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#12080 - 06/08/04 12:20 PM
Why no gym in Westchester county?
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stranger
Registered: 06/08/04
Posts: 13
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As far as I know there's no gym in Westchester county at all - seems odd, I'm not sure why. So, it's either Go Vertical in Stamford CT, NYC or NJ. Is there anybody here that would be interested in a serious gym in southern Westchester? Or that would be interested in working at such a place if there were one? Just doing some homework....  -Dave
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#12082 - 06/08/04 05:14 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: intrepid02]
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old hand
Registered: 08/17/00
Posts: 999
Loc: Newtown, CT
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Why would need a gym in Southern Westchester? I work in New Rochelle which is as south in Westchester as you can get and it takes me 15 minutes to get to Go Vertical. Unless you need to walk that is pretty close. The only viable location I could think of in Southern Westchester would be in some industrial area of Mt. Vernon or Yonkers, neither of which would attract much of a clientele, especially since the big money maker for gyms is kids partys. I really don't think that there are enough climbers to support such a gym with established gyms a short distance away in CT and NYC.
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#12083 - 06/08/04 05:37 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Coppertone]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/29/01
Posts: 2934
Loc: LI, NY
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arent there boulders and little bits of rock stick out all over the place in westchester? why would you even need a gym?
_________________________
tOOthless
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
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#12085 - 06/09/04 01:52 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Coppertone]
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stranger
Registered: 06/08/04
Posts: 13
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Quote:
I really don't think that there are enough climbers to support such a gym with established gyms a short distance away in CT and NYC.
Hmmm, I'm surprised. Is your basis just opinion or do you have some insight into how many westchester climbers that are? As for GV, it may be 15 minutes away from New Rochelle under the best possible circumstances, but after work better give yourself 45 minutes. Anyway, are you saying that everybody south of I-287 and north of the Bronx that's interested in indoor climbing is already going to GV or the city? Forget about best location, industrial areas and soccer-mom friendlyness. I'm just interested in whether there would be interest by the climbing community in something between GV and the city. BTW, assume that it would be bigger and better than GV in every way - more routes, better walls, more bouldering, etc etc etc. Thanks,
-Dave
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#12086 - 06/09/04 08:49 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Therave]
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old hand
Registered: 08/17/00
Posts: 999
Loc: Newtown, CT
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I'm sure that there would be interest in the climbing community, but the climbing community is not what necessarily makes a climbing gym viable and the climbing community is not all that large. A large part of the income from almost every gym that I have seen is derived from birthday partys. While Westchester has a tremendous amount of affluent familes that would fit the bill for parties then would also be reluctant to drive their BMW's and Infniti's into Mt. Vernon or Yonkers. I'd assume you would be better off in an area like New Rochelle, White Plains or even Port Chester with I-95 and 287 access.
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#12088 - 06/10/04 02:21 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: chazman]
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stranger
Registered: 06/08/04
Posts: 13
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Quote:
Have you ever priced property (especially commercial... when you can find it) in Westchester? Then look at the taxes... your answer is quick to surmise 
Yes and yes. That's doubtless a large part of why it hasn't been done.
Quote:
A large part of the income from almost every gym that I have seen is derived from birthday partys.
True, the income from parties is critical for most gyms.
Quote:
I'm sure that there would be interest in the climbing community, but the climbing community is not what necessarily makes a climbing gym viable and the climbing community is not all that large. . . .
THIS is what I'm really interested in. I'm well aware of the fear-of-Yonkers issues, real estate prices, etc. etc. And true, in most areas it isn't the hard-core climbing community that makes a gym viable. But it DOES support the gym and help provide instructors, route-setters and other staff. Real climbers make the place a climbing gym instead of a party center.
Anyway, It seems pretty clear that that local climbers would go to a good local gym with plenty of problems, good design, good vibe etc. It's also clear that the climbing community in that area would be a relatively small number. But S Westchester has a lot of poeple, a fair amount of local rock and proximity to the gunks. Despite BMW image you'd expect more local climbers than, say, Wash DC area. But how to get a rough order of magnitude? It's certainly more than 20, I know that many personally. I'm also confident that it's less than 10,000. What's a reasonable, conservative guess? 100 climbers? 200? 600? And what's the basis for the guess? Thanks,
-D
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#12089 - 06/10/04 10:18 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Therave]
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old hand
Registered: 08/17/00
Posts: 999
Loc: Newtown, CT
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Call the Mohonk Preserve and as them if they can tell the number of climbing memberships that they have from Westchester, perhaps you could give them a list of zip codes. While this would be a start, I've found that a large number of people that climb in gyms are strictly gym cliimbers and don't actually climb outside. So while the preserve could be of some help it would not be a full number.
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#12090 - 06/20/04 06:30 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Therave]
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stranger
Registered: 09/19/02
Posts: 22
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Have you ever met a climber that is willing to part with dollars? I'm not saying...I'm just saying... The most intriguing (read: hilarious) quote about this issue I have seen on this board was a while back discussing the idea of a "good, cheap gym in brooklyn with really good routes". The poster said something like he wanted a world class gym with great routes and cheap day passes. As the old addage in business goes, "Good, fast or cheap...pick two." Quote:
Quote:
Have you ever priced property (especially commercial... when you can find it) in Westchester? Then look at the taxes... your answer is quick to surmise
Yes and yes. That's doubtless a large part of why it hasn't been done.
Quote:
A large part of the income from almost every gym that I have seen is derived from birthday partys.
True, the income from parties is critical for most gyms.
Quote:
I'm sure that there would be interest in the climbing community, but the climbing community is not what necessarily makes a climbing gym viable and the climbing community is not all that large. . . .
THIS is what I'm really interested in. I'm well aware of the fear-of-Yonkers issues, real estate prices, etc. etc. And true, in most areas it isn't the hard-core climbing community that makes a gym viable. But it DOES support the gym and help provide instructors, route-setters and other staff. Real climbers make the place a climbing gym instead of a party center.
Anyway, It seems pretty clear that that local climbers would go to a good local gym with plenty of problems, good design, good vibe etc. It's also clear that the climbing community in that area would be a relatively small number. But S Westchester has a lot of poeple, a fair amount of local rock and proximity to the gunks. Despite BMW image you'd expect more local climbers than, say, Wash DC area. But how to get a rough order of magnitude? It's certainly more than 20, I know that many personally. I'm also confident that it's less than 10,000. What's a reasonable, conservative guess? 100 climbers? 200? 600? And what's the basis for the guess? Thanks,
-D
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#53340 - 07/10/10 07:36 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Therave]
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stranger
Registered: 10/22/04
Posts: 8
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Saw this old thread, times sure change...all the naysayers. Now there are two gyms in Westchester, one in Brooklyn, and Stamford may rise again if there is any cheap property left.
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#53356 - 07/13/10 02:10 AM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Mel]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/06/00
Posts: 3572
Loc: Ulster County, NY
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#53367 - 07/13/10 04:14 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Welle]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 12/25/99
Posts: 2277
Loc: Poughkeepsie, NY
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Buff Bouldering Bathing Beauties are pretty much the norm the gyms I've been to. Add the male ogling belayer to the list of objective dangers faced by the modern leader. But perhaps this is not new---consider for example an episode from BITD...
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#53368 - 07/13/10 05:23 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: rg@ofmc]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 07/10/00
Posts: 3532
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---consider for example an episode from BITD... Before today, I never expected to read the phrase "...with my belayer locked in a mammaric trance below."
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- Marc
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#53370 - 07/13/10 07:02 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Mel]
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old hand
Registered: 08/17/00
Posts: 999
Loc: Newtown, CT
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Saw this old thread, times sure change...all the naysayers. Now there are two gyms in Westchester, one in Brooklyn, and Stamford may rise again if there is any cheap property left. What info to you have about Stamford. I can't imagine anyone would invest the capital in this economy to get a gym going again in Stamford with two good gyms just 15 minutes away in Valhalla and New Rochelle. If it was the same ownership then I can't imaginee anyone going back as Go Vertical went downhill in a hurry once it was just Sid in charge.
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#53422 - 07/19/10 04:45 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: RangerRob]
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addict
Registered: 12/16/08
Posts: 406
Loc: NYC
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Glad you guys enjoyed it.
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#55498 - 10/10/10 09:05 PM
Re: Why no gym in Westchester county?
[Re: Coppertone]
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stranger
Registered: 10/22/04
Posts: 8
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Saw this old thread, times sure change...all the naysayers. Now there are two gyms in Westchester, one in Brooklyn, and Stamford may rise again if there is any cheap property left. What info to you have about Stamford. I can't imagine anyone would invest the capital in this economy to get a gym going again in Stamford with two good gyms just 15 minutes away in Valhalla and New Rochelle. If it was the same ownership then I can't imaginee anyone going back as Go Vertical went downhill in a hurry once it was just Sid in charge. Its in the Stamford Paper, so its not a secret anymore-Chelsea Piers is building a Sportsplex on the old Clairol factory site in Stamford. If we assume that they duplicate their NYC site-there is your Stamford gym! In addition, there is one in Fairfield CT now as well.
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