St Charles Ave Athletic Club

In general, I had a great experience with this gym. The facilities were exceptional and the staff were friendly overall. The amentities were a bonus. Unfortunately, I believe that this is a discriminatory club.

Pros: Great facilities

Cons: Legal does not equate to righteousness

Posted 11/24/09

Contrary to the other commenters, I've found the staff and owner to be plenty friendly. The club is clean, well-equipped, open long hours and in a convenient location with parking.

The main gym has lots of equipment as well as a separate area for women. The biggest plus for me is free classes, including yoga, Pilates, step, spin and weight-lifting. There are trainers willing to help put together a program or work with you over several weeks or months.

Cost of membership is very reasonable, especially if you take into consideration the free classes.

Pros: Lots of classes, equipment, never crowded

Cons: no pool

Posted 10/22/09

I was a member of this gym for about a year. I liked their late hours and found the staff very friendly. But then I left, to go to another gym that's closer to my apartment (NOAC). Another friend of mine also left St. Charles to go to NOAC, and they kept billing his card for several months even after telling him they'd canceled his membership. When he tried to talk about this with the owner, the owner was rude and completely unhelpful. It seems this is common practice based on the other reviews here, so even though my experience there was mostly good, I'll never consider going back.

Pros: friendly staff, good hours

Cons: small, dishonest in billing practices

Posted 08/15/09

Pros: I love this gym because it's in a great location, a short 3 minute ride from where I live. They have a ladies-only area, there's a tanning salon next door, they have a great towel service that are always fluffy, warm and smell great; they have a special rate for couples, and the treadmills have their own TV set in the screen.

Cons: the staff and the manager are not the most friendly people in the world, but it's not like I care that much. In other gym's I've been I've had my metabolism test and routine given for free, but they don't offer that. Their metabolism test is $65 and each training session is $40. I just prefer to not pay that, and follow the routine I had in my previous gym. They close early in the weekends, and I do most of my workout at night.

Pros: Towel Service, Parking Lot

Cons: Management & Staff

Posted 07/19/09

Its is terrible to hear this things about a place that is close to me and not to be able to go /due the bad reviews.

Pros: It would have been close to my home.

Cons: Bad Reviews

Posted 05/30/09

Do not listen to Anna8. She obviously has psycological issues considering she is taking anti-depressants. I have been a member at this gym for years and the staff and management are AWESOME. The gym is IMPECCABLE. Do not take advice from one person who clearly has an issue. Go to the gym itself and I GUARANTEE you will LOVE it. I have never had any problems here and the RATES are UNBEATABLE.

Pros: awesome staff, convienient, well maintained, clean

Cons: none.

Posted 05/29/09

I've been a member of this gym since November 2008. Let me tell you something, people: it is really up to y'all to get your behinds to a gym and work out because at least 50% of your success is your own commitment. However, while you are making progress and enjoy being a gym member, someone helps himself to your credit card...

I went to this gym because for me it was either anti-depressants or a healthier way - workout. The workout helped me a lot. My personal trainer, the woman with a body that shows what you can look like if you truly commit to workout, is amazing and her co-workers are very friendly and inspiring and also professionally looking . Well... here comes the only CON: the owner/manager, is rather difficult to deal with because he makes you feel like all he cares about is your money. It's like he's judging people on basis how much they are worth to him... Or was it just me, was i being treated different? That's unfair and hence wrong! Of course, he's a businessman, but before you get your money out of people, you better show them some love. It's a simple #1 customer service rule, isn't it? I have been in service industry for a while and have been officially recognized for excellent customer service skills, so i know! He seems to make prices and rules about the gym classes and etc. right from the ceiling... And here is why i feel this way:

After my first personal training package was about to end, he called me personally on A SUNDAY morning saying that I owed him money!!! It was a mistake and NOBODY does business on Sundays! This is people's personal time with families, church, etc. I found that to be extremely unprofessional and simply unpleasant. But i decided to forget it and continue enjoying working out with my trainer and on my own. People come to the gym to feel at peace and that's what i felt... for a little while. Here's why again:

My personal training package usually consisted of 6 sessions plus 1 free session, so 7 total. I usually re-opt on my last session. Well this time, the owner helped himself to my credit card without even having a courtesy to call me and let me know... that he does not include that one last free session anymore since a few months ago and apparently i owed him money!!! Howcome he never told me about it? Howcome he blamed it on a trainer and then refused to handle matter professionally himself without making his staff call me and ask to REMOVE MY SITYSEARCH REVIEW!!! So this is my edited version even though i was being honest without using any wrong language... The owner had the audacity to call me on my personal phone and accuse of writing a "nasty" review and "not understanding how the personal training package works." He would not even listen to what I had to say as a customer. All i tried to say without even arguing that I knew nothing was free in this life and I was willing to pay for my sessions because they were so AWESOME and i really wanted to continue training. I just didn't appreciate my credit card being used so liberally like it was a pack of gum for a common use...

I am so upset because now i have to find a new gym and it is not easy to find such convenient location and such an AMAZING staff. All the trainers! If you read this, y'all are unbelievably great! Hope you don't judge me for being honest and trying to protect my interests... i don't feel like i have to appologize and remove my honest review. Sorry if the truth hurts someones feelings.

Anyways... Is this how we "change the shapes of New Orleans?"

Pros: excellent staff, location, equipment

Cons: management

Posted 05/28/09

Being new in town, I tried St.Charles Ave. Athletic Club,because it's close to where I live.I must admit that I was put off by the negative reviews,but I also like to think & develope my own feelings about this gym .Based on my one-day visit,I'll definitely get a membership here.Oh by the way, I'll be training with the"Elderly Bullying Trainer." maybe I'LL look like her after a year's worth of training!!!!

Pros: great staff, knowelgeable training staff

Cons: more cardio classes!!!!!!!

Posted 04/20/09

I"m not new to the city but I am to this gym. I'm so happy that I didn't take the advice from the previous reviews. This is a wonderful gym. It's clean, the staff is nice, the trainers are all certified. I'm training with the elderly lady that was mentioned in the last review and she is much better than that pregnant trainer that I took a class with which is no longer there for obvious reasons besides pregnancy. The she man mentioned might look rough but she is one of the many sweetest and helpful trainers there. She is a bodybuilder champion, no wonder why she looks the way she do, what do you expect, do your research.

Pros: Clean, no hassle for canceling membership, great staff

Cons: None

Posted 03/19/09

The equipment in the gym was nice, but being charged for the extra 5 months was not worth it. As other members have said, trying to cancel is difficult. I canceled with the club, where they lost the record of my cancellation and continued to charge my account. I would advise you avoid this club and save yourself the hassle... and the money!

Pros: equipment

Cons: lost record of cancellation and continued charging account

Posted 02/10/09

At the moment, I have tried to freeze my account for a few months for work however they have charged my account and the staff has been very rude and arrogant towards me. I am debating to cancel my membership due to the staff and their atttitude.

Posted 11/26/08

If you become a member and try to leave they keep billing you and billing you and billing you and billing you. The staff is not friendly. The only reason I joing was b/c it was close to were I live. I totally regret it

Posted 10/15/08

Friendliest gym I've been to in New Orleans. Helpful and caring owner on premises, great classes, clean, and NO CONTRACT!!!

Pros: great classes, friendly envirnonment, clean, women's only area, no contract, great monthy rates

Cons: small, needs more tredmills

Posted 08/15/07

The St. Charles Avenue Athletic Club is in a convenient location across Westbound Hwy 90 from the Central Business district. Even before Katrina it didnt' seem like fitness and a physical activity were all that important to New Orleans residents, especially during the summer months, so I figure that was pretty frustrating for extended visitors to the city who were into more than drinking, smoking, over-eating and having their ear drums punctured at the live music Venues of the Big Easy. This gym is small but adequate. The cardio equipment could be in better shape as several of the bikes and one or more treadmills is broken at any given time, but they have all your standard free weights and strength training machines and most everything is accessible even on busy days. Their hours are good too, staying open until 11. Parking can be kind of a pain and I don't think their small parking lot has camera surveillance but I can't see that as doing much good in New Orleans anyways.

In short, don't expect a typical fitness super-centre that you'd find in other major cities, or a top-knotch university gym, but if you're here temporarily or an infrequent gym-goer then this place is okay.

Pros: convenient location, not crowded, plenty of weight equipment

Cons: broken cardio equipment, small locker room

Posted 07/19/06