New to 'hood: Gym, boot camp, yoga?

The "gym" at Sunset Park is fine if all you want is a no-frills place to get your running in on the treadmill. I joined a couple of weeks ago and have been using it a couple nights a week for that. There are two treadmills, a couple of stairmasters, and some basic weight machines. No showers, bring your own towel. But the people are nice and everyone minds their own business, and you can't beat the price, $25 for 6 months!

Also, if you're interested, my wife is a personal trainer at Equinox at 19th St. and B'way in Manhattan. Let me know and I'll hook you up!

BTW, I moved to NY from SF about nine years and ago, and am doing my second stint in Sunset Park. (Moved back last month.) It's a great neighborhood. Welcome, and I hope you'll like it here!

Actually, it's in the evening that it gets pretty crowded. Weekends (only Saturdays, actually) are decent, and during the day is empty except for early on.

Now that it's cooler, I'll be going back. It gets so thick and humid and disgusting in there during the summer that I avoid the place.

And if you only join for 6 months, you're only out $25.

SF transplant,

For me, the Sunset Park gym has too little equipment and is often too crowded.

I've been going to Richie's Gym on the corner of 52nd and 4th. It's primary virtue is that for a full-blown gym it's bloody cheap -- $25 for a month, $40 for 2 months, $89 for 6 months.

However, Richie's has a number of downsides: (1) it closes at 6pm on Sat and Sun (11pm on other days), (2) the staff become impatient at closing time, and sometimes even turn off the lights with 15 minutes still remaining, (3) the equipment could be cleaner and smoother-functioning, (4) women are stared at shamelessly (no surprise there).

Despite these downsides, I'm happy at Richie's, and have come to feel more or less comfortable there (despite my skinny white gentrifier appearance), especially when I remind myself how much Park Slopers pay for their gyms.