This gym is the WORST in the whole city! Like so many big gyms, this one is a total con. I signed up with them two years ago, with the promotion that they would take one-third off the full membership price. Of course, that one-third wouldn't kick in until your third year membership and meanwhile, a standard monthly fee was between $55 and $65.\r
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Their equipment is varied, but they have WAY too much of some things, like treadmills, and not nearly enough of others, like weight machines. Most of the gym's equipment is cardio. They only have about two of the same kinds of weight machines there, and if two people are using them, well, then you're screwed. Their bathrooms and showers are so filthy, I can't imagine who'd ever use them. Even their water fountains stink of sweat. It's disgusting, but to the cleaning staff's credit, it's not their fault. The men and women there just don't care about keeping a towel handy, so expect seats and floors to have dripping sweat on them and the whole place to smell because of the low air circulation. The few classes they offer seem to be okay... if you're a veteran of them and in the ""clique"". They don't take kindly to new people signing up for them. It's a closely knit circle of soccer moms and Asian college students there and while anyone is open to join in, the instructors have a close relationship with most of the people already there. So much so that trying to gain their attention as a newbie is quite difficult.\r
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The WORST thing about Bally's though, is the staff. They are the most uncaring, unhelpful gym trainers and staff imaginable. They only see their customers as suckers who have way too much money to waste. And yet, sadly, most of the people at this gym are suckers who have too much disposable income. About 90% of the members there are successful women with high paying jobs (which makes sense given the location) and they're there before work in the morning and after work in the evening. They spend money on all the overpriced garbage that Bally's sell, and the staff considers them to be perfect suckers. \r
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But what's worse is how they treat the ones who aren't the ""pretty people"" who go there for a combined four hours every day. If someone isn't your standard gym fanatic and are just going there to get in shape because they are overweight (which are the bodies of 99% of the city of Philadelphia) then the staff will be so evil and cruel to them. Of course, up close, they'll pretend to be nice, but you can easily overhear them in their offices cracking jokes about ""Shamu"" and how disgusting they are. I mean, they should be given credit for trying to better their health, and yet, instead, they're made fun of! And this is a good three-quarters of the entire staff! Only a very few select handful there actually give a damn about people's health!\r
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So in short, this is Philadelphia's biggest (and possibly only) over-priced Hollywood type gym, that suckers wealthy fools into crippling contracts and makes fun of them once they get there. Plus the place is always stinky and sticky. Avoid this gym altogether! It's ONLY upside is the convient Center City location, which anyone can get to by car or public transportation. If you have the kind of dough to waste on a Bally's gym, then I'd suggest you buy a Bow Flex and DVD's, instead. It couldn't possibly be any more expensive.
Pros: Convient location, a lot of exercise machines
Cons: Expensive, dirty, cruel gym staff, careless trainers
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