When did your organisation launch?
Our first facility, Chelsea Piers New York, opened its doors to the public in 1995, so we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary this year.
Tell us a little about this history of the Chelsea Piers
The Chelsea Piers, on the west side of Manhattan, were originally passenger ship terminals for the White Star and Cunard Lines. With their grand pink granite facades – designed by Warren and Wetmore, who were also responsible for Grand Central Station – they were the docking point for transatlantic liners and the intended destination of The Titanic.
What are the piers used for today?
Today, Chelsea Piers is a 28-acre waterfront sports village situated on Piers 59, 60 and 61.
The complex has a health club, as well as a golf club with a multi-story driving range, numerous sports and training facilities and two full-sized ice rinks.
The venue also has bowling, event venues, TV and film studios and a marina.
How did it all come about?
My partners and I were involved in running a not-for-profit ice rink located on the 16th floor of a building on the west side of Manhattan.
We initially looked at the Chelsea Piers in 1992 as a possible option for relocating and expanding the ice rink business.
As we engaged in the process of trying to secure a lease for the space, we learned that there were many sports and recreation uses that were struggling to either survive in New York or didn’t exist in the city.
We eventually embarked on a plan to redevelop the entire one million sq ft Chelsea Piers property into a sports and entertainment complex called The Chelsea Piers Sports Club.
That plan was successful and people flocked to get experiences and activities that had not previously been available in the city.
Tell us more about the health club element
The business model for our first health club was simple – create a large-scale luxury fitness and sports club on Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, something that wasn’t available anywhere else in the city.
Our community was strong and committed, even back then. Because of this, we’ve been able to expand and we now run a growing portfolio of standalone health and sports clubs.
How many clubs do you have currently?
We currently have five clubs open with a lease signed for a sixth location.
In addition to the original location at Chelsea Piers, we have two clubs in Brooklyn – downtown and Prospect Heights, as well as Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron in New York, which opened in August 2024. We also have a club in Stamford, Connecticut.
Our goal is to open a new club every year in the New York City market.
Who did you look to for inspiration?
Many of the existing premium quality fitness clubs in the US, including the Bay Club in San Francisco, the East Bank Club in Chicago and the Equinox clubs which started in New York City.
We were also inspired by leaders in the hospitality business, including the Ace and Kimpton Hotels. We sensed there was an opportunity to establish fitness clubs that offered more than a 60-minute workout and thus if you visit our clubs, you’ll see communities of like-minded individuals spending time together in classes, in our member lounges and co-working spaces and at club-organised member events that take place throughout the week.
What services do members enjoy?
We offer many of the traditional experience you’d expect at a luxury fitness club, such as top-quality strength and cardio equipment, but we also offer 150 group exercise classes per week, have an active members lounge and co-working space, as well as luxury amenities, such as hotel-quality locker rooms, steam/sauna and in some locations swimming pools, hot tubs and cold plunge.
Our main goal is to create spaces our members choose to stay and use in multiple ways, as opposed to popping in quickly for their workout.
What are the membership options?
You must have a membership or be a guest of a member to enter the club. We also offer day passes to the public for a charge. Our membership options are simple and easy to understand and we offer discounts for corporations, senior citizens and students.
And the rates?
Chelsea Piers Fitness has a Single Club membership (US$260), including a complimentary fitness assessment, six Guest Passes, unlimited group fitness classes, and a seasonal new member gift package.
The club also offers an all access membership (US$290) that includes full access to all tri-state area clubs, including the flagship club in New York City – Chelsea, downtown Brooklyn, Prospect Heights and Flatiron, as well as our club in Stamford, Connecticut.
What’s your target market?
Our target market is people of all ages and genders. The majority of our fitness club members fall within the 25-45 age range, but we have some extremely active members in their 70s who’ve been members for nearly 30 years since we opened. We also have babysitting available at our fitness clubs, so members can drop off their children while they work out. In addition, we have extremely popular youth sports programmes available at our sister businesses at Chelsea Piers Field House, Golf Club and Sky Rink.
Which services are most popular with members?
Yoga and Pilates classes are two of our most popular modalities, alongside our strength and HIIT classes, which are called Strength 3D and Amp’d.
We have a team of personal trainers at each club who specialise in traditional training, mobility and sports-specific training in boxing, rock climbing, swimming and more.
Could this model work elsewhere?
Right now, we’re focused on expanding our New York City network of clubs, but we believe our fitness club model could work in any densely populated city in the US or internationally, so we’re open to these opportunities.
