need help planning for NYC life

[buttercup]

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A question for Tim of NYC and any other NYC med students out there...

I'm going to be starting out as a IM this fall and as I'll be at Cornell, I'll be living in the upper east side (york and 70th I think). I really want to either join a gym or take dance classes, but I'm wondering whether it will be a). too expensive or b). to much of a hassle in terms of time...

Do any of you have gym memberships? Where are they located? If I belong to a gym in say, Times Square (I'm pretty sure gyms in the upper east side are gonna be out of my price range), would it end up cutting out too much study time when you add in the commute, 1 hour of actual exercise, commute back, shower, etc.?

Any advice anyone can give is much appreciated!

Cheers

 

[turtleboard]

When I was in college at NYU, we had memberships to the campus gym. And now in med school at SUNY Downstate, I have a membership to the campus gym (which is in Brooklyn), so I've never been a member of a commercial gym in New York.

Do you know for a fact that the gyms have different rates for different areas? Especially for Times Square vs. the Upper East Side? You should check before you sign up at Times Square.

I used to be a research assistant at Cornell's Hospital for Special Surgery, and I remember there being a gym in the building across 69th Street from Olin Hall. You could save a bundle on membership dues, and save a lot of time for your internship studying.

The gym's not the greatest, but it's workable with a good enough imagination.

Tim of New York City.

 

[tmbrenner]

The New York Sports Club or the New York Health and Racquet Club may have discounts for people assoc. with Cornell and MSKCC. IMHO, I wouldn't join a gym in midtown if I lived on York ave. It's a pain to get across town, unless you plan to run to the gym.

I've been a Manhattan resident for about 7 years now and lived in the area for a couple of years (I worked in a lab at Sloan-Kettering for the last year and my husband is a post-doc there). If you have any questions about the neighborhood or city, feel free to email me at [email protected]

[This message has been edited by tmbrenner (edited 06-12-2000).]

 

[Djanaba]

If swing is your flavor for dance classes, try http://ny.yehoodi.com -- it has a good list of events, clubs, and classes. I've taken lindy at Hop, Swing & a Jump and LOVED it -- worth every penny. Might be a bit of a trek for you, but I'd think it'd be worth it. Instructors are AWESOME.

 

[avi newman]

There used to be a free city-owned gym and swimming pool near the corner of 68th street and first avenue. I am not in New York now, but will be coming back for residency. I love New York!!! Why join a gym? Why spend free time indoors. Outdoors is New York with people from all over the world doing all kinds of incredible things...people with incredible stories to tell, great senses of humor, and a unique outlook on life...and eating fantastic food: greasy, flavorful pizza...hot and fresh sold by the slice...the fresh, really fresh, bagels with cream cheese...the people in the parks...Albanian grandparents doting on their grandchildren, young Chinese kids skateboarding...other kids playing basketball using a basket made out of a big, plastic milk container...among them scurry the Orthodox off to the daily minyan....I am not a native New Yorker, but lived there for years before going off to medical school...fantastic people in a fantastic city...I hope you enjoy every second of your life in New York City...plans?...plan on the time of your life!!!! Good luck!!!!

 

[buttercup]

greesy, flavorful pizza, fresh bagels with great cream cheese....

...and I can hear my old ballet teacher crying out in the back of my mind, "why don't you just spackle them on that butt of yours Elisabeth, cause that's where it's goin'"

 

[LC407]

Hi, I'm not a med student yet, but I have been living/working in NYC for awhile. I used to belong to New York Health & Racquet on 75th and York. It's kind of expensive (around $1100/per year) but it has a pool and decent classes, and you would be able to use the gyms at other locations around the city.

I then join Synergy, on 82nd and 3rd. It's pretty cheap, around $50/month, but you might be able to get it cheaper when there's a promotion of some sort. It was kind of your basic gym and kind of small.

Now I belong to Equinox, on 85th and 3rd. I love it here! I really like the classes; they have ballet (kind of basic) but other good dance classes as well. The downside, it costs about $110/month plus initiation fees.

There's also a New York Sports Club around 76th and 1st. It's pretty big and not too expensive (I think it was around $70/month when I thought about joining) but I didn't like the meat-market type of atmosphere there.

If you are interested in ballet, there's Manhattan Ballet School on 72nd and Lex (never took classes there) and Ballet Academy on East on 92nd and Third (not bad but a bit far)

With studying and NY life, don't join a gym that's far away unless you are extremely disciplined and don't mind cabbing or have lots of time to take public transportation.

But maybe Cornell has a really nice gym... You should check that out first.

Hope this was helpful and good luck with med school!

[This message has been edited by LC407 (edited 06-17-2000).]