Central Rock Gym

It was fun! Also beginner friendly. Twi choices: auto belay and bouldering. If you have never done rock climbing, you will be able to use 6 sections of auto belay. There’s also a tiny gym section(super tiny so don’t expect too much). If you’re 22 or under, you will get some discount, so I and my friend paid $33 total.

Important Note: This facility is 13+ only. They have another location near Colombus Circle that has climbing for under 13.Honestly, the age limit is one of my favorite things about this facility. I don't have to worry about small humans running around underneath me while I'm climbing.I've been a member since 2020 and used to climb primarily at the uptown location. The setting at Chelsea is just as great (same team!) and they set very densely so there's always a good variety. I think the setting at both CRGs are more beginner friendly than other gyms in the city. No boring ladders here. I also love that they set similar moves at a variety of levels so you can actively learn and level up.Membership includes rental gear and access to all CRG facilities, so it's a really great deal if you think you'll come at least once a week. Plus, they have free classes for members. The community events are fun and free for members as well.Not sure why other reviews say they set too static or too dynamic, since whether a climb is static or dynamic depends on how you choose to climb it, and most climbs have a blend of static and dynamic movements.

I’m relatively new to climbing. And this place is awesome. Not sure which location I like better. The other one feels more open but the layout here makes me feel like I’m in my own world. Staff is great and friendly. Place is clean and well stocked. I also like the regular gym equipment for when I wanna work out but don’t feel like climbing but still wanna be in This environment. This really is a great place

Visit: July 2024The gym itself was okay, but there wasn't much variety in walls, or style of setting. I found almost all of the routes I tried were static climbs. The gym was on the smaller side, and I found the mats way harder than other places I've been to. For the price of $35USD, it would be hard for me to justify coming back

Great climbing gym with an awesome staff and management team. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a gym in Manhattan. The route setting is diverse, consistently offering new, challenging, and fun climbs. I also really enjoy the classes they offer. At previous gyms, I had never frequently joined the gym classes, but Coach Jenna’s 'Train Like a Team Kid' sessions at the Chelsea and Riverside locations are always fun and super helpful. Coach Jenna brings a ton of great experience and does an awesome job tailoring the coaching to fit a wide range of climbers and helps make more structured training approachable for everyone. It's a fun gym to visit and I would recommend it to both new and experienced climbers.