Wealthy residents of one of Manhattan's most exclusive neighbourhoods are up in arms over a new luxury gym that has repeatedly postponed its grand opening after taking hundreds of membership fees.
Promises of an 'Elevated Fitness Experience'
The York Club NYC, located on York Avenue in the prestigious Upper East Side, marketed itself as the next major status symbol for the city's fitness elite. It promised prospective members a sleek, all-black designed sanctuary complete with saunas, spas, fitness classes, and top-of-the-line equipment.
To generate buzz, the club's representatives approached locals on the street, offering them the chance to 'lock in' a founding membership for $149 per month. They warned that this price would dramatically rise to $299 per month upon opening, putting it on par with rivals like Equinox.
The offer proved irresistible, causing significant excitement. Lines stretched around the block as residents flocked to secure the bargain deal, with the scene described by one attendee as 'like a mob'. The club later announced on Instagram in November that it had reached a milestone of 1,500 founding members.
A Pattern of Delays and Growing Suspicion
However, more than six months after initially announcing it would be 'opening soon', the doors remain firmly shut. The club has only ever shared glossy digital renderings of the proposed interior, not photographs of actual progress.
This week, just before Christmas, members were hit with another disappointing announcement: the opening is delayed yet again. This follows a previous promise to open by the end of 2025, made after an earlier six-week delay. Notably, the club disabled comments on its latest social media post.
Scepticism is mounting among those who paid up. Several locals who have peered inside the venue report seeing a space that is far from ready. One told the Daily Mail the gym appears not to have been built, with 'barely any decorations or exercise machines set up'. Another described it as having 'half-finished walls and nowhere near opening'.
'I’m concerned that they won’t post any picture of the progress inside the gym. It’s just virtual mockups,' one Upper East Side local said. 'After taking so many people’s money and leaving us in the dark for nearly five months, I’m really losing my patience.'
Refunds Offered Amidst a Backlash
In response to the growing frustration, York Club has stated it will offer a 100 percent refund to any member who no longer wishes to wait. The club defended the delays in a statement, saying construction is a 'one-time opportunity' and they chose to take extra time to make the club 'bigger, better, and perfect from day one.'
As a conciliatory gesture, the club said it would offer early sign-ups 'complementary bottled water' on demand once open. This has done little to quell the anger.
Online forums, including a dedicated Reddit thread, are flooded with criticism from disgruntled members. One user who requested a refund noted the club could not even provide a date for a promised tour of the facility. Another sceptically wrote: 'They said opening end of 2025, but they just showed a RENDERING interior video of the place... No way they have enough space for all the people who signed up.'
The Daily Mail contacted York Club for comment but did not receive a response. For now, the affluent would-be gym-goers of the Upper East Side are left with little more than promises and renderings of the luxury fitness experience they paid for.
