David Barton returns to Chelsea with ‘Gym U’ facility
Renowned gym guru David Barton has returned to Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood with his new 35,000-square-foot project, “Gym U”. The gym, located at 215 W. 23rd St, opened to the public on June 2 after a VIP party on May 31. As Page Six exclusively reported last month, Barton was kicked out of a Crunch facility earlier this year when they caught wind of his new project. The gym is a reinvention of the same space occupied by Barton’s fitness facility until a decade ago. The new gym features top-line fitness machines and stylish lighting, plus a public café named Mush Room, where patrons can enjoy healthy food, smoothies, and coffee.
Barton’s previous nightlife and club experience shines through, as the gym features great music, lighting, and design details that translate into a sensual nightclub experience for fitness enthusiasts. Barton made it his goal to make it “OK for cool people to go to the gym and have a place where… people who went to clubs would feel comfortable.” The space has even hired an in-house DJ, whose blue-lit booth sits on the side of the large atrium overlooking the workout areas.
The gym has side rooms where members can be immersed in an ozone capsule, undergo push IV therapy, or enjoy personal training. Barton has collaborated with Charles Renfro and Stephen Alton, carpenter Rose Wood, and the award-winning lighting design firm Focus Lighting for the overall design of the space.
FAQs:
What is Gym U?
Gym U is a gym in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood that has been opened by gym guru David Barton. The new gym is a reinvention of the space that Barton’s fitness facility occupied until a decade ago.
When did Gym U open?
Gym U opened to the public on June 2, 2021, following a VIP party on May 31.
Who is David Barton?
David Barton is a well-known gym guru with a background in nightlife and club experience. He has established several gym locations across New York City, attracting an A-list crowd that includes Anderson Cooper, Anna Wintour, and Gwen Stefani.
What amenities does Gym U offer?
Aside from top-line fitness machines and stylish lighting, Gym U offers a public café named Mush Room, where patrons can enjoy healthy food, smoothies, and coffee. The gym also has side rooms where members can be immersed in an ozone capsule, undergo push IV therapy, or enjoy personal training.
What is the design of Gym U like?
Gym U’s overall design is reminiscent of a nightclub, complete with great music, lighting, and design details that translate into a sensual nightclub experience for fitness enthusiasts. The gym has hired an in-house DJ, whose blue-lit booth sits on the side of the large atrium overlooking the workout areas. Barton has collaborated with Charles Renfro and Stephen Alton, carpenter Rose Wood, and the award-winning lighting design firm Focus Lighting for the overall design of the space.
‘Gym U’ Facility Brings David Barton Back to Chelsea
Fitness mogul David Barton has returned to Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood with the opening of his Gym U facility, located at 215 W. 23rd St. The 35,000-square-foot space is a reinvention of the location occupied by Barton’s previous fitness facility, which he left a decade ago. Over the years, Barton’s gyms have attracted a long list of A-list clients, including Anderson Cooper and Anna Wintour. Barton says the new venture represents “the best thing I’ve ever done”, with updated design, new technologies, and recovery schemes. In addition to a DJ booth and public cafe, there are side rooms where members can be immersed in an ozone capsule, partake in IV therapy, or be detoxed and receive personal training. Gym U is also incorporating Newfit’s Neubie electric muscle stimulation machine, which is said to improve the health and wellbeing of those with muscle weakness, chronic pain or other musculoskeletal conditions.