PureGym Park Slope

Good for a single gym price ($26/month), 24/7 (which was my only requirement), has 3 floors, organized equipment. I work out late at night so I don’t experience the crowds most reviews do. Staff is nice from my experience. Sometimes closed for renovation/upgrades but they give you access to all gyms when your main location is closed. Wish they had a lateral raise machine like the downtown brooklyn branch.

The new layout of the gym is really perplexing and actually uncomfortable. The gym can already be an overwhelming place for people, this layout only makes it more-so. It’s not a good idea to put literally all of the cardio equipment on the same level / in the same room as the free weights, benches, and squat racks. While I wish it wasn’t, the weight room can feel intimidating. We want as many people as possible to feel welcome and comfortable at the gym; having all of the cardio equipment there may deter people from using it at all. What’s worse is that they positioned one of the squat racks to face directly into the treadmills so that you are face to face with each other. Absolutely insane. So awkward, like I’m going to lock eyes with a stranger while squatting? One of the bench press benches was moved into the middle of the room in a walking path. I’ve seen people knock into the bar while walking past it as someone was doing a set. That’s incredibly unsafe. The decline crunch equipment was moved downstairs so if you want to use it while holding weights you need to bring weights from upstairs. The free weights have been surrounded by machines. In general everything feels insanely crowded and awkward now. I wish they’d revert back to how it was before the mid January updates.

Gone downhill under PureGym ownership. As Blink Fitness, this space was full of friendly staff and was colorful, always sparkling clean (with staff cleaning constantly). Now there are no staff present ever. Consequently the space is dirty and there’s litter on the floor. The entry pod system is ridiculous. It fails to let me in half the time, and I have to beg a fellow customer on the other side to let me in. It also won’t let me and others out half the time, so we have to use the exit door, which now sounds an emergency alarm. How is this accessible for customers in wheelchairs, who I often used to see working out when it was Blink? Also they emailed me a free guest pass which I accepted, but when I brought my family member with the pass it wouldn’t let her in, saying her pass wasn’t valid. PureGym proceeded to send her emails for a week or two saying: We see you tried to work out and couldn’t, won’t you try us again? Unlike other commenters, I do like how they rearranged the machines, putting all the ellipticals on the top floor near the windows. It’s a beautiful old building and a gorgeous space… so much brighter and more spacious than most expensive New York gyms. I just wish PureGym would go back to having staff present and to cleaning. They announced by email last weekend that the location had closed because of an electrical outage, but never said whether the gym reopened; I tried to call today to ask before I went, and got a recorded message saying they no longer have anyone answering phones.

I really enjoyed working out at this location because of how well they managed the space and machine layout. However, after they recently changed the layout, my experience has gone downhill. Before, the machines were spread out, which prevented the gym from feeling too crowded. Now, almost all the machines have been moved to the upper floor, making the space feel very packed and uncomfortable. This change has made my workouts less enjoyable and has me considering switching to another gym. Whoever planed for the layout is failed! Also, since they changed to the pod system, I expected it to be more secure. However, I have seen people holding the door open and letting others enter without scanning in, which raises security concerns. (7.45 pm 1/17/26)

Edit: the gym is still a nightmare, but reading the reviews is highly entertaining. Shoutout to the Metamorphosis illustration. *chef’s kiss* What a nightmare of a gym. Blink was fantastic. There was always someone there to greet you at the desk, you could open the door without an app, everything was clean because staff was always cleaning, and there was plenty of cardio equipment. Pure Gym destroyed all that. Half the cardio equipment is gone, and much of what remains is out of order. I never see anyone cleaning, so the place is visibly filthy and smells worse every time I go. And don’t even get me started on the absolutely ridiculous entry pods. Stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. The good news is that it’s inspired me to get back into outdoor running so I can stop spending my mornings in this pit. Looking forward to cancelling my membership!