Peggy,

I was looking in to becoming a trainer at LA Fitness when the were first getting ready to open, then postponed, then ready to open, then again postponed. This was the first sign of a poorly run business. Once it did open & I went in to check the place out, it was evident then to me this was NOT the place I want to represent or have representing me.

I talked with you briefly about the studio I am working out of in Wallingford, Fuerte Fitness on the corner of 45th & Stone Way. I am one who appreciates the smaller, personable, locally owned businesses. I despise the cookie cutter big businesses who focus on numbers rather than a quality product/service.

We are coming up on our one year anniversary. I would love for you to come in and give your prospective on the studio.

Come check out a locally owned gym!

-ken@musclerep.com
(206) 327-9213
fuertefitness.com

Am I the only one who thinks they keep the temperature in this club uncomfortably warm? Don't they charge enough to afford A/C?

Oh, and if one more of the personal trainers approaches me to ask if I've had my "free" training session, I'm going go postal on 'em!

maybe because you are working out more you are warmer? you burn more calories when it is warmer. embrace it!

I like the club but for God's sake please give us more than 5 channels on the cardio machines. You're holding yourself out as a "Signature Club;" I'm paying Signature Club prices, but all I can get is sports and news when I do the treadmill? Come on - your competitors have many more cable stations than just local stations and CNN.

I’ve been at this gym for 6 months now and can’t stand the headaches that they have given me. LA Fitness has a practice of double billing clients hoping that they won't catch mistakes. They ignore cancellation and continue billing despite numerous attempts at cancellation. This is even with their so-called "cancel at any-time" policy. Their gym looks nice, but the lockers are always broken, the machines, treadmills and swimming pool is always full and their staff is mostly distant and focused on themselves instead of maintaining the gym. Also, the b-ball court is extremely small with no room to move and there are only three lanes of swimming.

Class instructors are 50-50. Some are professional, but there are many that have just started and risk injury with their lack of knowledge.

The pros - new equipment, but it’s hard to enjoy when there are too many people sharing the equipment. No wonder much of the local news grimaced at LA Fitness’ huge corporate building for taking away Ballard community space in exchange for big business dollars.

Give it a try if you like, but watch your bank account and have back up documents and a third party overseeing communications along with other legal steps to ensure they don't take full advantage of you like they have most of their clients.

I like to work out close by, so 'm currently shopping for other options, such as Olympic Athletic Club, 24-hour fitness, Prorobics and Crossfit close in the same area.

I wanted to ask about rates that people have gotten lately? I am thinking of joining and I just want to be prepare for the sales people. Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

And to Itchy and Pissed,
I don't know if this will help you but I thought I'd share anyways. In the past year I have gone in a couple different hot tubs and gotten little bumps where the water line hits me. I went to a dermatologist and it has something to do with the PH of the water/chemicals and the way my body reacts to it. Other people in the hot tub at the same time as me didn't get any bumps! It's almost like I am allergic to hot tubs...strange I know!

The mens lockers suck. They look nice but are too big with no shelves for shoes or personal items. Gotta dump all your stuff in one pile. Try to find an empty locker. Gotta tug on each locker to see if it open unless you want to wait and watch for the blinking red light. Weird as it may seem but an old fashion lock would show it is occupied. The high tech locks do not add any value other seem cool during the tour. Sorry the term Signature is only to raise the rates. Otherwise it is just a new big gym with towel sevice and the same push on sales.

After taking a dip in the hot tub I noticed a rash the following day. I called the club and they said no one else reported any similar symptoms. Has anyone else had any problems?

I toured the Ballard location about a week ago, and although the views are amazing and the equipment is shiny and new, overall I was not impressed. The front desk has awful customer service, and basically started at me with blank eyes when I asked for a tour. The gal who toured me, was very nice, but also very uniformed. She couldn't tell me policies for lap swimming (like how you keep track of who's next in line for a lane) and when I asked about personal training, she said "well, sales is different from training, so we actually don't have anything to do with them, and I don't have their rates"?! The class schedule is minimal, the machines are crowded together, and locks on the lockers are already broken--like pried off! Doesn't make them sound reassuring. Also, the kids club was a HUGE disappointment. All they offer is a foam climber and a big screen tv. Where are the books, crayons and toys? It doesn't seem like a promising environment for kids...if I wanted the kids to be plugged into the tv, I sure wouldn't be paying someone to do it. One other gripe I have is how high-pressure the sales are, and how every time I've talked to someone about rates, I get a different answer. For a family neighborhood, this club doesn't offer anything. No kids allowed except in kids club, period. I deffinetly will NOT be joining, and will surely be spreading the word.

I am not impressed with the gym and their tactics. I was bombarded by a trainer, told he would show me around the gym, and how equipment worked and work me out for one free session, i made an appt and he made me feel terrible about myself, said i would not reach my fitness goals without his help, and would n ot take no for an answer. RUDE RUDE RUDE and pushy. that is not a way to sell training sessions by making someone feel like the fattest most unattractive person...and i'm really not that overweight! i think it's overpriced, the membership and the training, and they lie. i HATE lying.

Regarding using your multiclub membership at the Ballard club, it depends on when you signed up originally. I signed up at Aur0ra in January 2008 and had no problem using the new Ballard location last weekend. If you give them your key tag no, they can tell you if it will be honored without paying any extra. Seems likely that they made this decision because of all the complaints they were getting--so thanks everybody, it worked!

I'm among those of you told, when I joined the closest LA Fitness to me at the time (last fall, Aurora, $24 per month plus tax), that I would have free, fully reciprocal access to the Ballard gym after it opened. Apparently the company decided since then to "upgrade" the Ballard location to a "signature club." An elite facility is not important to me. Its location is. I fully expect the Ballard gym to honor my Aurora membership and the verbal promise made to me at the time I joined. I was told tonight by phone to raise this issue with the Ballard operations manager, "Mike." If I don't get satisfaction I will join you all in contacting the BBB, the state AG's office and the Ballard News Tribune. I would think that if all existing Westlake and Aurora members who were told the same story put consistent pressure on the company as a group, the company's p.r. strategists and legal counsel will advise management to do the right thing...

Just to clarify. The $149 was our total initiation and then it is $54.99 each, plus $10 for our kid.

I joined today and the gym is really nice. The staff is definitely overwhelmed but I think time will work out the kinks. We paid $149 initiation (for my husband and myself) and $54.99 a month, plus $10 for my child to do the Kids Club. Does that sound about right?

I know that this new club is 56K sqft, but I am very nervous about crowding. I have social anxiety and get nervous around crowds. I don't know if this was a mistake or not, but my doctor told me that I have to do something before my health turns ugly fast. All I know is that I have 3 days to determine if this club is right for me after they open, and if not, I get my money back in full.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Just worked out and this club is beautiful! And I walked right up and gave them my card with no problem. I had been grandfathered in just like the guy in corporate told me I would be. Yippee!!!!!

Very nice club...BUT, The sign up is brutal, they will do anything to get you signed up, the fee's are very expensive and it is a very pressured that you sign up that day. The employees need to work on being more personable, when I was there I felt like they didn't care about my concerns (financial) and just wanted me to sign on the dotted line. Not everyone has around $300 worth of payments over the course of a month. Hopefully other people have better luck.

Hell has frozen over - Ballard is indeed open. Worked out there on Saturday morning. Everything is nice, but the locks in the locker rooms are not working so you'll have to tote your things with you during yor workout or take a chance and stash them in a locker without a lock.

Apparently in response to the LA Fitness opening, Olympic has actually significantly cut its monthly rates -- it's now more like $40/month instead of $80. One catch -- if you're an existing member you have to go in and ask for the new rate and sign a new contract -- they won't tell you about it or reduce your rate automatically.

We too stopped by at about 6pm to check it all out and get a tour. There were several people working out and a bunch of staff walking around. The regional VP gave us a tour and he was very nice. Said that classes would be starting on Monday but everything else was open (except Kids Club) including the Juice Bar.

It really is a fantastic club. The locker rooms are great, no need for a lock--it is all combination that you pick each time you use the lockers. Towels, hair dryers, mouthwash--just very nice. Apparently they will be having co-rec leagues for vollyball and basketball.

My son was the first to "try out" the Kids Club even though it was not open they let him try it out.

Hope everyone is able to use the gym without any trouble.

I have offically worked out at the Ballard location. They did the right thing and honored my membership (joined before 11/07 on the multi-club memberships) .

Just stopped by at 5:30 tonight. Still not open! They're letting people walk around and see it but one guy said "hopefully tomorrow" and another said, "maybe Monday" for an opening. No idea on whether Westlake was still open. Almost everyone that works at Westlake was at Ballard.

lol ;-)

Ok I just called Ballard and a very nice girl named Megan answered the phone. I almost had a stroke!!! I asked her if she was "actually standing in the Ballard LA Fitness". Her answer: "YES"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She said it is open as of 5pm today for members and that Kid's Club is also open.

Oh wait.....I also just say a pig fly by my office window! What is this world coming to? Pigs flying, hell freezing over....it must be true that La Fitness Ballard is opening today!

Pending final inspection... we'll see if it opens today...

Talked to North Seattle this morning and they said pending final inspection Ballard would open at 5:00 PM today (2/20). I also asked about being able to go with no additional fee. She said that the parameters were decided yesterday and loaded into the computer and we would be able to go - she did mention that she was looking at our account and saw that we were included. We did sign up for a multi-club before October so that may have something to do with us being able to use. We had been told we could go to Ballard when we signed up so I was ready to pitch a fit if I was told otherwise. I agree with meateater - as my Granny alwasy says - you get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar!

All Club Memberships - A few weeks ago I spoke with the manager at North Seattle about this. I think his name is Seth. He said that he'd been selling North Seattle memberships up through last October with the feature that you can use the Ballard location when it opens. Then he learned that Ballard would be a Premier club and stopped doing that.

He said that he hoped that corporate would do the right thing and offer at least a limited membership to Ballard for the all-club people. i.e. You're not handed a towel when you check in, etc. He also said that this probably wouldn't be resolved until Ballard opened.

Yesterday I got a call from a Ballard employee saying the club would be available about 3:00 today. I asked about the all club membership and he had no information, but encouraged me to show up.

May I suggest we all NICELY mention that we were sold an ALL CLUB membership when we signed up, and that's what we expect? I for one will be telling them that I work a few blocks away at a company that employes about 130 people. Do they want me to be an advocate for them, or a naysayer?

Kay - I haven't asked recently. About a month ago I heard people at North Seattle (members) saying they were told if yo joined before Nov 1 under a multiple club then there wouldn't be a fee. I did not hear this from the North Seattle staff - but obviously some members had been told this. I am also curious. If anyone goes to the new club please post your experiences on the blog. Let us know if you did have to upgrade or if they let you use the club without an additional charge.

Does anyone know what the status is on all the members that joined under the multipe club use memberships and are now being told they need to upgrade? I called North Seattle today and they are still saying that you have to pay an upgrade. I'm curious if everyone else gets the same response?

I just purchased a gym membership recently in lower queen anne (the old Allstar fitness), they stated it would be open January 1st, however delays moved it to February 01st, now part of it is open, however not what I expected old treadmills (leftover from allstar), no leg press, calve machines etc, I have only seen one other person in the gym since I've joined. I thought of going to the new La fitness in ballard, but with all the frustration that people are having with your gym, maybe i should just stay put, I only live a block away and only $39 amonth, but it's just a local gym (Om. health and fitnesss), and will not carry all the cool equipment at La fitness which i am looking for... What to do?

I was just at the Westlake Club and there was a note posted on the door that said that Ballard will open at 5pm tomorrow.

I have also gotten confirmation by the two salespeople currently standing under an LA Fitness tent in front of the Office Max. Opens tomorrow at noon.

As the clouds part I speak to you. Two angelic women have spoken to me.

If you arrive at the signature club tomorrow at 2:30 pm the doors will open for you!

I also got the flyer. The number is 206-508-5030. Has anyone received any news within the last few days on members who were told they could go to the Ballard location without additional fees? We decided to join last October because of the Ballard location and were told with our membership we could go to the Ballard location once it opened. Frustrated just like everyone else!

what is the flyer number for la fitness so we can all call and harass them. Isn't this false advertising if they send a piece of mail stating they are open?

I got a call this week from an LA Fitness Member Service rep asking how we liked the new club. Initially, I thought it was a joke.

I explained that the club was not opened yet, and expressed my frustration. I was put on hold briefly and told the club was opening this Friday. As someone said above, "We'll see".

I don't know if you'll get much benefit from this, but I sent a letter to LA Fitness International headquartered in Irvine CA. In the letter I explained my concerns and asked what recourse is available for members who have joined a Signature Club yet have no Signature Club amenities available.

For those interested in trying the same thing, LA Fitness International LLC is headquartered at:

2600 Michelson Dr
Ste 300
Irvine, CA 92612-6536

or

L.A. Fitness International, LLC
PO Box 54170
Irvine, CA 92619-1300

I believe an earlier post (#98) provided a LA Fitness mailing address via the private equity company MidOcean in New York. That was incorrect. MidOcean owns LA Fitness clubs in Europe. The Irvine address is correct ...it's the same place you're supposed to send your membership cancellation letters.

I got one too and I called the # on the flyer and got the same answering machine. Odd, eh?

I got a flyer today from LA Fitness about the Ballard location being open...did anyone else get this? I tried to call the number on the flyer but just got an answering machine.

The westlake front desk gal told me Friday "officially" the other day. I said "Officially?" She said "officially". We'll see. ;)

My (dog's) veterinarian has a sister that works for LA Fitness and she said that the problem is that they leased the second floor but not the 1st and now there's no way to GET to the club without going through the empty unleased space.
I just keep thinking about how corporate told me a month or two ago that their records showed the club would be opening in March. Seems like they knew all along.

I was in Bellevue's Trader Joes this morning and was told that the opening of their Ballard Store has been delayed with another 3 weeks. It is now supposed to open somewhere in the middle of March. Apparently the builder of the new construction that will house Trader Joes and LA Fitness applied for the wrong permit...

Ah--Jesse Jones from King5--Gotcha. :)

What is this Jesse Jones you speak of? And...thanks for the advice--I plan to be firm, but kind of course in my insistent negotiation with LA Fitness. :)

Oh, the threats. Oh, the angst. If this makes you crazy, don't ever try building your own house. The permiting, rules and contruction delays will kill you -- just as it's been killing LA Fitness.

As for promises made by LA Fit employees, sure their communication has be POOR, and they've been relying on young people with little experience, and even less real information to be their spokespeople. In the end, you have a lot of choices in where to work out...

Seems like Nick has a fan club with the ladies.. he is avail... .you should hit him up..

Don't get your hopes up until the club actually opens.. we have all been promised many, many, many dates... Don't believe any dates until you see the club open... If you def open a membership at a different club and told them that you were going to go to Ballard.. LA fitness needs to accept that.. Be aggressive if they don't! But they will do the right thing! If not. .there is always Jesse Jones..

I'd also like to point out that Nick seems like a total doll...Thanks for all your patience and helpful info.

Yea...so I signed up in August, and was promised the gym would be open in November. I was a very happy member of BHC, but since I travel so much and wanted to do spin classes, I thought it might be smart to switch over. I thought it would be fine enough to commute to the North Seattle location until November. I was also promised that my membership would apply to any club in Washington state...I made it clear to the dude that I was rearing to go as soon as the Ballard location opened and not once did he mention that my current rate and membership would not apply. I am seriously considering canning it all now and going back to Ballard Health Club. I miss the simplicity of it all.

supposively open by next friday the 20th

I called the Aurora branch and they said that it hasn't officially been decided by corp. that existing members prior to 11.08 would be able to use the Ballard branch. She said that they would not know until the Ballard branceh was open.

How in hells bells would they know we're using a towel? Geeze...I hope the transfer for us Westlake folks will be seamless with NO hassles (especially no upsells).

I'm a member of the Aurora branch and I was just told that anyone who joined prior to Nov. 1st will be able to use the Ballard branch as far as access goes. If we would like to use the amenities such as the towel service, than our membership fee goes up to $54.00 a month. I'll bring my own towel for that. Apparantly, this came directly from the vice-president. Can anyone else confirm this?

Well, I was going to join LA Fitness.... But now I believe I'm going to just have to give in and go to OAC.
I was hoping that the new LA Fitness would be cheaper and more convenient since I don't have a car, but it appears it has become a giant boil on the ass of many a client.

If it pushes past March 1st I think we should picket area LA Fitness's...I mean, with the Sonics leaving I'm sure there are enough "Beat LA" signs collecting dust in Seattle attics...

Does anyone know if us members at Westlake need to do anything before we can be admitted to the Ballard club (assuming we'll be able to just transfer our membership, at no charge, to the new club)?

I think everyone should just cool down and if you have an issue, call corporate. Poor Nick is now out of a job -- even though it was of his own choosing, I'm sure all the haranguing did not help him emotionally (although he sounds pretty strong). They can't screw all of you over -- it just can't happen with this amount of complaints. And on a final note, if you need to get Jessee -- I say Hear! Hear! Let someone like him or the better business bureau handle it. Or pull out and shut up.

e

Regarding GentleBlackLab's suggestion, would it make sense for concerned members to collectively send a message to LaFitness, perhaps in the form of a petition/letter with all of our names? I don't know if it makes more sense to wait and see if we are turned away from the club or not - perhaps not since the opening date seems to be perpetually shifted further out. Just a thought. Anyone experienced in writing that sort of thing?

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick post to share (if you did not already know) that the gym is not opening today. It looks likes the opening will now be going into next week.

I can hear the moans and groans already.lol, but because everything is moved in and ready to go, I'm sure you will all be in there very soon.

On another note, I have chosen to no longer work for LA Fitness as a Membership Counselor, as the position and the experience that I had there is not in line with me on a personal level.

That being said, I will continue to assist those of you who have membership issues and I have already committed to helping, but I won't be able to handle any new, incoming issues. Our best bet in that scenario is to have you call the Westlake facility at 206-283-9320.

Also, I have made a committment to my customers and followers of the blog to let them know when the club opens or is opening, and I intend to honor that committment as well. I simply ask that if you do have an inquiry about the club opening before then that you do not call me, but instead call Westlake. I cannot continue to personally field all of your calls and emails, but I PROMISE I will be posting the opening info as soon as I have it.

THANK YOU everyone for your patience and support, and I wish each of you the best in all things.

Your friend,
-Nick.

ps. If anyone is hiring or is in search of an articulate and hardworking (and did I mention, good-looking? ;-) ) individual for employment, I would be honored to hear from you.

I've been a member of this community for a few years (moved in after many years in Greenwood). There are clearly a lot of angry and concerned people on this thread. If you don't feel you're being heard (@lafitnessnick - great pics and thanks for all the info - I sincerely appreciate your time in all of this, Thanks.), I'd encourage you to do something about it.

I love the guy and while it'd be GREAT if he covered this -- you may not need Jesse Jones.

Call or write to corporate yourselves to tell them what you think about their operation and what they've done to erode your trust in their company. Some of you may have already done this.

LA Fitness International LLC is owned by this one private equity firm.

This link demonstrates this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2788059/LA-F...

This company, MidOcean, is the d/b/a name for Midocean Us Advisor Llc.

Here's their address:
320 Park Ave Fl 17
New York, NY 10022-6815 United States

Here's their phone number:
212-497-1400

Here are some of the higher ups you might want to start with:
Mark A Angelson - Chairman of the Board
Tracey Wells - Vice-President
James Edward - Virtue Member
Nik Thukral - Vice-President
Steven Novick - Vice-President
Colleen Jasinski - Office Manager

I'm sorry everyone is so frustrated. It's disheartening to see a community of people so put-off (one way or another), but I can totally understand.

The boots LA Fitness have on the ground at the Westlake gym are only doing their jobs and are likely being told what to say and do. I can't say much about e other gyms in the area since I've never dealt w/ them on this subject. However, I wouldn't blame any of them for this.

My wife and I have been waiting for months as with everyone else for this wretched gym to open, so we're right in there w/ you Ballard.

westlake will be closing down. There were talks about the club turning into a salvation army store a couple months ago. Everyone already working out at westlake will not get screwed transitioning over to ballard. It's just everyone else at the other clubs or new members who will be getting screwed trying to workout there.

as far as working for the company, everything seems normal at first, and after some time you realize that you either have to be sneaky and lie to get commissions, or be respectful and not get as much commission and be ok with the bad pay. I definitely did not get rewarded for being respectful and caring to the members, and that's why i had to leave that place. But this is just talking about Westlake. Other clubs sell themselves very well and don't have to put as much pressure on their members

I'm trying to find out what they have in their day care for 9 year olds. They told me it went up to 12.
Thanks

p.s. here's the link if you wanna send an email to jesse from king 5 news ("get jesse"). perhaps including the link to this blog might help.
GetJesse@king5.com
maybe we can help expose some of what is going on with this corrupt company.

I don't understand why someone would want to work for a company like this.

As a member of Westlake, I'm VERY interested to see if they:
1) really do close that location
2) honor our current fees and just move us
3) OR screw us over and charge us more while closing Westlake.

***this company is NO exception.

Is LA Fitness Int'l, LLC ethical enough to inform the current clients (including those who've paid initiation fees as well as two month's dues) of the situation? These continuing acts of what seems to be non-information and mis-information coming from employees of the corporation indicate this company lacks basic ethic standards. Any reputable company would want an open line of communication with their clients. Unfortunately this company is an exception.

Well I for one am wary but OAC while a great club has gotten just too much for my bank account. If these guys can deliver for cheaper I probably will switch - unless OAC starts to counter offer ;)

Anyways looking forwards to the Trader Joe's either way!

PS - Nick I saw they took down your myspace page for not being "corporate" That to me is a big flag. God forbid someone uses a little moxie to assist people and provide much needed information. For shame LA fitness Corp.

oh and by the way, i've worked at this location before and been around for a long time. for any new members trying to join, never except the initial down payment. they are just tryin to jack you, bargain yourself down, and there are never "last day sales". LA fitness gyms are great to work out at, but dealing with membership and training managers is a joke. I was a training manager before and quit four months later because of all the crap they tried to make me pressure people into. I originally worked there because i was told that ballard was going to open in "three months" and it would be good practice before opening a new gym. Well it's been over a year now. We knew of projected opening dates, but were told to lie about the actual opening dates.

Today when i checked in at westlake, i was told february 20th, which probly means march. It pisses me off so much that since last year it was supposed to open every month. Grand opening july...august...september...open before christmas for sure...wait no open by new years definitely....It just sucks being lied to. I wonder if this is corporate's fault, and they're just making everyone there lie to the people. Can we be honest for once?

I have some friends at the building department and will be contacting them to find out the issues with the elevator permit. I'm finding this very hard to swallow.
I also want something for being so inconvenienced and lied to! Either my joining fee back or a couple months free. I have documented 7 opening dates since I paid my dues, which was the last day and the prices were going up... Right Steve? We should each write how much we paid and what date, to see if these stories are true.

I just called Westlake and they told me mid February. This blows.

Hey AV,

If you signed up at Westlake your monthly billing should have been deferred without a problem.

If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to help you try and get things sorted, in addition to getting that money back in your account.

Email me with your contact info as well as your bar code # and I'll have our operations manager help us work on this for you.
lafitnessnick@gmail.com

-Nick.

Nick,
I was informed by the salesperson I dealt with out of the Westlake Club that my account would not be debited until the opening date of the new Ballard location. In reviewing my banking information, it is quite obvious that this was a blatant, hollow sales tactic as I have since been charged consecutively following my November initiation fees.

It is the vacancy of good business ethic exemplified here that only encourages people to remain loyal to the smaller recreational facilities. While you are only a messenger, do us all a favor and call a meeting with the 'Weekend General Manager' - Steve Merrival, who sold to me and apparently many others this bunk deal.

For those of you interested in contacting Steve Merrival directly:

L.A. Fitness Weekend General Mgr.
Direct: 206-605-4226

I am sure he would thoroughly enjoy all of our grievances.

Nick, what is the next plan of action?

-AV

Nick,
You're going above and beyond...I appreciate you and I know others do too!

THANK YOU.

Hi Mara,

To be perfectly honest with you, I really don't know. Because I've had soo many people ask me the same question, I' ve been trying to get an answer but I am consistently told that "corporate hasn't made a decision". I don't know how or why it's taken this long to make a simple decision, but this is where we are. I just hope that they do the honorable thing. Otherwise, I believe I will be looking for employment elsewhere.

That being said, Kay, I agree with you one hundred percent.

2YEARMEMBER: You are correct, Jim (our GM) works at the Westlake club where I work.

ELAINE: I will be contacting each of my customers by phone. If you'd like to be added to my list, email me at lafitnessnick@gmail.com

Also, For those of you that were frequent visitors, corporate has shut down my myspace page so I will no longer be posting updates there. But I am still making myself available for those of you who have questions. lafitnessnick@gmail.com

All the best,
-Nick.

Whew! That's going to upset some of you...

I just spoke to a man named Jim (I believe he is from Westlake club) he told me that the Westlake club is closing and all the memberships that opened there would be transferred to the Ballard club with NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. As for the openeing date, he said sometime next week. Well just have to wait and see what happens. However, Jessie @ King 5 and the AG would be great contacts in this case.....

Nick, I signed up 11.07 in Mill Creek. I went in to use the gym on a free workout pass. I told them that an LA Fitness was going to be coming to my area in a year and I would wait to sign up then. He knew about the gym and said no problem that I could do the multi club membership and I would be set and I could use the N. Seattle gym in the mean time. So now all these other people that signed up at N Seattle were told the same thing. Whether I signed up at N. Seattle 3 months ago or a year ago we were all told the same thing and that should be honored. The gym really needs to consider the revenue lost if all these people cancel vs. honoring their rate and having them continure paying their monthly fees.

Nick,

I'm one of those people who signed up at the Aurora location and was promised my membership would be honored in Ballard (the representative there said "As long as you sign up before November 1, 2008"). How/when will we know if our memberships are going to be honored, and why is there any question of this anyhow since so many of us were told we would have access? Thanks for trying to clarify the situation.

Mara

thanks for the investigation link.

Nick, how are you going to contact folks? I would like to be contacted.

elaine (runnergirl47)

Hey Patti and Suds,

Patti: Your 14 year old CAN join and play basketball. What they would not be able to do at this time is swim in the pool as there will not be a lifeguard on duty. In order to swim, due to Washington State law, members must be at least 17 years of age.

Suds: From what I was told, a huge "Now Open" banner will be hung from the rooftop.
I will be contacting all of my customers personally. If you'd like to be added to my list, feel free to get in touch.
Also, I will be posting here as well as on the myspace blog.

Enjoy your Sunday,
-Nick.

Hi David,

I hope all is well. I know that you are frustrated like many members are, and as I stated before, I completely understand where you're coming from. You definitly and understandably have a right to feel that way.
What I don't appreciate is, what seems to be, an attack on my efforts to inform everyone. I am just ending my 3rd month with the company, so while I agree that you have every right to be upset with what you were promised a year and a half ago, I was not involved with the company during that time, nor do I personally have the ability to change your circumstances.

I am simply trying to assist where I can NOW, and I'm doing that by sharing what I know.
No one else has stepped forward to do so.

If you feel that there is a better way for me to be of service to you, I would be more than happy to entertain your suggestions. In the meantime, in my position, dissemintating information is the best that I can do and I will continue to do so for those that are interested.

All the best,
-Nick.

Hidden camera investigation of sales tactics at LA Fintess in Milwaukee...

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/7347301.html

It looks just like all the other LA Fitness. I guess squeezing a few extra dollars out of customers is the 'signature' part.

How will we know when the gym opens? do I need to keep driving by every day like a stalker or will there be a notice somewhere. I feel bad calling the westlake la fitness also and asking them... anyway we can bet on when this will open .. .like the superbowl.. might as well make some money off of this .. since we are paying for the gym and not open yet..

I was told by one person that my 14 year old could join and play basketball. Today some one else said no way they have to be 18. What is the story?

Hey Nick, A couple of points. You guy's sold hundreds of people, some up to a year and a half ago, telling them that if they sign up for this great price at this gym(whatever location that might have been) you will be able to go to any club in the state, including the one in Ballard when it opens. This included, obviously, many Ballard residents. As stated earlier, if these people had wanted all the bells and whistles of an "elite" club they could have signed up at two nice clubs already in the area(Denali/Olympic). Instead you are still giving us, "Well there is nothing we can do, it's all in the hands of corporate of whether they bait and switch you or not". "It's not our fault". Also, throwing out another attempted opening date, this must be the 15th one i have heard. If you think you are helping here, I'm sorry but you are not. Bottom line, You guys made a business deal with a bunch of people and now you are trying to renig. Great way to present yourself to a new community.

Has any one checked out Denali fitness it is right over the bridge behind the QFC on Dravus. I go there and I love it.
http://www.denalifitness.com

This link should work for those of you who do not have a myspace account but would like to see the pictures:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...

-Nick

look forward to their february opening....definitely LAB will be the best club around town once we all get moved in...seen the traders joes soon to open too?

Whoa. Things have REALLY gotten ugly in here.lol

...But hey, I can totally understand where everyone is coming from. Delay after delay. One thing after the next.

The good news is that the club truly IS done and we are waiting for the city to give us the thumbs up. As "SUDS" mentioned a few posts before mine, the club's opening is in the hands of the city.

Our head contractor is pushing for a Feb. 6th opening, but what the city decides is another story altogether.

I took pictures of the club today so that you all, as well as those following my blog on myspace, can see the inside of the facility. You can find them at www.myspace.com/la_fitness_ballard in the section titled "Pics".

I would like to address all of the accusations being made against the membership counselors here, but I'm sure it wouldn't alleviate the tension and anger many of you appear to be feeling. I would state simply that not all of us are "out to get you" and that there are those of us that truly do want to help you to the best of our capacity. I know that those of you who have dealt with me personally can attest to that.

In regards to those of you who signed up in Aurora on the promise that you would be able to use Ballard, I too will be greatly dissappointed if your membership is not honored at the new club. As of this week, a decision still hasn't been made on how this scenario will be handled, but once I know, I will post here. If Jesse has to do an investigation, so be it. I personally believe that the right thing to do is honor your memberships.

Anyway, I will keep you updated on the elevator progress and I wish you all a beautiful weekend.

All the best,
-Nick

At least Denali has its rates for monthly dues listed on their web page. LA Fitness seems to like the switch and bait tactic for you to sign up, and when you try to confront them on their dishonesty, they play like they are dumb, or do the, "I am sorry, I understand...your shit out of luck routine."

There has to be a way to have LA Fitness be accountable!! The power is in the consumers!!

I wrote a complainte to Jesse.. maybe I will hear from him..

i just called.. they are just waiting for the city to come and take a look and then they will open.. blame the city now.. not la fitness.. unless they are telling a story.. I like the idea of jessie checking this out for us...

try denali fitness just down the street. no gimmicks. we joined in november and love it. clean and good classes. no gym or pool though.

So I called to cancel my LA Fitness membership today and was told that I had to come down and get a cancelation form which I then need to send to the corporate office 20 days before my next billing cycle otherwise I will be charged for an extra month. Did I expect anything less from them, like being able to just walk in and cancel or call, of course not.

Just a heads up to anyone who may cancel or change gyms so you don't get charged an extra month.

This place is truly a joke, so lame!

The only redeeming factor w/ this new gym is that they'll have a pool that will be open for lap swimming in the mornings before work, and (hopefully) isn't super small.

All I've been looking for is a pool since I graduated from college, and this looks promising.

Maybe when they go under the pool can be bought separately from the rest of the "Signature/Special/Elite" stuff and just be a place to go swim.

Maybe Jessie Jones from King5 would be interested in bringing his camera down the gym to interview some of these so called managers and sales reps for his Get Jessie piece. I think LA Fitness is underestimated how unwelcomed the gym was in Ballard before construction and now they are only making matters worse by burning the people who are actually members!

Okay. I'm sickened by the dirty tactics and bad business practices that I've experienced from this gym and now that I've seen other people have too.. it blows my mind. I've gotten so frustrated by the multiple push-backs (I'm getting married this summer and I was excited that at the very least, I could kick things off right on the 1st of the year..) that I called LA Fitness corporate, who told me the only info they had was that the club was scheduled to open in March. IN MARCH???!!!!! I was so confused. So I called back the sales manager Westlake, where I go. Who, by the way, is a snake. Yeah, I said it. Looks like I'm not the only one who has nearly been hooked by sleazy sales tactics: He gave us a lower rate than it looks like is being offered to most other people, and he said that if Mike didn't sign up by the time Ballard opened, it would go up. We just HAD to buy now buy now buy now!!! But who knows if he knew whether or not the club was actually going to open when he told us it was???????? He also offered us the option (out of desperation because he could see that we weren't going to buy anything that night) to pay part of the down payment then and the rest after the club opened. Of course when I confronted him after the opening date had come and gone, he played dumb like he always does. I wish I could remember his name..
Bottom line: WHY is there NOBODY who knows what the hell is going on?????? Why are there only sales people who have to relay messages?
WHY IS CORPORATE TELLING US BALLARD WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL MARCH?
WHY IS THE CLUB CURRENTLY EMPTY?
MAYBE BECAUSE THEY ARE USING THIS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE TO PRESSURE US TO BUY MEMBERSHIPS NOW, BEFORE THE RATES GO UP LATER!
And yes, I'm pissed.

The rates they quoted my husband today, as a new member are:
0 down, 60 a month
99 down 55 a month
199 down 50 a month
299 down 45 a month.

I wish this seemed unreasonable, but I pay $50 at Denali Fitness, just over the bridge from this place. I think it's totally worth it for TVs to entertain my lazy ass and a clean environment where I'm not constantly worried about MRSA. Free towels, free classes...It seems steep, but it's enough to make me feel like i'm throwing money out the window if I don't go. That's just me though. I'm interested to see what LA Fitness will offer other than hard sell tactics. I want to workout, not buy a lifestyle.

Most of these organizations like LA Fitness try to to take the power of the consumer away from you by showing bunch of glitzy stuff and getting to buy on impulse.

For those of us who have not given them money yet, just wait about 3 months after they open. If the gym will be mostly empty, they will have no choice but to be much more flexible and drop their prices. Just like they continually run membership add-on specials right now.

The consumer still holds the power of the decision - they'll do everything they can to take that away from you but it's still ultimately your choice.

Well I will see if I have time today to call the AG. Perhaps it would help if some others also called as well, especially those of you who have been now told your memberships will increase.

The gym is now opening March 28, 2009

I am very annoyed with all the misinformation about the LA Fitness in Ballard. I belive that talking with the Attorney General of Washington to complain would be the best option to be heard. Better Business Bureau needs to hear our complaints and file the necessary documents to prove our complaints are legitimate and valid.

I understand that these so called "membership counselors" believe they are doing their job, but it is unethical to continue to take money, make promises for a club that is not open. Their delayed information on the clubs opening and continued deception is absolutely not right. Their practice of attaining new memberships does not seem right.


They have little kiosks set around town using "scare tactics" to sign up, or the membership dues will increase!! In Dec I was quoted as a new member:
0 down, 44.99 a month of course with first and last months due
99 down 39.99 a month
199 down 34.99 a month
299 down 29.99 a month.

I would be curious to see what they are now! They say they have Phases that they go through, but I would like to know what Phases other people were signed up for, and to see what people are being told what it would cost them to upgrade their memberships. The more information we have, the better we will be to uncover what they are actually telling people.

With this economy to ask for almost $60.00 in dues, to have towel service, a juice bar, TV's....is it really all worth it?? In 5 or 6 years, they may even go under.

I've driven by there and it's completely empty. It seems that if all that's holding it up is an elevator inspection, they could put all the equipment in there.

I signed up at the Mill Creek location as well under the assumption that I would start going to the ballard location when it opened. I was told I could go to any of the gyms in the area including Ballard when it opened.

What do you know???? They have postponed the opening of the Ballard gym once again. Surprise, surprise. Sometime in February now... Does anyone have the latest?
Even more annoyed now.......

N and M- you should speak with the attorney general of WA to discuss your complaints and also speak to the Better Business Bureau.

We're members at the Westlake one and if they close that gym AND move our membership AND increase our rates I'm going to be one peeved off person.

That is exactly what happened to me only I joined in 11/07 at Mill Creek and they assured me I would be able to use the Ballard club with my Multi club membership. While I am sorry to hear other people are having the same experience I am glad to hear I am not alone. Maybe the will realize they need to reconsider their marketing. I worked out at the Mill Creek Club soon after it opened and noticed they had a ton of unhappy employees and high turnover. Several of the trainers I workout with had no problems talking about the lack of organization and poor management. Even their corp office in California seems to have different answers. I agree they should honor their previous contracts. This seems like a total bait and switch. They told me they changed it to a signature club mid construction. Maybe they decided they already had too many members joining Shoreline at a lower rate and they could make more money if they changed the name.

That is almost exactly what happened to me. In early September I paid for a family membership, $199 sign up for 2 people plus $29 per month because I was told at Aurora 130th that this would entitle us to use the Ballard club when it opened "in November 2008." I endured the push-backs on the opening date until December when they applied the full effect of their bait and switch and announced that this would be a "Signature Club" and that each person in the family would have to pay an additional $99 sign up plus $20 more per month ($49) to use the Ballard Club. I signed up because they said that if I waited the price would be going up. I was also told that when the price went up it would include a $299 per person sign up fee. Well, so much for that. I wonder if we might have a class-action suit in the making if LA Fitness fails to honor its promises?!? Like you and me, companies are supposed to keep their promises.

I went to the review center for the la fitness aurora and 130th location to enquire about when the ballard location would be opening, since i own a small business in ballard. Mind you, this was four months even before the aurora location opened. They said join now at this great price and you will be good to go to multi locations throughout the state, including the ballard location. Seeing as how this was the primary club i was interested in, my wife and i joined. I also must add that i sent employees as well as many others. Seth the general manager was a nice guy and this was a good deal. Another employee, who lives very close to the ballard gym, was going to join for the price i paid. They said that was fine but if you join for this price you can go to any club. She said that's great as long as i can go to the ballard location. Fast forward a year and five months and i was told just five days ago by the general manager that our membership would not transfer and was going to cost 2o-25 dollars more per person per month. We would be able to go two weeks though for free. Management at the aurora location, and also the booth at ballard fred meyer, said it was not their fault because they had only recently found out that the club would be signature and more expensive. I said that if i wanted that there were two fine clubs( Denali, Olympic) to already to choose from in the ballard area. I think this was total bait and switch and deceptive advertising when they were selling these memberships. I cannot be the only one who has been taken like this. They need to do the right thing and do what they said they were going to do. Is there anyone else who was taken like this?

I have been an LA Fitness member 2 times. Both times I joined via Mill Creek. The second time I joined was cheaper then the grandopening presale. I told them I wanted to be able to use the Shoreline club until the Ballard opend (07). I pay $29. Now I find out that this club is going to be Elite and they want to charge $20 more a month plus $99 one time fee. If I had canceled my membership end of last year I could have rejoined in Dec. for $399/$34.99 mo which would have cost me $118 more the first year but would save me $180 a year after that. When I talked to Rachel at Westlake who is apparently the operation manager for Ballard she was unhelpful and basically told me tough luck. I called corp as well and no one seems to know what is going on. While I have talked to a couple nice people (Nick and someone at Mill Creek) no one can explain to me how a new presale member can get a better deal then and existing member. Based on rejoining last time I think they are going to throw out more deals after they open (like Jermoe said). I am surprised to read that Westlake members will be able to use the club (???) I'm going to wait and see. OAC is putting out a lot of good deals like free year for returning members and that will probably be cheaper then LA Fitness Upgrade. I don't care about all the extra services the Signature Club offers. There gym in Shoreline is just plenty.

I meant "counselor" sorry I must be tired..

If anyone has anymore issues let me know.. just in case Nick needs help

Hi All,

I am a fitness counselour at LA Fitness as well and am happy to answer any questions about memberships, amenities, etc.


Alyx

LA Fitness needs tons of customers to be successful. With the economy being bad, if they have a quiet opening, I'm sure the prices will drop.

Hello Everyone,

Nick here.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their patience. I know there are many of you who have been waiting QUITE a while for this gym to open and I want you to know that we truly appreciate your cooperation as the construction has not gone as we had intended.

I wanted to post here because I know there aren't many sources of information in regards to the club other than my myspace page and any other bits and pieces that might be floating aabout. I hope this helps you guys.

As of right now, we are extremely close to opening the doors, but are still needing to pass a mandatory and extremely necessary elevator inspection before we can do so. Therefore, I have been told that the club opening will occur the first week in February. I know it's not what you wanted to hear (It's not what I wanted to hear either) but it's the best info I have at the moment.

I will keep everyone posted with the information I recieve as soon as I get it.
Also, I will be posting pictures soon in the "pics" section of the myspace page. That way you can see the club with your own eyes.
______________

For those of you who signed up with the new club and have pricing concerns:
The pre-sale for the club has gone in phases with phase 1 being the lowest and each phase seeing an increase in price. So each of you would be paying different monthly dues depending on when you signed up and which option you selected when you did.
We are currently in phase four( now ends on 1/18/09). The lowest monthly dues are currently 39.99 with a 299 registration and the highest dues are at 54.99 with zero registration. From what I have been told the goal is to have the highest dues around 65 per month once the club is open.
JEROME: I don't know what the manager told you and I apologize if you felt like you were lied to. What I can say for sure though is that Corporate is in control of when pricing changes as well as what pricing is. As a counselor I've been told several times that pricing was going to change on a specific day and it didn't. And on the flip side of that sometimes pricing changed exactly when they said it was going to. It's hit or miss at times which can be frustrating for both counselors and customers alike. So again, I'm sorry for any confusion.

MICHELE: If you're a member at Westlake, you will be able to use Ballard when you remove your freeze. No worries.

SOANNOYED aka Jessisca S (Yeah, I know it's you.hahaha): Where did you get this March info???? lol

JOSH: The pre-sale for the Ballard club is being done at Westlake. There, they are only selling memberships for the Signature club. Anybody wanting a membership at Westlake would be purchasing a Signature membership b/c once Ballard is open, Westlake, most likely, will not be in operation and all those members will be moved over to Ballard

So to clear up a few things, yes, you have access to any LA Fitness in the state, but from what I've been told, unless you have a Signature/Elite membership, that excludes Signature clubs.

Now Josh, I could be wrong about all this, but this is what I've been told and my goal here is to clear up any confusion people may be having about the new club. And because LA Fitness has made the Signature club different(in terms of access, amenities, and prricing) than the traditional club it definitely makes things a little confusing.

______________________

I hope this helped everyone. I'm sure there may be a few people who are dissatisfied with what I've passed along today and I completely honor what you are feeling. I just kindly request that you keep in mind that I am simply the messenger. A membership counselor who is trying to keep the public informed where there is a lack of information.

All the best to everyone,
-Nick
myspace.com/la_fitness_ballard

I signed my family up in October for the $199 up front and $24.99 month rate (& $7.99 kids club) and was promised that the Ballard club would be open 12/15. I have been working out at the Westlake gym or all the way up on 135th &Aurora (they have daycare for my daughter) for the past few months which is a big inconvinience. I was told the day I signed up that it was the last day to get the special rate I got, but I actually called back the next week and then the week after that saying I was someone else looking into a new membership and each time they gave me the same rate. I was blatantly lied to initially to get me in the door. I spoke to the manager who apologized, but didn't do anything about it. I've been in sales a long time and know that they have room to move on any rate they give you, so if they are charging you $49/month, I would definitely try to negotiate. Most of their salespeople are newbies who probably won't be there in a month or two because they don't hit their numbers and will do just about anything to get you in the door. I don't mean to slam them too much, but just be careful when signing up that you aren't take for a ride.

Nick,
My boyfriend and I signed up late last spring at the Westlake fitness center and were told that our membership would be good at the new Ballard location and that it would open in August. I tried to go to that gym but it was terrible and so we have put our memberships on hold. I am worried by other people's comments about being charged more when we were promised that it would be the same.

After reading that post I called LA Fitness and they assured me that the Ballard club will definitely open on January 22nd. Let's see...

Not till March. Seriously? If there is someone out the who represents LA Fitness can they PLEASE make a website to keep us updated or at least update that little MySpace page someone made to let us know what is going on! I thought it opening tomorrow.... :(

One thing to keep in mind; I believe existing members can pay a $5 usage fee. So if I only go to Ballard once a week, its a breakeven for me, as it would otherwise cost an additional $20 per month.

Is anyone else really annoyed that the new LA fitness in Ballard has taken their money and is STILL not open? How many times have they postponed the opening? I D/C'd my memberhsip at OAC at the end on November, because I was told the LA gym would be opening mid December. I want some sort of compesation! It's now not supposed to open until March!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called and they offered that I could work out at the crappy Westlake facility, but I purchased an "Exclusive" membership, not a half ass one....

FYI, I was a member in AZ and moved here over a year ago and they constantly were trying to tell me they had to "upgrade" my membership and wanted to charge me a $99 one-time fee plus increase my monthly fee from $25 to $35. Problem was, all the LA Fitness facilities in Tucson were exactly like the one in Bellevue, brand new and great equiptment and the Westlake center is a heaping pile of crap... I could not justify spending more money to work out on ancient equipment and oh yeah, their basketball court is now warped to the point that you can't even play on it and the drinking fountain was out of order. When I asked for some justification on the increase and the set up fee (since i've been a member for ever!) they had none.

I called my old home gym in Tucson and they informed me that as an LA Fitness member you are granted 1 complimentary transfer to any LA Fitness in the country, no questions asked. When I found this out I was so pissed off at the Westlake branch that I called Bellevue and had them handle my transfer and they did, like they were supposed to, unlike the Westlake people that just tried to rip me off!!!

So my new membership is supposed to be for any LA Fitness in the state of WA, hopefully management at the Ballard location is better than Westlake...

Question for J (or anyone): I joined LA Fitness in Sep, paid $199 for family membership + $29 per person per month. I just signed up for Ballard -- had to pay $99 per person, and $49 per person per month. I thought I got a discount on the sign up (credit for $199). Is this true?

Just signed up. I feel I'm over paying but the location is very convenient and I like the pool and bball court. I signed at $99 rev plus $49 per month. Anyone else want to post their fees? They've been climbing each week according to the guy who set me up....

I just signed up and got my official bar code. The guy who signed the paperwork told me the gym is opening on January 15th.

Nick,

When is the Ballard LA Fitness scheduled to open?

Thanks for the info Nick. I like L.A. Fitness. Its a clean, comfortable place to workout. I do, however, feel a bit of intrepidation regarding the price negotiation.

Hey Tony,

Happy New Year!

LA Fitness wanted to create a premier club that would further enhance their members' workout experience. That said, this club has chosen to incorporate luxury amenities that you won't find at most other LA Fitness facilities.
-Towel service(found at select locations)
-Juice Bar(found at select locations)
-Cardio machines enhanced with personal TV screens.
-Wi Fi internet access
-Business/Computer center
-Upgraded locker rooms
-Electronic locking system on all lockers
-Yoga studio (in my walk-through of the facility I haven't seen where this will be yet).

It is also a $20 million dollar facility.

I hope that helps in regards to your question.

All the best,
-Nick.

I'm a member in Bellevue and was told I would have to pay an additional fee over the $29/mo I now pay to use this 'signiture' club. What's up with the 'signiture' part Nick?

Hey RunRun...My name is Nick and I am a membership counselor for the new Ballard club. If you have questions about membership or about the club in general, please feel free to contact me.

206-501-7249
myspace.com/la_fitness_ballard

I'd be happy to help you in any way that I can.

-Nick.

Just curious,... has anyone signed up yet? And if so, how are the rates? I'm hearing as high as an initial fee of $300 and then $35/month after that.... and then as low as $45/month without the initial fee. Sounds like it's not going to be a cheap membership... due to it being a Signature Club... ?

Go to whatever gym you want.. but people stop knocking down people that go to the gym .. . I am always happy to see overweight people at a gym and applaud them for being there. I try to smile and support them there so they enjoy their time and have a good experience at the gym and come back. If a person has lost 50 pounds and wants to wear spandex ... let them... you don't have to look at them...

I am a big LA Fitness fan and am waiting for them to open.. See you all there!!!

PS. I guess I should mention that I'm a Trader Joe's fanatic, so having it right there will help streamline my shopping, allowing me to only by two or three days' worth of food at a time, thus avoiding some of the waste I experience now from buying too much and not using it all.

Ballard Health Club has great people there. I've been a member since it opened, mainly due to its price. But it is cramped, the ventilation is horrible, during the summer the whole place is a sauna, the locker room is filthy, the aerobics room is small and has huge columns in the middle of it, and the new color scheme is dreadful. I hate to leave a local business after so many years (hey, I've done my part to help them out). But I MISS racquetball so much and the new LAF will have four courts. The plan I signed up for includes towel service for the same price I pay now for no towel service. There will be a juice bar, which works great for me. Plus, the pool and basketball court, neither of which BHC has, will be there if I want to use them. If they only last 5 years, at least I won't be losing money in the process. I'll miss the wonderful people at BHC, especially Jade and MJ, but it's time to try something new and get a lot for my money.

You can see my fat ass in spandex every gym day. Why? Because its comfortable, I can work out in it and I like it.

I don't care if you don't like seeing my fat ass in spandex.

OAC is a great gym! The money stays local, they have great trainers and classes, and the facility is quirky and comfortable.

Soulless behemoths like LA fitness/Bally's/24hr gyms may be OK when you are a starving student...

$30 a month? I'm leaving Ballard Health Club. Most of the folks at BHC don't realize spandex is a privilege, not a right.

OAC > Ballard Health Club.

Too many guys at Ballard Health Club who openly flaunt their penis & hardons while on machines. Once some guy repeatedly kept letting it flip out while on gear. Lots of folks also don't wipe up after, too.

The thing with OAC is that it is very comfotable, people are their to work out, not check out or be checked out. Ive been to those meat market gyms where the guys are all on steroids and the chicks are all playboy models. Besides, i like supporting the ballard gym, not La fitness..the starbucks of the gym world.

hot sauce, I've heard that they are going to build a whole new facility real soon...in the same spot. But that was 6 months ago, so I'm not sure what the hold up is about. My guess is that it's about money.

A teeny bit off topic. Is that escalator going in over by the Trader Joe's Ballard's first escalator? I can't think of another building in the village that would have one.

You should plan a all day field trip. maybe go to freemont or downtown and see what a real gym looks like. i am not sure about the "old fat peoples gym". nothing is wrong with old and fat. thats good to have, just as long as they are there to work out and just not there to sit around on the machines and drink vodka with there gatorade. Isn't that gym suppose to turn into a hotel?

I love OAC too, lovingly referred to as the "old fat people's gym" around my house. OAC is a real gym for real folks--I like that I don't have to be young and skinny to feel comfortable there.

I love OAC, i hate those big 1 room gyms..to many people

I'm excited about the new gym. $30 a month with a pool. Right now, all I care about is a pool. I wish I had a flyer on my car. I'd like a little information. Anyone have the number? Can't find any info online.

Oh and I'm with boardbrown on this one...

5 years sounds about right.

I really don't get this "finally a real gym" stuff. While I'm not a fan of Olympic Health Club, it is the real deal - multiple rooms not withstanding. And the Ballard Health Club is a great affordable gym. And there are several private trainer locations in the immediate area.

So what constitutes "a real gym"?

I say no way they make it. Ten bucks says they close that location w/in 5 years. Prove me wrong.

Ballard Health Club for me.

Thank god Ballard is going to finally get a real gym. that other one ,oly club. feels like you are working out in someones house. chopped up rooms. if you are worried about anybodies break even point, i would worry about the old ballards gym.

Previously they were planning on replacing the Westlake location with a new gym. Maybe the economy is taking its toll on La Fatness as well. You would think they must be a highly leveraged company to be able to build multimillion dollar gyms and charge $30 a month dues. Wonder how many members they need per location to hit their break even point. I wouldn't be surprised if they started raising their membership fees.

"Mid-riff"? Just like in an editorial from The Onion? That's so Ballard.

By blanketed you mean littered right? I found one of these on my car, and another 4-5 on my street.