Chelsea Piers Expands Its Fitness Brand With Flatiron District Opening

Chelsea Piers Fitness, a subsection of Chelsea Piers, has opened its latest branch within One Madison Avenue, a luxury residential condominium tower in Manhattan’s Flatiron district.

Unveiled on the first day of August 2024, the new Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron spans 60,000 square feet across four floors. In addition to providing premium fitness equipment and wellness-related amenities, the Flatiron branch was designed to motivate communal engagement among members beyond scheduled classes and workouts.

Sam Bernstein, Chelsea Piers’ chief operating officer, pointed to what around the venue’s surroundings within Flatiron, including Madison Square Park, that made it a great spot.

“I think this location was really attractive to us because of its proximity to residential and office communities,” said Bernstein. “We spent a lot of time thinking through what we could build with SL Green (which owns One Madison Avenue), and it was as much a project of collaboration and partnership in getting us to a place where we could build something that is truly distinctive and unique.”

The Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron marks the brand’s fifth location, with other New York City spots in Chelsea, Downtown Brooklyn and Prospect Heights, plus one in Stamford, Connecticut.

According to Bernstein, each Chelsea Piers Fitness venue is structured to contain a distinguished architectural perspective.

Through its continuous partnership with Dan Fink Studio, an interior design and architectural firm, the Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron evokes inspiration from Chelsea Piers’ founding location along the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. Its design also draws upon iconic examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City such as the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal.

Amid custom-made Terrazzo flooring, the Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron overall sports nods to its flagship location with red trusses and a grand staircase tying into the first location’s event space, Pier 60. Custom leaded stained-glass windows reflect the bluish and greenish hues of the Hudson.

The layout of the Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron includes a massive members lounge and co-working space to foster a communal gathering spot. The 6,000-square-foot lounge is furnished with numerous library-style tables and privacy booths and a dedicated quiet area. The Kids Clubhouse provides childcare services for youngsters ages 3 months and up.

“When you think about our brand, the most important thing we think about is how to bring people together,” said Bernstein. “Members can come in and work with each other throughout the day, and then we program the space with different member events throughout the month.”

Collective wellness at the Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron also is also linked to a Co-Ed Contrast Therapy Suite, a communal wellness space with an infrared sauna.

Six studio spaces host more than 120 classes per week in cycling, yoga, barre, strength training, running, HIIT and both Pilates Mat and Reformer. Among them, an Infrared Studio is where heated classes will take place. A Himalayan-Salt Studio will also host classes.

A strength floor consists of a 4,000-square-foot multi-functional turf, complete with boxing bags, Olympic platforms, and complimentary fitness assessments.

A separate cardio dedicated floor is stacked with a second functional turf, Peloton bikes and a fleet of Woodway equipment. It also holds Life Fitness’ Symbio treadmills and is said to be the only gym in New York with this equipment.

According to Ariel Calderon, vice president of architecture + design at Chelsea Piers Fitness, the Himalayan-Salt Studio is based on the wellness trend of halotherapy, or salt therapy but applying Himalayan Salt bricks.

In incorporating salt as an element, Calderon explained that “the room can be can be retro illuminated, and it also will have all the benefits that the wellness followers trying to achieve.”

A curated collection of commissioned artwork rounds out the location, with pieces by area New York artists drawing upon the Flatiron neighborhood.

Chelsea Piers Fitness Flatiron is located at 308 Park Ave S, in Manhattan.