NYC Gym Prices Are Hard To Find. This New Website Wants To Change That

NEW YORK, NY— After moving to Chelsea and trying to find a new place to work out, Joshua Ke, 29, found that comparing gyms required the kind of legwork few consumers have time for: calling locations, visiting facilities and digging through websites to uncover membership prices and fees.

He said the search became so frustrating that he began asking: Why was finding a gym membership not as easy as finding an apartment?

“There has to be something like StreetEasy or Zillow for these New York City gyms,” Ke said.

So, in July, he created a website that collects membership information from gyms across New York City and organizes it into one searchable place.

Ke estimates the platform includes nearly all major gyms in New York City, though some smaller or newer boutique studios may still be missing.

Ke said the platform currently focuses primarily on weightlifting gyms, while expanding coverage of boutique fitness businesses, including Pilates and yoga studios.

The tool is designed to track changing prices, promotions and fees that can make gym shopping difficult for consumers.

Ke said he plans to expand the website to include prices of day passes and week passes.

The feature is designed for people who travel to New York City, stay temporarily or want to test a gym before committing to a membership.

“Prices will change and they’ll sometimes raise the prices, and then there’s just a ton of hidden fees that you just wouldn’t know about unless you called someone about it or you looked at the fine print,” Ke said.

The website comes as New York City moves toward stronger consumer protections around subscriptions and recurring charges.

The City’s Click-to-Cancel rule is designed to make ending subscriptions easier, including gym memberships.

For example, if you joined a gym at the front desk, the business may no longer be able to require you to return in person just to end your membership if the rule applies.

"The gym must also provide me with the option to cancel via email or via a website," Lorelei Salas, former New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner, told Patch.

Click here to visit Ke's website.