Well, this is the first post after a long
time, a time of hard work and some weeks of relaxing in South East Asia… We all
know that after some holidays of excesses we need some healthy habits, so here
there is a post about gyms…
There are three main gyms with a Club
culture in Chicago: First and furthermost the best well known is East Bank Club
(EBC), - www.eastbankclub.com -,
sited near the loop, in the increasingly popular neighborhood of River North.
EBC is an amazing club with the largest cardio room in the city (and probably
the country). Elastics, steps, bikes and anything you can imagine, but just in
tens… You can also exercise your cardio
in one huge athletic track while watching the highest towers in the World. You
can also choose of about eight tennis platforms, golf practice course, basketball
and football, sorry I mean soccer, more than ten different rooms for guided
activities, business center, one restaurant and a piano bar, grocery store,
indoors car park and grill... There are also a couple of swimming pools; one is
on the top roof, overlooking the Loop, the Sears tower (I mean Willis) and the
river. The Club usually holds parties
and events there during summer, it is definitely the place to be. A part from
all his gorgeous facilities, EBC is well known for his guests, Oprah Winfrey is
a member and founding owner, Rahm Emanuel (the Mayor) drops by sometimes, and
Bulls and Bears players are there every day… That makes this “Club” the perfect
spot for an expat to build relationships or do business with other members.
The second gym, Midtown Athletic in
Fullerton Ave (Lincoln Park) and Addisson (Irving Park), both in the North side-
www.midtown.com - , north of the Loop.
This is a midrange club with more than ten tennis courts, paddle tennis, bar
and a renovated gym. Whereas this gym is cheaper, it is by no means comparable
to EBC, but yet a very good option for those who practice tennis or paddle and
socialize. Most members are in the mid forties although you can also find a
bunch of late 20’s, early 30’s pulling weights and in the cardio. For those who
play paddle, it is interesting that some clubs to the north of the city have a
great tradition of playing paddle tennis, a very similar sport to “padel”. If
you want to play paddle, this is probably the most competitive club. Only one
caveat, Americans only play paddle in winter as it favor bouncing of the balls.
Third, Lakeshore Athletic Club, - www.lsac-flatiron.com -, right in the
middle of the Loop, by Millenium Park
has over 150k Sq. feet of
facilities. Lakeshore Athletic has plenty of different facilities such as
basketball court, rock climbing pinnacle, tennis courts, pools, spa and
different rooms for group activities. This is a perfect club if you have
children and want to socialize with young parents with similar interests. It is
an expensive club, but cheaper than EBC.
Some extra recommendations: if you just
need a gym to work out (no other amenities), Equinox is an interesting choice
although rates can be similar to EBC but machines are the best in the country. Bally’s,
the cheapest one (~20 USD) has over 20 gyms in Chicagoland but some people I
know stopped going there since they didn’t like people the people and the
facilities. A complete listing of gyms in Chicago should include LA Fitness,
Curves, Chicago Athletic Club and Fitness Formula.
LOS MEJORES GIMNASIOS DE CHICAGO
Bueno,
después de una temporada sin ningún post, trabajo duro y unas semanas de
relajación en Asia… bien después de tantos excesos es necesario apuntarse a
algún gimnasio…
Hay tres grandes
gimnasios o clubes sociales en Chicago: El primero y más importante es East
Bank Cub (EBC), - www.eastbankclub -,
cerca del Loop, en el barrio de moda de la ciudad, River North, cerca de los
bares y restaurantes más famosos de la ciudad. EBC es un club increíble, tiene
la sala de cardio más grande de la ciudad y probablemente del país. Elásticas,
steps, bicicleta y cualquier cosa que puedas imaginar, pero en decenas...
También hay una pista de atletismo para correr mientras admiras las torres más
altas del mundo. Por supuesto, un club así debe contar de ocho pistas de tenis,
campo de golf de prácticas, basket, futbol y salas para clases dirigidas,
business center, restaurante y piano bar, parking tiendas… es una especie de
hotel dentro de un club. Finalmente hay un par de piscinas en la terraza
descubierta. El club normalmente da fiestas en la terraza, bajo la atenta
mirada de la torre Sears y el rio. A parte de todo esto, EBC es conocido en la
ciudad por sus celebridades, desde Ophra Winfrey, al alcalde de la ciudad o
jugadores de los Bulls lo que hace del club el sitio perfecto para mejorar tu
vida social.
El terceo, Lakeshore
Athletic Club – www.lsac-flatiron.com
-, en el centro de la ciudad, cerca de Millenium, cuenta con trece mil metros
cuadrados de instalaciones con casi todo lo que puedes imaginar, básquet,
escalada, pistas de tenis, piscinas, spa y varias salsas de actividades
dirigidas. Este club es perfecto para familias jóvenes con hijos pequeños y
ganas de socializa. Este gimnasio se sitúa en la parte alta en cuanto a precios
y equipamientos.
Algunas otras
recomendaciones que debéis tener en cuenta. Si lo único que necesitáis es un
gimnasio sin tenis u otras cosas, Equinox es un club de lujo con muchos
gimnasios en la ciudad y en USA aunque muy caros, pero con tecnología punta.
Bally´s por el contrario es el más barato, unos 15 euros, tiene más de veinte
gimnasios en el área metropolitana de Chicago (Chicagoland) aunque normalmente
el ambiente no es muy bueno. Otros gimnasios populares en el área de Chicago
son LA Fitness, Curves, Chicago Athletic y Fitness Formula.
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