountain Climbers
- Strength/Skill: 20min EMOM
- Even Minute: 3 Weighted Strict Pull Ups
- Odd Minute: 6 Strict HSPU
- Workout: Tabata Box Jumps 24"/18"
Some things I really liked here:
- Great location in the Financial District! CrossFit Wall Street is one block from the NYSE and Wall Street, and hence also close to metro stations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, R, J, Z)!
- High quality coaches. David did a really good job coaching the evening classes. He didn't just stand there and watch. He was actively helping and motivating folks throughout the class. It was also nice to meet one of the owners, Keith. CrossFit has gotten so big that nowadays it's tough to meet a gym owner so I appreciated that.
- Classes capped to 8 people so you'll get lots of attention and feedback. Also, when you workout, you'll have space.
- Community & culture. The 6pm and 7pm class were very high energy. Members are friendly and will introduce themselves to you. I liked how at the start of class, David asked who I met (thank god I was still in consulting mode and remembered everyone's names), and for those who didn't introduce themselves, they had to do 21 burpees! Their rule is if you don't recognize someone, introduce yourself. I stayed a good deal after class just chatting with members. They were great!
- Many classes. Ten classes per day on the weekdays starting at 5am and ending at 9pm. They also have four classes on Saturday's and Open Gym on Sunday's. Be sure to sign up for a class since they are capped at eight people.
- Variety of equipment, especially for a small gym: yoke, fractional plates (down to 1.25#), ropes, structure to do bar muscle ups, airdyne, mats, parallettes, benches, farmer's carry bars, weight belts, 14' ceilings (still a bit low, but high for Manhattan)
- Bathrooms, lockers, showers, and even towels.
- $30 drop in fee. They have a very strict visitor policy. You need to create an account, get a coach to email confirming you completed CF 101, sign up for a class, and pay $30.
Some things that could use improvement:
- No dropping weights. You can only do that early in the morning or late at night or else the security guards will complain.
Some pictures:
3. welcome desk
4. front half
5. inside
6. 14' ceilings
7. plates and whiteboard
8. pull up structure
9. extra equipment
10. boxes, rowers, wall balls
11. another view of the front
12. Thursday's workout
Leading up to my visit at CrossFit Wall Street, I was expecting and convinced that it would be pretty terrible. However, they really surprised me and my visit was actually the complete opposite: very pleasant, except for the high drop in fee. Though what's crazier is other CF gyms in Manhattan have even higher drop in fees! So if you want to go to a gym in Manhattan or don't have time to head to Brooklyn, CrossFit Wall Street is pretty good.
Nearby Gyms: CrossFit Hell's Kitchen | Reebok CrossFit 5th Ave (Manhattan) | CrossFit Virtuosity (Brooklyn) | CrossFit South Brooklyn (Brooklyn)
Nearby Gyms: CrossFit Hell's Kitchen | Reebok CrossFit 5th Ave (Manhattan) | CrossFit Virtuosity (Brooklyn) | CrossFit South Brooklyn (Brooklyn)
