Brooklyn's First Woman-Owned Boxing Gym Celebrates Opening

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Running a boxing gym is like a fight to Carrie Schechter — and for her that's a good thing.

Schechter opened JukeBox, a gym on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue, a year ago with no punching bags, no lights and no name.

But she had 100 loyal members from a past training job and everything else fell into place.

"It literally just unfolded," she said.

On Tuesday, Schechter marked exactly one year since she opened her business and became the first woman in Brooklyn to own a boxing gym. She did so with a ribbon cutting and jokingly compared the delayed opening to the one-year grace period wedding guests get for giving gifts.

City Councilman Brad Lander, an enthusiastic JukeBox member, held the ceremonial scissors with Schechter.

He counted himself lucky to be a student of Schecter, who in turn said many of her members come to find a leader "like Brad."

"Not in here," Lander said with a laugh.

Schechter speaks fast. So fast that she can hit all the points on the story of opening Jukebox — 15 years of Thai boxing, 12 of coaching, commercial photographer and social media maven in between, a storefront opening on Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue — within a couple minutes.

But every hit in the story builds on the last, like a boxer landing the perfect rhythm or combination of punches.

By the end, Schechter turns a story of chance into one of purpose.

"The more you clutch the lower you stay to the ground," she said.

Schechter said she's happy to see the gym develop into a community where members support each other. It has two fitness-style and two fight-style classes, along with a teen program and host of community-focused events.

She proudly showed off her gym's top level, all punching bags and mirrored walls, before leading visitors down the picture-lined stairwell to the basement level. That secluded space offers members a place to disconnect from the world, she said.

Erika Clark with the Park Slope Business Improvement District attended the event, but she was already familiar with the gym. She's a member.

"I come here five days a week to hit things," she said.

"It's got to be fun or no one's coming here," Schechter said.

JukeBox is located at 491 5th Ave. near 12th Street. Its website is jukeboxnyc.com.