The Cliffs gowanus: rock climbing meets whole body wellness
The Cliffs, a series of full-service climbing gyms, opened their first location in 2005 in a suburb of New York City called Valhalla. At that point, rock-climbing gyms in an urban setting were a concept still new to the East Coast. The opening of a second location on Long Island, truly validated the popularity here in the Northeast and since then, it has grown much more.
Advantage’s Larry Zinger has been working closely with The Cliffs for years and has lent his expertise and design knowledge most recently to their newest project, The Cliffs Gowanus in the borough of Brooklyn. His focus was on helping them express their broad range of ideas in a space where the clientele has unique needs.
““Larry’s enthusiasm and passion for the project matched our own. It is much easier when you’re working with someone who cares about understanding your needs and overall concept, rather than someone who is just trying to sell you things that don’t align with your brand. Larry took our ideas of combining strength, cardio and climbing oriented equipment and helped us design and lay out a space that made sense to us.””
Emily buckley
chief operating officer
The Cliffs
The Cliffs has expanded over recent years, including to the Philadelphia region, and plans to continue making moves throughout the Northeast. While many of the 6 Cliffs facilities are new builds, one of their most prized facilities is within a historic building resting in the iconic 125th St. neighborhood of Harlem, across the street from the Apollo Theater. This location is a beautiful illustration of the urban rock gym concept taking shape in the region and how The Cliffs has a love and appreciation for the communities and areas it lays its bricks in.
One of the many distinct features of these gyms (and the Gowanus location is no exception), is the amount of space each boasts, not just in square footage but in vertical space. Locations can be up to 40,000 square feet with ceilings up to 50 ft., an incredible accomplishment and unheard of in these respective areas. It has proven to be wildly rewarding for the serious climbers that flock to The Cliffs for dynamic fitness options, and in preparation for future adventures. Enthusiasts find sanctuary in a space that offers climbing, bouldering, conditioning, and a multitude of activities and amenities that enhance their core practice.
The facility designs also capture an understanding of their audience’s love of the outdoors, and they enjoy finding creative ways to bring that feeling indoors. Designs include utilizing as much natural light as possible to give the space on open and bright feel. In one of their NYC clubs, currently in the works, members will be able to soak in the Manhattan City skyline through floor to ceiling windows, once again integrating the contrast of nature against an urban setting. Advantage also worked with The Cliffs to help them provide a more stimulating and inspiring experience for gym goers on treadmills by having runners face the climbing walls, reminding them of the strength and endurance goals they are working towards as climbers.
Back in 2005, the company catered mainly to climbers. Since then, the clientele has expanded, and their needs have changed. The Cliffs has adjusted to fit those needs, recognizing that people are no longer committed to one type of fitness, but prefer variety, and in recent years have aimed to be more relevant and inclusive to all.
The Cliffs focuses on featuring functional equipment that takes everyone’s different goals into account. They have embraced the climber philosophy that being at your healthiest strength and weight can help improve your ability to climb, so they have combined functional and cardio equipment, including both self-powered and electric treadmills. Walking through the gym, you may catch a glimpse of someone prepping for a future climb with a fully loaded backpack on a cardio machine, or someone practicing mindfulness in the yoga area. It’s truly a multifaceted space with a focus on overall wellness.
““It is helpful that Larry is a former athlete. He can grasp that the unique base of rock climbing, yoga, or similar practices, involves strategizing and using your entire body. You can target a weakness and use a fitness facility to strengthen those. The importance of overall engagement between mind and body is a dynamic that sets us apart from other facility models. Larry’s sports mindset helps us through our design process.””
Emily buckley
chief operating officer
The Cliffs
The collaboration between The Cliffs Gowanus and Advantage has drawn an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. This location attracted hundreds of members even before they had a set open date. It’s clear that these facilities are making an impact for the better in the Northeast, and Advantage is beyond thrilled to be included.
We are looking forward to seeing what else is in store for The Cliffs as they continue to grow and reach new heights (see what we did there?).
