$32 Bouldering Gym Day Pass in Gowanus: Bouldering Project

Brooklyn Bouldering Project, at 575 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, is the Gowanus answer to anyone searching for a bouldering gym in New York who wants more than walls. The gym sits inside the former Daily News Garage, a building its operator says has welcomed climbers for generations, and an adult day pass costs $32. That single ticket also opens the heated yoga studio, the fitness floor and a co-working lounge, so one visit can easily fill an afternoon.

Bouldering Project describes the Degraw Street building as the former Daily News Garage, and the industrial bones are still obvious once you step inside. High ceilings, long sightlines and a floor plan built for trucks rather than people give the walls room to spread out instead of stacking into tight corners.

In 2023 the gym finished a major renovation that added 60 percent more bouldering terrain along with a hot yoga studio. The operator frames the result as a third space for the neighborhood, and the mix of people you see on a weekday afternoon backs that up: laptops in the lounge, kids on the family walls, and a few regulars working the same overhang for the fifth day running. It feels less like a commercial chain gym and more like a neighborhood hall that happens to have world-class walls.

Bouldering Project runs gyms in Austin, Seattle, Washington, Boston, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and the Twin Cities, and a Brooklyn membership includes reciprocal access to every one of them. That matters if you travel for work, because the monthly fee buys climbing in several cities rather than a single Brooklyn building.

The official pricing page lists the adult day pass, for ages 21 and up, at $32. Young adults aged 14 to 20 pay $27, and climbers 13 and under pay $22. Students with a valid ID can get the $27 rate, but only in person at the desk. A 10 visit punch pass costs $285 for adults, which works out to $28.50 a visit.

The value is in what comes bundled with the pass. According to the gym's own FAQ, a day pass grants full access to every daily yoga class, the functional strength equipment, the cardio machines and the co-working space at no extra charge. Rental climbing shoes are included on your first visit, and the front desk gives new climbers an orientation before they start.

For regular climbers, the adult monthly membership is $120 with an $80 activation fee, and the annual prepaid option is $1,200 with no activation fee. Through November 1, the gym is also running a 60 days for $45 offer for adults, which auto-renews at the regular monthly price, so cancel in time if you only want the trial.

Start with a slow lap around the floor before you pull onto anything. The renovated terrain covers slab, vertical and steep angles, and the youth and family areas are set apart, which keeps the main walls calmer for adults. Pick three easy problems on different angles and use them as a warm-up circuit.

Serious trainers will head for the training area, which holds a 12 by 12 Kilter Board, a Tension Board 2.0, a campus board and a row of hangboards. Save these for the second half of the session. Board climbing on cold fingers is the quickest way to tweak a tendon, and the regulars will happily wait until you are warm. If the boards are busy, rest and come back rather than hovering beside the person climbing.

Etiquette here follows the usual bouldering rules. Never stand or walk under someone who is climbing, keep water bottles and phones off the mats, and step off the landing zone as soon as you finish an attempt. Offer beta only when someone asks for it, and brush holds when the line is clear.

Hours are fixed and simple: Monday through Friday 6am to 10pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm. The early weekday opening suits climbers who want a session before work, and late mornings or early afternoons on weekdays tend to feel roomier than the after-work rush.

The heated yoga studio runs daily classes for all levels, plus sessions built specifically for climbers that focus on hips, shoulders and forearm recovery. Pairing an hour of climbing with a class is the smartest way to spend a day pass. Climb first while your skin is fresh, then let the warm room loosen whatever the overhangs tightened.

The co-working lounge has high-speed Wi-Fi and turns the gym into a place you can work from as well as climb in. Bring a laptop, take a call in the morning, and boulder at lunch. Dedicated youth and family climbing areas also make it a realistic weekend plan with children, since parents can climb nearby while kids stay on terrain set for them. Locker rooms have showers, so you can head back to your desk or out to dinner without stopping at home first.

The gym is a short walk from the Union St station on the R train and the Carroll St station on the F and G trains. After climbing, walk a few blocks to the Gowanus Canal and cross the Carroll Street Bridge, a rare retractile bridge that slides sideways instead of lifting, for a look at the restored canal banks and the new waterfront paths.

From the canal it is an easy stroll up to Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, where bakeries, bars and casual restaurants make a good finish after a long session. Give your forearms a rest on the walk, and leave the heavy bag at the gym locker until you are ready to head home. On a warm evening, the canal-side benches are a pleasant place to sit, stretch your fingers and compare notes on the problems you nearly sent.

Practical notes: Brooklyn Bouldering Project, 575 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Open Monday to Friday 6am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm. Adult day pass $32, 10 visit punch pass $285, first-visit shoe rental included. Sign the waiver online before you arrive, and use Karpo APP to save the address and plan the canal walk afterward.