Sporty Peachy: DAVID BARTON UNVEILS ASTOR PLACE FITNESS FANTASY
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Latest Location Pays Homage to Culture of the East Village Neighborhood, Marking Return to Barton’s Roots
(New York, NY) – Building on his legacy of renaissance and allure, David Barton is opening the latest in a line of awe-inspiring gyms in the heart of his old “stomping grounds” at Astor Place in July. In a nod to the neighborhood, Barton chose one of downtown’s premiere landmark buildings to house the Astor Place outpost. Once home to a Barnes & Noble Bookstore, the space has been transformed by Barton to be a total embodiment of the personality and history of its neighborhood, with every detail representing the purest in East Village culture. Barton didn’t rest until he’d “trimmed the fat” on his new location, ensuring that every machine, every trainer and every aesthetic detail in the 40,000 square foot, four-story mega-gym served its purpose to the people of lower Manhattan. At DavidBartonGym Astor Place, colors, textures, sound, sweat and science collide, forever changing the face of lifestyle in New York and nationwide.
The irony of the new location is how unassuming it is when viewed from the street, only to reveal a world of fitness fantasy behind its doors. Once inside, the Greek gym-inspired club features a lobby as impressive as most museums, with bold purple walls, plush velvet sofas, custom-built chairs in the shape of human skeletons, and layers of reflective screens and surfaces that beckon guests to explore the world that lies within. No interior detail, however small, escaped Barton’s eye; even the handles on the membership doors are made out of materials recovered from human caskets, reflecting the punk rock and gothic artistry of his childhood neighborhood. His standard of excellence and innovation continues throughout the club. Each room is entirely authentic, adorned with custom flooring, unique lighting and edgy antiques plucked from the East Village streets.
“I’ve worked my whole life to be able to return to the neighborhood I used to hang out in and deliver it with the best gym imaginable that does justice to its history,” says Barton on the DavidBartonGym Astor Place opening. “As I introduce new members to the space, it feels like I’m welcoming them into my home – and I look forward to treating every client like a houseguest, providing them with a custom, tailored experience that is all their own.”
As impressive as the décor is Astor Place’s surplus of state-of-the art fitness equipment. Each series of machinery reflects the latest in fitness technology and methodology, that line each workout area, encouraging members to indulge in a lengthy, purposeful workout. Personal tv’s on every cardio machine, serene candle-lit yoga studios, onyx-adorned, amenity-rich locker rooms, and a rotation of live DJs spinning from inside a twelve-foot disco ball all exist by deliberate design to ease and enhance the members’ experience. As a testament to Barton’s efforts to transform his clients from the inside out, he’s even included a concept store in the gym’s lobby filled with designer apparel and accessories as well as hand-picked rare collectables for those members who want to do more than just look better naked. “This isn’t your run-of-the-mill chain gym,” says Barton. “If you want a neighborhood bar, you don’t go to the local TGIF – the same applies to the neighborhood gym.”
Barton’s unrelenting attention to detail is evident throughout the entire Astor Place experience – from its interior to its team of fitness experts. Promoting what he describes as a “culture of mentoring,” Barton personally oversees the training of every team member at Astor Place to ensure that they are all well versed in the scientific method behind their craft. To earn Barton’s stamp of approval, which roughly one in thirty applicants do, prospective trainers must prove themselves capable of training the master himself. The end result is an educated, dedicated, integrated fitness team who will not only sculpt clients in individual sessions, but will be instructing all group exercise as well. This system, which was designed to better serve a broader demographic, allows all members to enjoy the highest quality training available in groundbreaking group classes like “Pain and Pleasure,” and “Blood, Sweat & Tears.” This type of personal attention and hands-on service has become synonymous with the David Barton name, and sits at the heart of his philosophy. “At DavidBartonGym, we see bodies for what they could be, and our team possesses the expertise to do remarkable things and deliver an ideal image. We really care about people, and that’s how you become more than a business, you become an institution.”
About DavidBartonGym
Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or not, chances are you know the name David Barton and his eponymous promise to make you "Look Better Naked." Since the opening of the first location, membership at DavidBartonGym became akin to what VIP status at the right club was in the '80s. Still perhaps the most talked about health club in the industry, these one-of-a-kind gyms and their outspoken owner have been featured in publications as varied as The New York Times, Vogue, Town & Country, Vanity Fair, Newsweek and The New Yorker. Entrepreneurial and charismatic, David Barton has parlayed a career in bodybuilding into a widely successful fitness empire with locations in New York, Chicago and Miami with others slated for Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Seattle.
DavidBartonGym remains unshaken in its commitment to scientifically-achieved fitness and personalized service that has built an impressive, dedicated clientele that promises to grow with the opening of each new location. In July, the revolution continues at Astor Place in New York, where Barton has conceptualized and created a space that will change the face of lifestyle in New York, and have you looking better naked in no time.
DavidBartonGym at Astor Place is located at 4 Astor Place, between Broadway and Lafayette. (212.505.6800) Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 5:30am-Midnight, Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am-9:00pm.www.davidbartongym.com
