Park Slope Gym With Sauna Since 2000: Harbor Fitness

Harbor Fitness PLUS, at 550 5th Avenue in Park Slope, has a sauna in both the men's and the women's locker rooms, and adults can try the club with one free trial workout. Visitors without a member pay a $25 guest fee, and the doors open at 5am on weekdays. For a Brooklyn gym with sauna access that is not part of a national chain, this is the neighborhood's long-running option.

Harbor Fitness describes itself as a privately owned and operated chain with seven locations across Brooklyn, and its tagline claims it has been keeping Brooklyn strong for over 30 years. The Park Slope club was the company's second location, opened on May 15, 2000. That history shows in the membership. Many regulars have trained here for years, and on a weekday morning the floor feels like a neighborhood fixture more than a franchise.

In 2019 the club was expanded and redesigned to its current 23,000 square feet, set inside a 19th-century building that keeps much of its original architectural detail. That is why the room has height and character that newer glass-box gyms lack. You lift under old windows and brick rather than under a drop ceiling.

The club page lists sauna and showers in both the men's and women's locker rooms, so each side has its own room and you do not need to share with the other locker room. The company FAQ adds that some locations feature a sauna and that the Bay Ridge 92nd Street club also has a steam room. Park Slope has no steam room, so if wet heat is what you want, that is the branch to visit instead.

Because the sauna is inside the locker room, the etiquette is simple. Shower before you sit, put a towel under you, and keep sessions to about fifteen minutes when the room is full after work. Complimentary towel service and eucalyptus towels are part of the amenities, which makes the post-sauna cool-down easier than at many neighborhood gyms.

The equipment list on the official page includes new Life Fitness and Hammer Strength machines, an indoor athletic training turf strip and boxing equipment. The turf is where you will see personal training clients pushing sleds and doing carries at 6pm. If you want free weights without a line, the hour after the early rush, around 8:30am, is usually calmer.

Locker rental is available on top of towel service, which matters if you plan to come straight from a commute several days a week. The club sets the minimum member age at 16, and guests are not allowed between 11pm and 5am, so late-night visits are for members only.

The FAQ explains the free option clearly: click the trial pass link on the website and you get one complimentary workout. All guests must be 18 or over and show a photo ID at the front desk. Use that free visit on a weekday after work if you want to see how busy the sauna gets when you would actually come.

After the trial, a visitor pays a $20 guest fee when accompanied by a member, or $25 when visiting alone. The company states that all advertised membership pricing includes tax. Monthly rates are quoted at the club rather than online, and the homepage was running a reduced registration fee promotion in October, so ask the desk for the current offer when you visit.

Club hours are 5am to 11pm Monday through Friday and 7am to 9pm on Saturday and Sunday. Park Slope is a commuter neighborhood, so the floor fills between 6am and 8am and again from 5:30pm to 8pm. Weekend mornings are busy too, especially before strollers head into Prospect Park. A mid-afternoon session on a weekday gives you the sauna almost to yourself. Bring a padlock if you are not renting a locker, and pack a dry layer for the walk home, since leaving a hot sauna into a January wind on Fifth Avenue is a shock to the system.

This club suits someone who lives or works in Park Slope, Gowanus or South Slope and wants a sauna after lifting without paying Manhattan luxury rates. It is also a good fit for people who like a familiar crowd and staff who learn names. Swimmers should skip it, since there is no pool, and anyone who wants steam should go to the Bay Ridge 92nd Street club.

Membership freezes of one to three months are free, which helps if you travel in summer. If you only need a sauna once a month, the guest fee route is cheaper than a contract.

Prospect Park is about a ten-minute walk east, and a loop of the park's drive is a good warm-up before a strength session or a gentle cool-down after the sauna. Closer to the club, the Old Stone House in Washington Park on Third Street is a reconstructed 1699 Dutch farmhouse tied to the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn, and its small park is a quiet place to sit for a few minutes.

Fifth Avenue itself is lined with cafes and casual restaurants, so a recovery breakfast is never more than a block away. On a cold evening, the walk from the sauna to the train is short enough that you will not lose all that warmth.

Address: 550 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Club hours: Monday to Friday 5am to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am to 9pm. One free trial workout for adults 18 and over with photo ID. Guest fee $20 with a member or $25 alone. Saunas in both locker rooms, no steam room. The closest station is 4th Avenue–9th Street on the F, G and R.

Use the Karpo APP to plan a Park Slope morning that strings together a park run, a sauna session and brunch on Fifth Avenue.