★ 5

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★ 5

Such a smooth experience from start to finish.

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★ 5

The most welcoming and easy to learn a new sport and meet new people! Love it!

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★ 5

Organized a birthday party here for a friend and they made everything super easy. Jake is very communicative and organized, so making the reservation was stress-free. We had so much fun on the day of the party and I would definitely come here again!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Emily at the front desk is the most friendly desk staff I’ve met at a climbing gym. She made the space feel very welcoming.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Best climbing gym ever. Kind and fun coaches, workers, and climbs!
I have been climbing for one year now on the youth climbing team, and can say that this climbing gym is amazing. The staff is very kind and supportive, and it has a great sense of community. It’s really clean and neat, and the fitness gym is very nice. They have a daily survey, and have fun events and activities! Totally recommend this gym.

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★ 5

Great climbing gym, always clean, plenty of routes to tackle. I love the sauna!

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★ 5

First time ever in my life to try climbing! A friend referred me and the first time was for free. The staff there were very patient and effective in belaying and climbing demonstrations.
There were so many walls with a good variety of bouldering, lead climbing, and top roping. I tried three top ropings (two 5.8 and one 5.9) plus one intro level bouldering in my first time! So much fun!

Harness and shoes could be rented or purchased.

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★ 5

Bouldering, top topping,lead climbing. Gym is never busy.

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★ 1

I was visiting from out of town. Paid for a day pass, and then 10 minutes later I had to leave urgently to meet family, and I was told I couldn't get a refund.

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★ 5

Huge climbing gym with both extensive bouldering and toproping options. Really inclusive space!

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★ 5

A great gym!

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★ 5

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★ 5

I have very fond memories of climbing at Movement. It's so great that there is also a gym 💗

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★ 2

They’ve raised prices all while cancelling the fitness & yoga classes that made the price point worthwhile. In addition to this, the cleanliness of the gym has dwindled significantly in the past year. From fruit flies in the showers, showers only having 1/3 products (body wash, conditioner, shampoo) stocked in the stall, and minimal stock of towels at a given point in time, you’re better off at the local LA Fitness.

Update 5/8/25: Classes are back, moving up to 2 stars. Still fruit flies in the showers, still shower stalls missing products, in general lack of cleanliness. I think you guys should hire an actual custodian because the cool climber bros don't mop very well.

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★ 5

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★ 1

No grades on climbs, all crazy comp climbs. Not friendly for all abilities. Only prioritizing elite climbers because everything has to be designed for that to 1% in this country. A hundred dollars a month to come here and they make to terrible and then never reset for months on end. I absolutely hate this comp take over of the gym. After climbing on the comp routes that are 1 through 29 in order of difficulty to some extent. 8+ was fairly difficult somewhat like a 11+ range. Basically if you looked at the comp routes that were set you would see that no one was climbing anything that was above 10. So due to this takeover for the elite climbers of the world members cannot utilize a significant portion of the gym because they're all made for Adam Ondra. Management can set this in a week but it'll take months and months to update it to something worthwhile for paying members. I overheard a lot of complaining about this while there on Sunday. This frustrates me more than when movement canceled all their yoga and fitness classes because of staff wanting to unionize. That harmed members and I think this comp nonsense harms members value. There is just always an overabundance of focus on competing and not on just running a good business there for paying members. I don't know maybe the drawl of Olympics or something is just too important.

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★ 5

Great time

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Clean and spacious climbing gym. Day pass is a bit pricey but there are some other options for regular climbers. Children don’t have a punch pass.

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★ 5

So much value in one membership! Climbing, yoga, sauna, full gym and events all for cheaper than most gyms!

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★ 5

Great first experience with my little girls. The space is clean, calming, and thoughtfully built-out. The staff were really friendly over the phone answering questions about my girls’ apprehensions. They were even more friendly in person. Em and a fellow female staff member working with her this morning were awesome! Em walked us up to the second floor, explained everything to us after answering all our questions, and then we proceeded to boulder. The girls loved it, and the next time I look forward to bringing my son to join in on the action. Lovely facilities with a laid back atmosphere. They offer plenty of areas to sit down and rest between climbs 🧗‍♂️, have a ping pong 🏓 table on the first floor, and a cute gift shop that has a few light snacks to power-up if you need a little pick me up. Fresh food and drinks would be a nice amenity or addition in the future for those looking to make a day of their experience without leaving the gym to eat. We can’t wait to come back!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 5

Great climbing gym.

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★ 5

High walls, excellent routes, unique features, and friendly staff! Visited with a bunch of friends from MKE today after getting rained out from a trip to Necedah. Shout-out to Em at the front desk for her patience, kindness, and great teaching skills while we all took our lead exams 🤘

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

A large and beautiful space with great climbing options (roped and bouldering).

Movement senior leadership abruptly cancelled all their yoga and fitness classes in Chicago, and fired all the instructors right before Christmas 2023. Yoga was a huge part of the community; I made friends and found climbing partners in yoga classes, as well as getting really strong and far more mobile. Teachers were wonderful and classes were fun and packed. Movement increased monthly rates at the same time.

Since they have reinstated yoga and fitness and hired back some (one?) of the former yoga teachers; Five stars. This is what the gym’s tagline offers.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Love movement. They hosted wiggly wednesday and have headlamp climbing!

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★ 5

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★ 5

I have been a member for about two years now. I enjoy climbing at the gym and it is a great way to spend time with friends.

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★ 1

Tried to reach out to Movement LP privately, but didn't receive a response in 2 weeks so publishing my review:

I'm writing in regards to our recent visit to the Lincoln Park Movement on Friday 7/19. My wife and I came to the gym wanting to lead climb as we have never been to this Movement since we've only been to the Wrigleyville location (bouldering only). Being a predominantly ropes gym, we were looking forward to climbing ropes.

When we arrived at 5 PM, the front desk checked us in and we let them know we wanted to take the lead test. They wrote our names down on a sheet and were the only ones on the list. She said they'll call our names over the speaker once they are ready.

Since we weren't certified, we went upstairs to boulder for a bit while we wait for them to call our names. After 50 minutes, we decided to go back and ask how much longer. At this point, they let us know that 'we are not going to be able to test you until after 7PM' since they only have 4 people working right now, one of whom was getting off of work. One person was getting ready to teach a class, one who was a trainee and the remaining person to teach the trainee and run the front desk.

I let him know that it's frustrating because we came here specifically to rope climb and they don't have any one to test us. Rather than letting us know before hand when we checked in, they waited about an hour later that they wouldn't be able to after we had to approach them.

It was a wasted day pass and if this were the case, we would have just gone to the Wrigleyville location instead. This seems to be a scheduling issue, but I was surprised to find out there were so few people working on a Friday night. Being a predominantly ropes gym, you have to have people who are qualified and able to test folks in the gym.

It is a bit ridiculous to tell someone they aren't able to test us until after we paid and had to come back and ask an hour later what the status was, only to be informed that they are unable to. In the future, employees should let people know honestly if they are able to test instead of making folks wait to be told no.

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★ 5

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★ 1

Staff were not very helpful at this location. Had a rude and unwelcoming attitude.

I also do not recommend the company due to their outdated style of handling memberships. I have been dealing with a headache of a process trying to get my membership cancelled in Dallas after moving. They refused to cancel my membership by the requested date. Instead they gave me a refund with in-store credit after already charging me for the following month (the in store credit was not even useful to me because I don’t live next to one of their gyms now). I had to drive up to chicago just to use the credit they gave me.

It is hard for me to name other large brands that would not treat me well in order to keep a good reputation. Sadly movement climbing seems to care about holding on to money rather than caring about their members.

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★ 5

Awesome first time climbing there!!!!!! Will definitely be back soon. Seems like a solid place for a lot of people, no pun intended.

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★ 5

Visited this gym from out of town and have to say that the staff AND members went out of their way to be genuinely friendly and helpful to my group and I! Also I’m an experienced climber and found this gym to have a good range of style and difficulty to their boulders. My friends are beginners and also had fun on the easier grades! Didn’t try any rope climbing but that section looked impressive too.

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★ 5

An amazing gym, specializes in rock climbing, but also have a very nice weights room. I think their new Zumba class is amazing, definitely worth checking out!

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★ 1

Signed up for 1 month only (was only in Chicago a month) and the company, without my consent, put me on a subscription. Called them to inform them I never wanted a subscription, they still won’t refund me, instead giving me credits. I’m not in Chicago anymore. Please refund me now.

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★ 5

Never bouldered before- still felt like home and had great interactions with people. They also gave a class for free to me and my friend.
I love the vibes of the place, much different than a regular gym and staff is so nice. I also spent a long time on Ping Pong table 😂

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Awful management and company. I live across the street from this facility and was using it for its amazing yoga program. 10 days before christmas they fire all the staff and pause the program for "under performance" when it was over preforming. This place is run by money hungry greedy private equity, and has destroyed an amazing community with their actions.

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★ 1

Loved this gym and the people I became friends with up until they cut all the yoga and fitness programs then raised their membership prices on top of that! It's theft in my mind. I was a member for over a year and was about to renew my membership a few weeks ago until they announced cutting those services and raised their prices. My membership is on hold until further notice due to the poor decisions of the upper management. I hope upper management learns their lesson. Next time maybe consult the community before raising prices and cutting 2/3 services people expect in their membership. Not to mention firing all the fitness and yoga program staff right before the holidays... Front desk staff is always great, it's the upper management and corporate greed my friends and I have a huge issue with.

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★ 1

Great place! Hope management learns their lesson that cutting programs right before a price hike was the wrong strategy for long term business growth. Likely will cancel soon unless there’s some clear communication in the next few weeks beyond “we’re assessing the needs of the community”. Unfortunate to see this decline.

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★ 5

Awesome gym

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★ 1

I have nothing but great things to say about the staff at Movement LP. The front desk team is incredibly helpful and kind. The fitness, yoga, and climbing instructors are engaged and knowledgeable. The routesetters are passionate and creative. The youth coaches are energetic, lively role models that you know truly care about the kids.

It is with upper management that I have a problem. A few weeks ago, Corporate Movement abruptly cancelled yoga + fitness programs in the greater Chicago area, promptly firing over 30+ fitness and yoga instructors citing "underperformance". This decision came only days after Movement Chicago raised membership prices while still advertising yoga + fitness.

However, these classes were widely popular and anyone in the Chicago region who attended these gyms would know that they were not the problem. These classes were always at full capacity, run by some of the most wonderful instructors in Chicago. To reiterate what an earlier review stated: " They also have noted that they won't be rehiring any staff that have been terminated in which they would have to reapply for their roles if they choose to return to work for Movement. Not to mention the continued silence and poor communication with members around this whole situation."

This decision to cut yoga + fitness is an appalling one. One that has left 30+ people out of a job during the Christmas season. These people are more than just instructors or former coworkers to me: They are pillars of the climbing community. I would have none of my amazing relationships in Chicago without the yoga + fitness programs, and I know that countless others have relationships like this that would not exist without these classes. In cutting these programs, Movement have not just lost amazing people: they have destroyed a community that I hold so close to my heart.

I (and many others) look forward to cancelling my membership and never climbing at this location again. Go check out Brooklyn Boulders or First Ascent instead.

Source: Google

★ 5

Had a great experience!!!
The front desk staff is extremely friendly and professional.
And instructor Dylan is just amazing, had a great session with him.
Overall its a must visit!!

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★ 1

I joined Movement for 3 main reasons - a large array of TR climbing, yoga classes with a peaceful space & down-to-earth instructors, & good membership deals. Movement’s facilities are top-tier and their local member-facing staff are/were nothing but amazing. Their classes were impressively tailored to the needs of the participants as well.

Within weeks of renewing my membership which includes unlimited yoga and fitness classes, I learned all yoga and fitness programs were coming to a hault with the potential to not return until after my current 6-month membership ends. With half the services advertised being removed from my membership, the membership cost is no longer worth the cost.

When “pausing” their classes, Movement terminated all fitness and yoga instructors solely at the Chicago locations. I cannot stand by and support an organization that removes services without consulting members and informs employees with only one week notice. Some gym members solely purchased their gym memberships for the yoga or fitness classes at Movement. Movement's logo lists "climbing · yoga · fitness" in their logo, indicating all 3 of these are at the core of what movement offers. For this gym to abruptly stop offering two of the core offerings without warning is shocking, entitled, and unacceptable, especially to members who committed to 6 or 12 month memberships.

The reasons given for this were financial struggles and underperformance. Movement is currently still acquiring numerous other gyms across the country, so this organization does not appear to be financially struggling to me. In regards to underperformance, the majority of yoga classes I have attended have been almost full with over 20 people in attendance. If there was an issue with some classes being underattended, it seems reasonable to me that the less-attended classes would have been removed rather than abruptly cancelling all classes. Overall, it appears there are other reasons these classes were removed, and I along with the Movement community do not appreciate or respect the lack of transparency or community input involved in this decision.

Movement claims to be a community gym, but they seem to make very corporate decisions that do not involve the community and are willing to let go employees who were part of the community and who members, including myself, cared deeply about at the drop of a hat. If this is the way Movement conducts business, even if yoga and fitness classes are brought back, I am unsure if I can support this organization.

Lastly, just 2 weeks after renewing my membership recently, I learned that Movement is raising their prices without explanation. I am shocked at how prices can be raised at a time when half the offerings of the gym are becoming unavailable. Without yoga and fitness classes, the cost of the Movement membership is not justified given the other less-problematic gyms in Chicagoland.

A supervisor at the front desk also informed me this price increase would apply to my 6-month membership as well beginning in January even though my membership goes through May. Per the membership agreement, it states, "in no event will your dues change during the 6 month discounted dues period." If it is true that 6-month members will be charged a higher rate in January, this is not in alignment with the contracts members signed.

Overall, I am extremely disappointed in the recent actions of Movement in regards to the Movement Chicago gyms. I loved Movement and wish I could continue using the facilities and classes with the wonderful community that was formed there. I hope Movement can bring yoga and fitness classes back in January 2024, offer the class instructors we love their positions back, honor membership contracts as agreed upon, and issue a sincere apology to the community at large. I will also update my review Movement’s upper leadership acknowledges their poor decisions and course corrects.

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★ 1

Once a climbing haven where yoga mats met chalk-covered hands in a harmonious symphony, this gym now resembles a deserted summit of shattered dreams. The corporation's decision to cancel classes left us hanging—literally—like a climber stranded mid-route with no belay. The once vibrant yoga and fitness instructors, now unceremoniously ejected, disappeared faster than a boulderer's grip.

The staff, once the backbone of encouragement, has been replaced by the ghosts of cost-cutting measures. Attempting a downward dog now feels like attempting to grasp the elusive crux of corporate empathy. With the holiday season approaching, the abrupt dismissal was a present wrapped in a package of disappointment💨

In a move that defies gravity, the membership prices have ascended to new heights, leaving patrons feeling like they've been belayed without consent. It seems the corporation believes we're all training for a fiscal climb up Mount Monopoly.

In conclusion, this once-great gym has become a cliffhanger of despair, with the ✨corporation✨ reaching new heights of absurdity. Climbers, yogis, and fitness enthusiasts, beware—you're in for a fall, not a climb📉

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★ 1

After the sudden cancelation of all of their yoga and fitness classes, I also canceled my membership here. Movement broke their contract by removing 2/3 of their offerings in the middle of a month of paid membership, not even having the respect or decency to their paying members to finish out the month of December. The fitness and yoga program here was incredibly impressive. I attended multiple classes a week for months and classes always had plentiful participants. Instructors had the expertise to modify classes depending if you were advanced or beginner. If upper management had reached out to members and let us know what was going on, I would have been willing to pay more to keep the yoga program running as it was such a one of a kind offering. Instead, upper management decided to fire all of their talented, accommodating teachers with one week notice right before Christmas. Tacky, cruel, and out of touch with their own clientele, community, and staff. I went from loving this gym to being disgusted by it within one week. Astoundingly poor leadership.
My partner and I went here exclusively for yoga classes. I even bought merch which professed Movement’s offerings of “climbing, yoga, and fitness”. I suppose that shirt is useless now as it is technically false advertising. I have so much to say and so many feelings about the way this was all handled. However, I’ll end with this, if you pretend to be a community oriented gym, don’t be surprised or confused when you lose the trust of your community by going behind their backs. Tasteless. As a business, once you lose the trust of your customers, you don’t get it back. Current members, take note, what is to stop them from doing this again to other staff, programs, or offerings? Trust and contracts have been broken and thus you are entitled to a refund. Front desk staff is great and I do understand that this is not their doing. Go somewhere else tho.

Source: Google

★ 1

Facilities are great, people are great, and I enjoy the TR routesetting (though I do wish they had autobelays), but to abruptly lay off the entire yoga and fitness team due to “underperformance” of class offerings with no advance notice or timeline for bringing classes back is shortsighted, disrespectful to workers, and aggravating to members who bought 6 or 12 month membership contracts at a gym that now offers only 1 of the 3 things promised (yoga and fitness are written in the logo and heavily advertised across the web presence). It’s hard to understand what they could mean by underperformance; the instructors were great and there were always 15+ people in my classes. Movement continues to buy up climbing gyms across the country and oppose labor unionization efforts (a thing I only learned about while trying to figure out what the deal was with these layoffs; they’re creating their own PR nightmare), so it’s hard to justify renewing my membership given the other less problematic options in Chicago. Will update the review if they acknowledge their error and course correct.

Source: Google

★ 1

I've been a member of this gym for almost 2 years, and up until 1 week ago I would have recommended them to everyone I know. The facilities are beautiful, the sauna is life changing, the route setters are talented & the staff are incredible. I've loved every aspect of my time here. Unfortunately corporate has destroyed its reputation by firing their entire Yoga & Fitness staff and removing all of those classes from their chicago gyms. Oh, and this decision was put into action one week after they raised prices for membership. How are you going to have your tagline be "Climbing, Yoga & Fitness" and then remove 2/3 of that for only one city??? They have been saying that they did this to "Better suit the community needs" but they never reached out to the community whatsoever, and the cancelation was due to "underperformance" when every class ive been to has been full of people AND they blindsided their staff with one weeks notice before termination right before the holidays.
Its such a shame, this place was the only good climbing option in town (I'm a former member of First Ascent but won't be returning there for various reasons) but this management has made a critical bad decision they are unfortunately sticking by. The longer they do this, the more community members they lose. I hope they come to their sense soon.

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★ 1

I was going to get a membership here because of how much I enjoyed the fitness class. Then the gym unexpectedly fired all the fitness class teachers! Appalling and ridiculous. I will not be joining because this is not a well-rounded membership, and I want to join a gym that respects its employees.

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★ 1

Unethical business practices.

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★ 1

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★ 1

I have been climbing at movement for over a year, and am deeply disappointed by the corporation and management's decision in its indefinite closure of the yoga and fitness programming. When I first started climbing, the gym appealed to me because of its amazing, kind, and inclusive staff and instructors. Their decision to fire all yoga and fitness staff with a week's notice with NO input from members or staff is not in line with their mission and is an insult to the community. The only information we were provided was an email with no timeline or reason (other than "underperformance", which is shocking as I have never been to a class with less than 10 participants). Given recent membership price increases and the constant expansion of movement gyms buying out other small gyms nationwide, it's ridiculous to remove 2/3 of the services they advertise (climbing, yoga, fitness!) This is in addition to growing concerns over its anti-union practices in their Crystal City location. I will no longer be recommending this gym to friends as it continues to prioritize corporate profits over community input.

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★ 1

The fitness / yoga instructors at Movement were all wonderful and taught engaging classes that I looked forward to every week. Yet, Movement insisted on firing all the instructors with 1 week of notice and sending members an email infested with corporate platitudes.

Movement's messaging is grossly disingenuous, as their justification for pausing classes and abruptly firing their employees is "underperformance". If that's the case, why didn't Movement take a greater effort to collect community feedback earlier? Why didn't Movement scale back specific classes / times with supposed low attendance? Why didn't Movement better advertise classes or keep the schedules on the gym TVs up-to-date? Most classes I've attended have filled up the room we were in, so the notion of classes "underperforming" is baffling.

Won't be surprised if they start hiring new instructors in a few months that are even more underpaid and under appreciated than the current staff so they can cut costs while still touting how gReAt their gym is.

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★ 1

Barely weeks after announcing raised rates, they have "paused" all fitness and yoga classes with just one week notice to members. Front desk associates and route setters are great (as are the instructors they fired), but they are taking away benefits that are otherwise promised for their steep prices.

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★ 1

Firing all of your yoga teachers for “financial reasons”, right after you opened many new locations in New York, is the definition of snake behavior. And doing it with zero notice—shameful!!

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★ 5

We visited the gym for climbing three times during our visit in Chicago. Super nice route setting, creative! A little bit too much top rope sections compared to european/german climbing gyms. Nice staff, nice music, towels and shampoo for free, we really enjoyed it!
But hey guys, it would be more perfect with some good coffee/cappuccino and bakery? It's standard in german gyms!

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★ 5

Great climbing gym for rope climbing. Recently renovated with lots of natural light. Friendly and professional staff.

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★ 5

I have been a member of this gym for around 2 years. It has been such a nice experience from the front desk, to the climbing, to the standard gym equipment. I am embarrassed to say I have never gone to a class, but I hear great things and I plan to try when my schedule allows. The staff and almost all of the clientele are friendly, accepting, and easy to be around. There are only a few stuck up people floating around, and they definitely don't work there :)

For climbers: The setting is frequent, interesting and challenging. The walls are textured for easy smearing, and there are plenty of different pitches, arches and volumes. It can be crowded at peak periods in the evening, but we never have a problem finding a route at a difficulty we would like to do.

For everyone: This is just a great gym. There is a sauna, clean locker rooms, towels, anything you need. The entire top floor is new gym equipment for weights and cardio. Even if I weren't a climber I would easily keep a membership here for the quality and price of what you get. I would say the only con from a typical gym standpoint for me is lack of spin classes.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 3

Despite of the tall walls, the smell of stinky feet is able to make it to the top, the gym is barely 2-3 years old but it already smells like fermented sweaty feet, i saw people walk barefoot in the bathroom and then just walk around everywhere… other than that the gym is nice. The feet smell issue can be resolved easily, just don’t allow people to walk barefoot and give them the option to rent sliders.

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★ 5

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★ 5

My experience is typically in smaller facilities, as I am not from Chicago. This place was NUTS! Definitely the best climbing gym I've ever seen. The bouldering routes and top rope walls were of the highest quality! The staff was friendly and helpful, shoutout to Selina and Rachel! Unlike some of the places I've been, the staff really knew their stuff and I learned so much. Definitely going to bring my son here when he's old enough to climb!

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★ 5

Rachel was amazing and always so helpful!!!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Awesome gym with lots of unique angles and climbing areas. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and all the gear / shoes / apparel you could need for a serious adventure.

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★ 5

Outstanding amount of lead routes. A real gem if you're in the area🗽

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

What an amazing place! Went there for the 1st time & was super impressed! Great staff, outstanding wall climbing infrastructure. Organized my 11 yr old's bday party & they all had such an amazing time! This place didn't pop up until we searched a little online & I highly recommend this location for your kid's bday party. Will definitely go back for a day's pass for wall climbing experience.

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★ 5

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★ 3

Potential safety hazard? After taking a bad fall I heard from other climbers that they also had similar experiences at Movements in Chicago (not in other states). Recently this gym had a few freak accidents as well. Management might want to double check their mat stiffness? Have been to at least 30 gyms and have not had comparable mat problems elsewhere.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Beautiful gym with friendly crowd. Both top rope and bouldering sets

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★ 3

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★ 5

Easily the best gym in the greater Chicago area. Offers a lot of climbing whether that be top rope, lead or bouldering. Settings are a bit easy for the grade but overall the routes are well laid out.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Great gym for bouldering or top roping — especially so during the day when it’s almost empty and you can sit in the sauna alone :)

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★ 4

One of the best gyms I have ever climbed at. The bouldering and top ropes where grade A and got me stoked on climbing again. I was only there for a day trip, but if I were in the area I could definitely see myself coming back daily. The only gripe I have was the short staff. I was with a group of people, all experienced climbers (and all excited to rope climb) and we arrived around 10:45. Unfortunately, we were told we would not be able to take our lead checks until 4:00 pm. I understand a few hours, but nearly 6? It seems a little excessive considering the gym did not seem extraordinarly busy. Also, the double wrapped ropes were a little extra. Staff was chill for the most part. Good offerings in the proshop and immaculate setting. Again, one of the best gyms I have ever climbed at with the most fun routes I have ever climbed, but a little clinical and a little corporate.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

This place is great!! Love the environment that has been created here. Nice tall walls with good routes for every grade/type of climber.

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★ 5

Awesome gym!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Big walls, say no more. We’ve converted almost all of our friends at other gyms to being movement members because this gym is a notch above the rest

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Super cool and lively gym. Tall, tall walls and a decent amount of bouldering. Lots of great classes, like acro yoga!

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★ 5

We moved here in September with no climbing experience and have loved coming to Movement. The staff is knowledgeable and understanding - Pearl in particular is an absolute rockstar. She has been infinitely helpful and is just really nice 😂 highly recommend this place for all skill levels yee

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★ 5

This has to be one the best gyms mankind has created to date. Tall walls, short walls, mid-size walls; truckloads of tope rope and lead routes. Bouldering problems out the wazoo and a well equipped gym, all run by a friendly and knowledgable staff.

Source: Google

★ 5

We came over to Movement LP from Brooklyn Boulders LP after it closed, and it's a very nice (much larger) gym with all of the modern amenities we had before (bouldering, ropes, fitness area, classes, sauna). We were worried about parking because at the other gym we had a huge free lot, but Movement has a convenient attached garage for only a couple of dollars (will be great for winter) and street parking that we haven't had trouble with yet. It's also accessible from the North/Clybourn transit station, less than 5 min walk.

Their grading system for bouldering does take some getting used to, but overall we are satisfied with the bouldering there and all of the ropes options are inspiring us to do that more. I think the only gripe I have is there aren't as many machines in the fitness area (leg press, hip ab/adductor, etc.) but there are still a ton so it's not a big deal.

Lots of other BKB members moved over as well, including route setters, so the community is very familiar. The BKB closure situation really sucked, but we're so glad we have Movement! Thanks to the staff for welcoming us with open arms!

Source: Google

★ 4

Edit: I noticed some changes the day after the review. They opened up the big lockers and doors were not closed at 10:30 next day. They even posted some "accessibility" signs on big bin shower rooms and bathrooms. I guess the management is pretty good at the moment and listens to customers' constructive criticism to make everyone's experience better. I appreciate it personally & updated the review up by 2 stars.

They close their doors before the designated closing time. I stopped by at 10:30 because I forgot something but the door was closed despite supposedly working till 11 and there was no-one around to flag down. Not happy about wasting my time.
Also, none of the movement gyms have auto-belays, which is really inconvenient.
The boulder problems ratings are imprecise - posting difficulty number on them shouldn't be such a bother. (supposedly they are on an app in a cloud somewhere but some of us don't want to stare at phone while climbing)
Large cubicles in changing rooms are never available.
Yoga lead seemed rather aloof and couldn't wait a single minute past the start time despite there being only one person present besides me and my bud.

I hope I warm up to this place but so far it lacked the community feel I've come to expect from climbing gyms in the area.

Source: Google

★ 5

This place is CRAZY. There are climbing walls everywhere. The kids came for a initiation and they had a blast. The instructor who took care of them was super cool.

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★ 5

AWESOME place. from the staff to the facilities, everything is top notch. I have gone in for free trials on their community type days and can't wait to go back to try their class workouts and climbing space. super cool!

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★ 5

It awesome place to do hill climbing practice.Fun spending time

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★ 5

Great atmosphere
Carlos was very helpful

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★ 5

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★ 5

I enjoyed this facitly so much! I wish it wasn't 60-90 minutes from my house (depending on traffic).

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★ 5

Maybe the best climbing gym I’ve ever been to?? Epic walls, stellar setting, HUGE fitness area, great staff.

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★ 5

I genuinely love this gym! It’s clean, spacious, modern, and has every type of amenities to enjoy when your fingers can’t keep up from climbing so much! I love the shock absorbing treadmills they have along with the curved and traditional ones. I have yet to use their fitness and yoga classes but I’m sure they’re just as high quality as everything else is! One of my favorite part is the sauna. I’m so happy this is exists and the hours of operation are so generous! The staff are all very friendly and helpful. They create a welcoming environment for everyone and it shows! People who come to the gym are respectful towards others and I honestly couldn’t ask for more. Well…maybe a jacuzzi but I can live without it lol

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Maybe the nicest climbing gym I've been to in the US.

This gym is awesome. The setting is *great* — really thoughtful movement regardless of grade, interesting cruxes and rests, relatively stiff for the grade. The walls are also awesome, very high and with tons of interesting features (e.g. overhung sections that pull onto slabby sections; a totally awesome overhung lead area.

In addition to the routes, they have a kilter board and tension board, the hangboarding section is awesome (e.g. built in pulley systems), and the training area upstairs is also really complete with multiple TRXes, multiple lifting platforms, etc..

For a climber looking to train, it really can't be beat.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

Favorite climbing gym!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Amazing routes and boulders. The route setters are excellent there!

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★ 5

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★ 5

One of the better climbing gyms I’ve been to

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★ 5

Fantastic top rope and some very interesting bouldering. Absolutely loving Movement! A welcome addition!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Amazing place. Lots of routes! I'll probably start using this gym instead of First Ascent.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

I had so much fun! I came from Holland Ohio and I had Harrison as my instructor! I had so much fun climbing! Best climbing walls, inexpensive, and very clean. They have a water fountain which is nice if you forget your water. You will get some cuts and scrapes so wear clothes that cover the skin if you can. I wore shorts and a t shirt so I was getting scratched up a bit but it was too much fun to let that get in the way. Harrison was so patient, kind, understanding, and really funny! Get Harrison!! Also if you’re a size 14 they might not have your shoes so bring your own rock climbing shoes if you’re bigger than a size 14.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

I boulder solo. No issue

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★ 5

Awesome brand- new place. A lot of fun routes for any level!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Great gym, great routes. Music is all over the place but not in a good way, often times downright insufferable/sleepy (1/29, 5pm). Less smooth jazz and electro-fusion pretty please. We honestly thought about leaving.

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★ 5

First gym membership I've ever signed up for in my whole life! Plenty of bouldering and top rope walls to enjoy. Love the backdrop of rock music. Awesome!

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★ 2

Boulder setting and wall design is OK. Ramp/cave wall is similar to Movement RiNo.

Boulder rating system is fairly useless. Overlapping color ranges- a red problem could be anywhere from 1 grade lower to 5 grades higher than a yellow problem next to it. For newer climbers who can't yet guess the grades so well or don't have the Kaya app, it will probably be a really confusing experience here.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Nicest climbing gym I have been to in my entire life, hands down. Route setting was awesome!

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★ 5

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★ 5

One of the best top ropes and leads in Chicago. There are no auto belays so you'll need to bring a climbing partner or find one on their Facebook page. They also have a bouldering section if you want to do that.

The only downside is the parking which can be a hassle.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 4

Pretty awesome climbing gym! Only downside was the lack of (zero) auto belays for solo's. For the amount of routes, it doesnt make any sense. When asked an employee if they had any autos going up, response was no. Dont get me wrong, its a good gym but pretty disappointed that they wouldnt put up a few autos. Guess if you go solo, boulder is the only option... . IF you go solo, this is not the gym for you. I do go solo time to time, and this would deter me from joining as a member.

Source: Google

★ 5

SUCH A NICE GYM! I typically go to Movement gyms in Colorado but I stopped by here a couple of times on my trip to Chicago and I’ve got to say - it’s so nice! A very large 3-story facility with a good number of top rope and bouldering routes and challenges. They have lead climbing too but I didn’t try that out. The facility is new and has great new equipment. The ratings are a bit more vague (e.g. uses +/- instead of letters such as 5.10-). There’s a nice sign up white board where you can look for partners. The yoga studio is very clean and calming and has the equipment you would need to practice yoga. The gym on the top floor is very spacious with a lot of equipment. People are friendly and I feel like I wouldn’t have a problem finding some climbing partners and meeting new people if I were to stay in Chicago. I’ve got to say this seems nicer than the Baker gym in Colorado and I’m a little jealous.

Source: Google

★ 5

Best climbing gym in Chicago!

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★ 5

Movement is awesome, I’m very glad they opened this location. I love to climb and lift so I was happy to see that there was a significant emphasis put on the quality of the fitness area and now I have a space to combine both of my favorite activities!

The ONLY downside to this place is the early closing on weekends. Please consider staying open later, especially on Sundays! The 6pm closing time is super disappointing, it would be great to see the hours change to be more inclusive to everyone’s schedule. I would definitely take full advantage of later hours on the weekends, especially to use that gorgeous fitness area!

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

Another excellent climbing gym here in the city. I didn’t get lead certified so this review is just for bouldering. The bouldering routes are excellent, the long 45° roof area is such a fun challenge. I’m not the biggest fan of the color coded vague rating system.

Really excellent facility, the top floor is a standard gym that is pretty large for a climbing gym. Staff was super friendly even though they were busy opening day.

Source: Google

★ 5

My husband and I attended an introductory rope climbing class here today and we had a blast. We have never done any type of climbing before so we were mildly intimidated before walking in. When we walked in we were checked in quickly and made to feel comfortable right away! Janet and Shell taught our intro class and they were amazing! Super patient, informative, helpful, nice, funny, etc. They made it fun and easy to learn. We both left feeling confident about proper climbing safety, technique, and just general knowledge that we didn’t have when we walked in. If you’re thinking about going, this is your sign! Highly recommend! We can’t wait to come back. Thank you Janet, Shell, and all of the front desk staff!

Source: Google

★ 5

Not a fan of the circuit rating for the boulders, but the rope section is wonderful! The largest and most diverse rope gym in chicago.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google