We’ve said before that Hoboken sometimes feels like a revolving door of new businesses. Just like revolving doors, the system isn’t perfect: every so often, a prospective business gets held up or trapped in the rotation, waiting to be freed from the glass. Chip City, a gourmet cookie chain now open at 113 Washington Street, made it out after two years. Other alleged newcomers, like Orangetheory Fitness, haven’t shared the same luck (the fitness chain has been rumored to open in Hoboken since 2019). Now, another fitness chain has entered the Hoboken rumor mill: staff members at Equinox, the luxury members-only gym, shared that a Hoboken location might be in the works — but is this just another jam in the revolving door? Here’s what we know about the rumors surrounding a potential Equinox location in Hoboken.
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The Rumors
On Tuesday, March 26th, The Hoboken Girl received a tip from a reader: “There’s buzz that an Equinox is coming to Hoboken!” Accordingly, the reader heard rumors from two separate Equinox employees on two separate occasions. One employee’s confirmation could only go as far as “whispers” that “may be true,” but asked to remain anonymous to avoid issues.
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Other than that, there’s been little talk at all about a Hoboken Equinox in town. Members of the Jersey City Reddit thread discussed the possibility of a Jersey City location, but the forum gave way to more of a pros-and-cons debate than any concrete confirmation.
As one Reddit user pointed out though, SoulCycle is owned by Equinox Group, the same parent company behind Equinox gyms. SoulCycle opened in uptown Hoboken back in 2018 and shows no signs of slowing its spin pedals anytime soon.
Currently, Equinox has two New Jersey locations: Paramus and Summit. The gym has plenty of locations scattered around NYC, the closest to Hoboken + Jersey City being Equinox Printing House.
In response to questions from The Hoboken Girl, a concierge rep at Equinox corporate said “At this time, we don’t have more information to share, however, we are excited about the possibility of future new club locations!” The words “new” and “locations” were highlighted yellow in the response.
So, What’s the Big Deal?
As far as gyms go, Equinox is polarizing among the public. Bearing the motto “It’s not fitness. It’s life,” the members-only gym presents more as a luxury resort than a fitness center, with its own spa and steam room to boot. The decadence means the prices are decadent too: according to Popsugar, as of 2024, “the exact number depends on your location, desired access, and level of commitment,” the most basic memberships starting at $200 per month. The highest tier of membership, the Equinox Destination Membership, ranges anywhere from $345 to $405 per month — again, depending on location.
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Though polarizing, Equinox continues to grow popular: there are 107 locations worldwide, spanning NYC to Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and even Canada.
Equinox was formed in 1991 “on the notion that fitness can empower a life well-lived,” per its website. According to GQ, the company was founded “by the Errico siblings, real estate gurus who hypothesized that the company could expand almost indefinitely because New Yorkers would be unwilling to travel more than ten blocks for fitness.” Perhaps that philosophy stirred reservations for a Hoboken location: ten blocks is almost the entirety of our little town.
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Of course, a Hoboken Equinox is far from confirmed — and Hoboken locals have played victim to rumored fitness centers before. In 2019, a source confirmed with HG that an Orangetheory was well on its way to Mile Square after years of previous speculation. Yet, at the time of this reporting (5 years later), Hoboken remains Orangetheory-less. On the food front, Shake Shack did eventually open, only after five years.
We’ll update this story as details unfold. For now, follow Instagram + TikTok for the latest Hoboken and Jersey City news, and sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
