Traditional Gyms. A typical gym membership in NYC can cost up to $150 per month, much more than in other cities. The initiation fees can really add up too, although I’ve heard it’s pretty easy to negotiate those down.
Studios. New York City is at the center of a huge trend in studio classes. There are bar classes, Core Fusion, Physique 57, Refine and more. Classes at these studios can go as high as $35 for a one-hour class! The good news is that both offer discounts and trial classes for new members, students and employees of certain companies. Some of them also offer DVDs so you can work out much more cheaply at home.
Fortunately, there are some cheaper options I’ve been able to employ to stay in shape. New York City is hilly! And that means that running in Central Park or along Riverside Drive makes for a great workout. There are also relatively affordable classes offered at Yoga to the People (link?) (they suggest a donation of $10 per class) and a lot of free yoga sessions offered by Lululemon at their store locations. I know there are also often corporate or student discounts available at school or work gyms, which I may look into as the weather gets colder. In the meantime, I’m lucky that just walking around the city and up and down subway steps every day provides me with a built-in workout!