From boutique fitness studios and luxury day spas to some of Brooklyn’s most scenic running routes and best-equipped public parks, this area of Brooklyn knows how to stay active and stay well.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
It should go without saying that the spacious and well-appointed Brooklyn Bridge Park, sitting front row to panoramic views of Manhattan, Governors Island, and Lady Liberty, is the best destination for free fitness in the neighborhood. The soccer fields, volleyball, basketball, and handball courts are perhaps the most obvious destinations here, but the Roller Skating rink and free-access summer kayaking sessions and row boat launch access at the Pier 4 Beach deserve special call-outs.
Gleason's Gym
Known as the most famous boxing gym in the world, Gleason’s Gym has clocked training time for nearly every hall of fame-level boxer of the past half-century, from Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson. While today it remains a serious competitive boxers, New Yorkers of all experience levels and ambitions are welcome to membership. The walls feel as much like a boxing history museum as the entire gym feels like a film set —but better than anything, it’s all real and just part of the everyday for its dedicated and diverse boxing community. Read on for gym owner Bruce Silverglade's neighborhood picks.
Barclays Center
Home to the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, the iconic Barclays Center boasts surprisingly intimately configured seating in its massive area hosting world-class sporting events from basketball, hockey, and boxing to martial arts, gymnastics, and wrestling. Of course, it’s also a popular tour stop for the world’s most famous musicians.
The Cliffs
For those hungry for the mental and physical stimulation of rock climbing, The Cliffs offer two locations in the neighborhood: North America’s largest outdoor bouldering facility located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, underneath Manhattan Bridge; and their newly opened indoor climbing gym in Gowanus, which features three floors of climbing, a yoga studio, full fitness facility and saunas.
Carrie Lindsey Beauty
Arguably one of the neighborhood’s best kept secrets and many a celebrity’s trusted spa, Carrie Lindsey has earned quite a reputation for working magic on skin. Her signature facial, self-described as “the Brancusi of facials,” is assuredly unique in its physicality and lasting effects of elasticity and radiance.
