Chelsea Piers Fitness

All I can say is wow! This is hands-down the nicest, cleanest, and most well-equipped gym I’ve ever visited. From plush robes and towels to cold wet towels, razors, and every amenity you could want, it’s all here. Adjacent to the pool area are 40°F (4.4ºC) and 50°F (10ºC) cold plunge pools, a spa, and a sauna: everything you’d expect from a high-end wellness facility.

The pool can get quite busy. I’m staying on a boat nearby and dropped in twice—once with no wait and once with only a brief wait. They manage lane usage well with a 45-minute swim limit and a reservation system. The water temperature was absolutely perfect both times. A day pass is normally $100, but since I was docked at the marina, I paid only $20—a great deal. I’m not sure what a membership costs, but the gym was bustling and packed with high-quality equipment. Highly recommended!

The earlier review is a one-off or out of date -- we joined last fall, and this is a superb pool, one of the two or three best in the city. Rebuilt in 2024 with a salt-water system, the pool is always a perfect temperature for laps. And situated as it is, out at the end of Chelsea Piers, the pool has light on three sides and the view makes you feel like you're in a boat on the river.

One review mentions the member reservations. Here's the drill: On any given day, members can reserve lap swim times for that day and the next through an app. There are six lanes, and the limit is three swimmers per, so a total of 18 swimmers at a time. I am confident the front desk can tell, at least approximately, how reserved the pool is and will likely be at a given time of day. But because reservations don't start until the day before, so they can't tell with any confidence beyond day-of. If you're thinking of joining, the system works great. If you're a day tripper, please do try to call before you go.

After calling ahead to ask about a $60 day pass for lap swimming, calling again the next morning to confirm, and then arriving in person to swim, the manager on duty disclosed there were no lanes available because they were all reserved and in use by members swimming laps. It’s unfortunate staff chose to withhold the fact that the facility is above capacity when the inquiries were made. A formal complaint was made to the General Manager Lesley Kiger. I cannot recommend this facility.