★ 5

I love it - light-filled and nearly perfect

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★ 5

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★ 1

Beware of phantom charges / unscrupulous billing practices. After paying membership fees for 5 years and terminating membership, was charged erroneously without notice of invoice and sent to collection agency. Billing department does not waive phantom charges despite clear record of membership cancellation in official records. Billing representative was immediately confrontational and clearly accustomed to receiving these complaints.

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★ 3

I really like the staff as they are all super nice! The facility is also clean. However, I feel like some of their machines are outdated. They also don’t have enough squat racks/smith machines. I came from planet fitness that was open 24 hours weekdays and had longer hours on the weekend, so it’s very disappointing that this club closes so early and starts late compared to other gyms. I would honestly go back to planet fitness if it wasn’t so far away now; I had to change gyms due to moving.

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★ 3

I primarily keep my membership for access to a treadmill and Kacey Hyde Brott’s excellent Pilates class. However, the facility lacks amenities like a sauna or pool, treadmills are always out of order and the locker room is extremely cramped. Women frequently bump into each other, especially at the entrance, making it an inconvenient and uncomfortable experience. I suggested installing a safety mirror so members could see around corners and avoid collisions instead of just hoping for the best. Unfortunately, my request was denied due to ‘privacy concerns’—which seems inconsistent given that a separate wall already provides privacy for the locker area. A small change like this could greatly improve the flow and safety of the space.

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★ 1

I tore my meniscus in my knee and reached out multiple times to get a refund for personal training sessions. They never got back to me. On top of that, they told me I can’t talk to someone or reach out to anyone. The front desk was openly rude to me. I called their manager and left a message and she never called me back. It’s been two and a half weeks. Don’t sign up here. They never went through rules and policies for me so I didn’t know a refund wasn’t possible. They are unprofessional and clearly don’t understand customer service

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★ 1

This gym's practices are disappointing. During the pandemic, they temporarily halted memberships but restarted them without notifying members. I had replaced a lost debit card, so the original one on file was invalid. Despite this, they continued to accrue charges on my account. When I felt safe enough to return and called to restart my membership, I was informed I owed over $200. I had no idea they had resumed my membership without my consent for the past four months, even at the height of the pandemic when I didn’t feel safe going back. They insisted I pay the balance to rejoin, showing a complete disregard for members' safety and comfort during such a critical time. Additionally, their pricing is unreasonable for the services they provide. I ultimately chose to take my business elsewhere.

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★ 1

I was at this gym for a while. It was a good experience.

Until I went to cancel and the guy I talked to lied to me about putting my account on hold, and they continued to charge me for multiple months. I was then told that they had no record of my request, and that all cancellations needed to be made in writing. This, of course, was not explained when I spoke to this guy over the phone.

Just another overcrowded gym that will scam you out of money when you try to cancel.

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★ 4

I like the club. Plenty of equipment options. I find them fastidious about cleaning. Occasionally I find equipment that could use a bit of repair, but this is fairly rare.

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★ 1

I actually had great things to say about this gym until recently, when I saw they continued charging me for months after I had cancelled my membership. They had me come in, asked me a bunch of questions, sign a bunch of documents to cancel only to continue charging me AFTER I MOVED. If I hadn’t checked this would have continued. Very shady business practices!!! I do NOT recommend this gym.

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★ 1

DO NOT GO HERE!!! I have not been a member here since June 2021. So tell me why in March 2024, I start receiving emails saying I owe this place $280? Now I possibly need to pay this company $280 for a cancellation I made 3 YEARS AGO! Find somewhere else. This place is shady and predatory. In addition, when you ask to speak to corporate or managers, they send you through loops to do so. Still have not heard from a manager or a higher up. If you don’t want to spend time answering questions about where were you 3 years ago…. DO NOT GO HERE. It was not worth the money then and it is CERTAINLY not worth it now. I recommend planet fitness or xsport. Better customer service, machines, community, etc. That is where i transferred, WHEN I STILL EVEN LIVED IN CHICAGO.

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★ 4

Clean facility, friendly staff, and a variety of equipment make this my favorite neighborhood gym. It can be busy weekday evenings, but it's still my favorite

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★ 5

I have been so impressed at the level of customer service and flexibility I get from the team here. My primary gym is Bucktown but I regularly go to other locations as I bounce around the city and the flexibility to do that is amazing. I would recommend this gym to anyone looking!

Source: Google

★ 1

I'm not a fan of this gym. If you're a weightlifter, I wouldn't recommend it. The few perks are that it has 4 squat racks, a single pair of 110 dumbbells, has a nice staff, and is clean. That's about all I can say that's positive. This place doesn't seem well managed.

Equipment: not terrible but lacking. You will find yourself waiting for basic things like a v-grip or trying to use the single row/lat pull down station. 45s are often in short supply. And they don't offer anything extra besides a handful of machines that max out and pretty low weight caps, more like a hotel fitness center than a full fledged gym in some ways.

Space: Minimal. The cardio room is crowded at the expected busy hours. But the weight room is even worse. But hey, thank goodness they have 3 yoga studios. 1 for each level. Because obviously they couldn't think of a better use for that space when people are piled in top of each other already. This is made worse by the bad hours.

Amenities: Locker rooms are clean and they have showers. No steam room, sauna, pool, or decent parking. This is by far the worst of all the Chicago Athletic Club locations in this regard.

Hours: Garbage. Do you want to try and avoid coming during rush hours but also have a job with normal 9-5 work times? Sucks to be you especially if you have to commute to your office. They never bothered to come back to their old closing time of 10PM after the pandemic despite most other gyms doing so. Even worse on Fridays where they close at 8. They also treat this place like a bar at close and will kick you out earlier than the posted closing time. How they think their closing times are reasonable is beyond me.

Price: $75 a month. Which is unreasonable for what you get. This place is like a YMCA but charges you like it's a luxury gym. Other gyms in the area also offer a similar experience and amenities, but are at least cheaper. Actually, most YMCAs I've gone to are better stocked.

Long story short: Not a gym for lifters. If you aren't already a member here, look for another gym if you can. Especially given the painful process it is to terminate your membership. I would only say getting a membership is worth it if you reasonably expect to be going to one of the other locations at least half the time or you only plan to come here for classes. It's too late for me, but not for you.

Update: It's only getting worse. They continue to increase the number of people here without adding anything that might help address the issues that more people inevitably bring. It is at a point now where we often have to all work in with each other to get our workouts in. And this is only fine because most of us customers are pretty decent people. On a daily basis you'll hear people in the weightroom complain about the lacking equipment and space, and we know they're not going to do anything to make things better. I can't blame the general staff members because what can they do? But either corporate or the managers have made it abundantly clear, this is a cash grab, not a "luxury gym." If you refuse to make more room or bring in mre equipment, or maintain the equipment you have, at the very least stop trying to get more customers.

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★ 2

Went here on a tour, nothing stood out to me. All of the equipment was very out dated and the place was extremely small.

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★ 5

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★ 1

Would not recommend. Impossible to cancel the contract through ABC fitness. Facilities aren’t anything special, and the hours of operation do not justify the price.

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★ 2

Nice gym, totally impossible to cancel the membership without a bunch of random, unexpected fees. It was like jumping through hoops and it took me like 2 years to be able to actually do it. Don't recommend unless you plan on working out here for the rest of your life.

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★ 5

Cool building, clean locker rooms, nice staff, all the machines.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Make sure you read the fine print and not just what the person selling you the membership tells you. They sent a debts collecting agency for past due month fee even after I canceled the membership. No pool, no sauna, and overpacked. For a bit more money and a significantly better experience head down the street to the LP FFC

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★ 1

DO NOT GET MEMBERSHIP TO THIS GYM. They are scammers and have no idea how to actually run a business. They are sneaky about the contract of membership - the woman signing me up made sure I was completely unaware of the length and terms of the contract. Now I can’t get out of the contract unless I have a medical reason or have moved out of the city.

Awful cancelation policies to keep you paying. Save yourself the hassle and don’t give this gym your business.

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★ 1

I never encountered a gym that won’t stop charging you unless you basically “quit properly”

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★ 2

Great gym, unfortunately I had to cancel because they used to close at 10PM pre-pandemic and to this day, they still close earlier at 9, which just doesn’t work with my schedule. Also they took away half the parking spaces in the back. Not a huge deal, just kinda sucks.

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★ 5

I am really happy with the quality of the space and the amenities. It's easy to find times when it isn't crowded and the staff are friendly. I recently had to freeze my account due to a health concern, and Anne was so helpful in guiding me through that. I really appreciated the level of service I received from her. Thank you, BAC!

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★ 5

For what it is, it's a solid gym. Plenty of equipment, class options are OK (maybe more limited than other spots, but it's also not a gym specifically for classes like Barry's or something). It can get busy at certain hours like most gyms but they've increased the number of popular equipment (an extra squat rack, benches, Etc) recently so there's never a super long wait.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 2

You have a 70% chance of choosing a treadmill that is broken (no TV and/or assorted Error codes). Decent place for the price and to sweat.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Bucktown fitness is a very poorly run operation. I signed up for an annual subscription in Aug 2021, the gym proceeded to double-charge me monthly without any notification although they have my email and phone number on file.

The worst part is that members are required to cancel 2 MONTHS before the end of their subscription period. They automatically deduct money from your account without any communication. A very shady operation and I would strongly recommend avoiding Bucktown Athletic Club at all costs.

Furthermore, the gym is on par with XSport Fitness and 2X the cost. This is not good value and there are much better gym options in Chicago.

Source: Google

★ 2

My experience is strictly as a visitor to the city. Can't speak to being a full on member.

Visiting from Houston for the weekend to see a friend. Just wanted a drop in session at a gym near his spot. Came in around 7:30 this (Saturday) morning to ask about day-rates. I was told it was $30, which seemed pretty steep. I'd love to say it was worth the high price, but...

...I wasn't allowed to go see what equipment was available. Only members were allowed back. I really only need a 30 second peak to see if they even had what I'd need to do my workout for the day. But asking me to pay such a high price while also being blind to what I'm paying for feels like a foolish policy. :-/

To stress. The woman who I spoke to was perfectly professional and nice. Place seemed clean from what little I could see. Just maybe give that policy a tweak, and maybe drop that price a little. In the mean time, I can't say much else, nice or otherwise, about this gym.

Source: Google

★ 2

$75/month for a gym with no special amenities. (No pool, sauna, basketball court) just basic equipment and classes. Seems like you could save 50/month and get a deluxe membership with similar perks at some chain or smaller gym

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★ 2

Nice gym but cramped and poorly managed. Affordable though and conveniently located. Problem is they are shady... They said people could pause billing since their restrictions are so over the top and the gym is so small, no one wants to go back. I’ve been driving to the suburbs, attending a much better gym with better management. I emailed the billing department and told them to pause my membership for two months (an option they provided) and they confirmed saying my account was paused. I still got charged 8 days later! Same thing with my roommate—we both got charged after receiving confirmation emails our memberships were paused. Of course they didn’t provide a confirmation number... Disputing the charge. What a scam!

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★ 2

Most convenient times are much too packed. 4pm - 8pm you will need to wait for most equipment - often times find myself completely pivoting my workout for the day. Cardio floor is really nice - plenty of equipment. Weight floor is poorly laid out with redundant machines, long repair times and nowhere near enough space. Their cancellation policy, while clearly predatory, is pretty well stated in the contract - wish I was able to cancel but will have to let it run its course. I would avoid this gym unless you have schedule flexibility or plan on mostly doing cardio / classes. Hours tend to change around the holidays without warning as well - this has happened multiple times as they tend to close ~1.5 hours earlier than posted with no warning. Totally fine with employees getting to their families, etc, but just communicate that change so I don't waste my own time. Simple stuff.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

A great gym, part of the Chicago Athletic Clubs. I only attend the group classes that are offered but all the instructors that I've had there are very good: Bodypump, yoga and spin.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Fantástico

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★ 1

FYI they will charge you a full month dues to cancel. Better off going to Bucktown Fitness right next door, no games being played with their members there!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Has every thing and more that i was looking for.

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★ 3

Not quite enough equipment for the number of people. There is often a line for the racks. It is kept clean and COVID protections are in place.

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★ 3

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★ 5

GREAT PLACE

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★ 5

Feel very safe here with Covid-19. Good teachers, very clean.

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★ 5

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★ 5

This is a great gym. Very clean and well maintained overall.

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★ 1

I would also leave zero stars, if possible. My credit card was stolen and therefore cancelled, and instead of cancelling my membership like a normal business, they continued to charge me--without sending any invoices or anything. So, when I didn't pay it, THEY SENT IT TO COLLECTIONS. This place is an absolute joke. Take your money somewhere else.

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★ 2

credit card expired for one week with my automatic payment. I received two calls and three emails.
You would think I was behind on my mortgage for a year...

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★ 5

Very clean gym with friendly staff and members. Only downside is limited space for weight lifting that gets really packed after 5pm.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

I would leave 0 starts if I had the option. Be aware of the cancellation policy because if you decide to cancel 27 days before your next billing cycle, this joke of a gym will still charge you in 30 days since its "in the cancellation policy". Do not bother politely reaching out to their shady billing company called "ABC Financial Services", as they will basically just repeat the same thing over and over again about the policy like a broken record. I was at this gym chain for 3 years and evidently paying them thousands of dollars wasn't enough to justify collecting another months dues because of their bogus "cancellation policy". It is 100% a cash grab and when cancelling just remember it is going to cost you 1 months membership dues. BUYER BEWARE.

Source: Google

★ 3

Updating my review. I selected this gym and it worked great for these reasons:
1) Great hours (early if you're into that, but also late hours even on weekends)
2) Good selection of equipment: cardio, bodybuilding, decent powerlifting
3) Lots of classes, I'm told were great
4) Friendly staff
5) easy parking on the street, free if you use side roads

Really the only major problem I experienced over the 2 years I used the gym was canceling membership due to moving out of area. We had to deal with an out of state holding company that had very poor communication. At first they wouldn't let my GF break her contract until we quoted their own moving policy to them, then finally told her it would be broken, but a month early so now she has to find a gym to use for a couple weeks in December. We gave them 60 days notice. Left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. Maybe membership decisions etc should be handled locally?

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★ 2

There policy of having to cancel More than 30 days out seems a little dishonest. Many people like me receive notice they have to move in less time, therefore end up paying for a month they cannot use. Additionally, the gym is way too busy during peak hours. The classes offered are decent. Mediocre gym option at best.

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★ 5

Awesome old school gym, with pretty much all you need. Pricing is very reasonable, and no cancellation b.s!

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★ 1

I canceled my account (with email confirmation from their billing people) more than a year ago and I'm still trying to get them to stop charging me monthly... At a certain point the amount they have stolen will be worth paying a lawyer to get it back.

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★ 5

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★ 2

The classes are ok - instructors are all great and very professional.

The staff at the front desk can be rude and the contracts/policies are definitely confusing and misleading. When I first signed up, I was told I could cancel my yearly membership for a fee if I no longer wish to use the gym. When I called to find out the fee to cancel a few months early, it’s just the entirety of what you owe for the remainder of the year. To me, that means there is no cancellation allowed. They should be upfront about it. Of course you can’t find that information on their website.

If you go to any page on their website, it says “Free Guest Pass” on every page. A few weekends ago, I brought a friend in to try the boot camp class. They charged me $15 for the guest pass. By the time she was done filling in all the forms, we were late for the class and it was full, so we walked right back out. When I called to cancel the guest pass and get refunded, they told me it wasn’t possible and their reasoning was “because I already purchased it.” When I talked to membership to ask where this information was available, either on the website or in the gym, they said nowhere.

It’s an ok gym but very expensive for the value and poor customer service. I’d rather do Class Pass.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 1

FIND ANOTHER GYM! This company cares a lot more about their revenue than they do about your life. They have no buyout if you want to cancel your membership before your year-long contract expires.

That means you'll need to pay for nothing if you don't intend to use the gym. It's their policy. They won't go over that of course when you sign up because why would they?

Like so many similar types of businesses, they desperately need to keep memberships. They're struggling to provide value. While so many companies offer flexibility, this one does not. Their bottom line is more important than you.

Beware. Please beware. They do not care.

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★ 1

Fine gym, very confusing layout and they need a map for new members to get the hang of because it's that strange. Or just signage/arrows would be good. Barre classes were so unorganized it was like a childs play studio where the instructor was oblivious that no one was following her. Cycle classes were great but a stuffy room.

1 star because of their cancellation policy/stint. This is their logic: when you join, you will pay us every 30 days. But when you cancel, you need to tell us MORE than one month before the start of your final month, otherwise you will be charged AGAIN for a month that we know you don't need to use the gym for. Such an obvious money grab.

Who says to themselves, oh I think I'll quit my gym in 61 days? Nobody.

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★ 5

Great gym for the price!

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★ 4

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★ 1

Nice gym but they have terrible cancelation policies. I was essentially scammed into 6 extra months of memberships.

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★ 4

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★ 5

A bit busy right after work but very clean and organized.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

Three levels, love the stretching area, the cardio floor is well equipped, the workout floor is big and has decent amount of machines. Only down side is no guest passes offered with membership and purchasing a one day pass is unreasonably pricey.

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★ 4

Very well equipped gym, has three levels! Only down side is a guest day pass is very expensive. $30 per day! Opt for the week pass if you will be there for a few days, a bit better value at $60 but still the most expensive I’ve encountered in my travels in the USA - even NYC was cheaper!!!

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★ 4

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★ 1

Stay away these people are crooked

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★ 4

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★ 4

Really clean enironment and up to date machines - just gets a bit crowded after work due to strange building shape. In a perfectionist though so it’s probably not that noticeable to most. Enjoy!!!

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★ 4

Really enjoy the gym and convenience of location. Very clean, front desk is extremely helpful. However the classes are sub-par. Previously went to FFC and the quality of the instructors and classes offered were far above. Would suggest more 45 minute classes and better instructors.

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★ 4

As a CrossFit gym for CrossFit people:
5 stars, good facility with knowledgeable coaches, plenty of class times and class options.

From the perspective of a non-athletic person:
Can be intimidating and coaches can come off as non-empathetic. I think they care. I think they've often been athlete's most of their life so it's hard to understand how deep the uncomfortable goes.

Maybe I'm a skewed perspective?
- I want to please my coaches so badly I might overdo it when they push hard.
- I'm constantly afraid of being hurt
- I came from a gym that was very friendly to newcomers and people without athletic experience. That gym had a consistent "bootcamp" class that made that crowd of folks feel much more comfortable and gave them a good place to grow more confident with their bodies and the movements. We moved into CrossFit classes at our own pace.

Bucktown uses a 6-week program that quickly integrates you into regular CrossFit classes and using the barbells. Pairing this with the common coach response of, "You can do it, it's fine, tough it out", I have often left class and cried. I understand their philosophies behind why they do this but the mental stress is more than I want.

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★ 3

I've been a member of this gym for almost two years. Locker room is very clean. Towel service is a plus. Yoga classes have been excellent and instructors provide helpful feedback. Parking is a very difficult. I’ve changed my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars because the valet parking they offer is often full. Very frustrating. Otherwise, you have to pay for the closet parking.

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★ 5

This is a nice gym. Very happy with the classes and the equipment. The locker rooms are nice too. I don’t have any complaints.

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★ 5

gym is good again!!!

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★ 2

Great gym as far how clean it is. Horrible parking, reason why 2 stars is cause of Tim Davis.....real horrible guy, talks to people like children. Go to another CAC

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★ 1

This would be a steller workout place if it wasn't completely jammed packed with people M-Th. It is extremely difficult to find space to change in the female locker room, and the locker room is not set up well to handle the number of people to number of lockers present.

That being said, the classes & instructors are awesome. The gym is so clean & fresh. The employees are very friendly & helpful. This would be the best gym I've ever been to if the lockers rooms weren't like walking into Times Square on a Saturday night.

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 2

Gym is alright not my favorite CAC location but they have a great class schedule. I recommend walking or biking because parking is awful. Not sure why there's a "valet" or what his exact job duties are.

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

When I joined a few years ago, I would have given BAC 4-5 stars. It is spacious, clean, well-maintained, well-equipped, and there are plenty of group-exercise options. The membership rate is not inexpensive but reasonable given the quality of the gym.

Recently, BAC has undergone several renovations and added more amenities (e.g., massive pilates studio on the first floor, the equally huge "THRIVE" studio on the second floor, etc.). Although these were built with all membership fees, they are off limits to most members. Management locks up the THRIVE studio. To gain access, you are required to pay additional fees. The actual gym space for regular members, therefore, has shrunk significantly while membership rates have not gone down. And your money is going towards building equipment that you are not permitted to use.

BAC - this demonstrates a lack of appreciation for and loyalty towards your membership base. Offering training programs for additional fees is one thing, but not allowing members to use the very equipment and space that their money has paid for is terrible. It shows that you care more about the bottom line than your customers.

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★ 5

New equipment, friendly staff, always upgrading the gym. Good place to workout.

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★ 5

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★ 5

This is the best gym that I have been a member at so far in Chicago.

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★ 4

Somone made the executive decision to put all the weights on a floor that can't support dropping them 🙄. Also, deficit of space and equipment for strength training, mostly for the sake of excess space for classes. The turf area would be redeeming were it not so small. strength/field athletes beware

Good cardio equipment of all types

Can't speak to the classes

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★ 5

This is probably the nicest gym I've been in. Price is good because the classes are free and you have access to other locations. Staff is friendly and play decent music!

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★ 5

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★ 4

One of the smaller locations, but still clean with plenty of equipment.

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★ 5

Membership is super helpful. Lots of open space to stretch and do less tradition work outs too.

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★ 5

The best!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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