ICE NYC Upper East Side (CrossFit^®)

Positive experience: I found this gym through classpass, and it was described as a luxury crossfit gym. Honestly, it was decent, but it doesn't feel like a luxury gym. I went there during open gym hours when there aren't classes going on and you can use the equipment on your own. Personality, I prefer working out on my own. I'm not really one to do crossfit or group workouts usually. When you arrive at the gym, the door is locked and you have to call the manager to buzz you in. I think this gives The gym an element of safety which is important when there are so few people in the gym, but I still got a creepy vibe from it. The gym was very quiet when I went there. I think I only saw about 5 people walking around. Normally I'd be happy about that but I was working out in the dimly lit basement alone. Most of the equipment are Assault bikes, and the rest are a few rowers and a Ski-erg and they're in the basement. They have motion sensor lights, and I understand that those are better for the environment but I nearly panicked when the room suddenly went dark in the middle of my workout haha. I was using the Ski-erg and I guess it was too far away from the sensor for it to detect my movements. The locker room was pretty standard. You don't have to bring your own lock, as the lockers come with locks. The shower curtains were kinda moldy and there was some loose hair and rust around the soap and shampoo dispensers. Other than that, the locker room was clean.

Positive experience: Not a bad experience here! I went for a Saturday open gym and the staff was pleasant and there were 5-10 other people in the gym. I have dropped in to many other open gyms around the country and some are good and some are NOT good. This one falls in the middle. First, I would say that things were 'messy'. I am a member of a small gym, but the owner keeps things VERY tidy, so this is always my annoyance when rowers, bikes and weights are just sitting around in random places. Now don't get me wrong, it is not like the place is a train wreck, but simply just a bit untidy. The only other thing I didn't like is that they had the music so low you could barely hear it for the whole 2 hours of open gym. I get that it is not a class, but certainly it would be good to have some music at a reasonable level to listen to instead of almost dead quiet. On to good things, their equipment was plenty and in good shape. They had plenty of space for everyone to do their thing and the place was overall very clean (not to be confused with being untidy above). The staff members were very responsive via email prior to my visit, so overall I would say this was a positive experience.

Fantastic experience: Dropped in twice on my most recent visit to Manhattan, and I really enjoyed it. Nice space, and you can actually DROP WEIGHTS!! Which is a big deal for a Crossfit gym in Manhattan. Ian was a great coach, and the members were very welcoming.

Fantastic experience: ICE NYC is the most professional box i have ever been to. The coaches are very knowledgeable and the programming is on point. The space itself is beautiful and the bathrooms are spotless. The classes are not intimidating at all, in fact, i felt the exact opposite. The coaches create a "family" experience where as everyone participates at their own level. Great box and I highly recommend taking a class!