"While bargain gyms and luxury health clubs abound in downtown Boston, gym-goers are finding that the middle tier is thinning out. Once a common sight, those mid-range options - with monthly memberships under $100, offering manageable crowds and comfortable amenities while forgoing the frills of luxury clubs - are disappearing. Now, fitness offerings for the middle class seem more limited than ever."
"For a dental student's budget, it's affordable enough. But the experience, he said, has been undermined by seemingly constant headaches and inconveniences: towel shortages, locker doors falling apart, saunas inoperable for months at a time. "I don't need a personal trainer, I don't need a ton of workout classes," Esrawi said. "I'm looking for something that's under $100, that has the amenities I like, and that has a good crowd." "I feel like Boston lacks that," he added."
Downtown Boston's gym market has polarized into low-cost budget chains and high-end luxury clubs, while mid-range gyms with memberships under $100 have become scarce. Examples include a $15-a-month Planet Fitness and Equinox clubs with dues above $200, while a mid-budget New York Sports Club on Franklin Street closed last year. New York Sports Club has shrunk from more than 30 New England locations to only three after its parent company went bankrupt in 2020. Remaining mid-range gyms report maintenance problems, staffing and amenity shortages, and customers who want moderate-cost options now face limited choices.
Read at Boston.com
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