Crunch
Equipment: Solid, if older, machines that tend to be crammed together throughout the gyms.
Classes: Futuristic and fun, always with a gimmick.
Trainers: Devoted, hardworking staff – in excellent shape.
Cleanliness: Fair. Red floors and yellow ceilings always gave this place a campier feel than the rest.
You might spot: Matt Damon
Cost: Monthly starts at $69
Contact: (888) 2-CRUNCH
Best for: The trendy New Yorker
Equinox
Equipment: Quality.
Classes: Tough and challenging.
Cleanliness: Immaculate. Fresh flowers are delivered everyday, housekeeping is discreet. We could spend all day in the locker rooms.
Trainers: Efficient, helpful, eye candy.
You might spot: Gwenyth Paltrow
Cost: About $120/month
Contact: (212) 774-6300
Best for: The perfectionist
New York Sports Clubs
Equipment: Top-of-the-line Cybex equipment, spaced out nicely. Every machine has a personal TV.
Classes: Decent. Boxing, boot camp and dance classes are great.
Trainers: Friendly, which can sometimes mean sleazy.
Cleanliness: Housekeeping can be a tad intrusive. Showers are tight.
Cost: Around $70-$90/month
Contact: (800) 301-1231
Best for: The night owl
The Gym
Equipment: Good. Layout is conducive to a personal trainer environment.
Classes: Fair. A lot of models go here (there’s an agency in the same building), so they have to be somewhat challenging.
Trainers: The best in the city. Most have branched out on their own to train their celebrity clients here.
Cleanliness: Very neat.
Cost: Around $120/month
Contact: (212) 889-3003
Best for: The single model-seeker
The Sports Club/LA
Equipment: Precors, treadmills, cross-trainers, you name it. But communal TVs.
Classes: Strong on personal attention, especially in rock-climbing.
Cleanliness: Country-club excellence.
Trainers: Busy and always working with a client.
You might spot: Jessica Simpson
Cleanliness: Spotless.
Cost: About $150-$200/month
Contact: (212) 218-8600 or (212) 355-5100
Best for: The sports fanatic
David Barton Gym
Equipment: A-plus.
Classes: Tough
Trainers: Extremely friendly.
Cleanliness: You can smell the freshness in the air, and they use Bumble & Bumble hair products.
Cost: $1,155 for a year
Contact: (212) 414-2022
Best for: The serious bodybuilder
NEW York health & racquet club
Equipment: In very good repair, if not always the newest
Classes: A wide range; trendier classes are increasingly being added to the roster
Trainers: Friendly, knowledgeable, hands-on (in a good way) and flexible with their scheduling
You might spot: Topher Grace
Cleanliness: Excellent
Affordability: Around $120 a month
Contact: (800) 472-2378
Best for: The older and/or mellower set
* Prices are only estimates and may vary – wildly – as per the mystifying policy of gyms not to publish their rates. Initiation fees can range from nothing to hundreds of dollars.