Aditya Goswami (’26) was used to his routine: wake up, grab a quick breakfast and head straight to his local gym before school. It was his favorite way to start the day. But as he pulled into the Retro Fitness parking lot at 5:30 a.m., a sense of confusion washed over him. Instead of the bustle of early risers, he found the lot empty – except for a couple of construction vehicles. When he approached the gym, a strange scent hung in the air–something acrid and unsettling. The door to the gym was dressed in yellow caution tape, indicating that something was wrong.
On September 15, the gym, a second home to many, was damaged by a fire and is now temporarily closed. Aditya, who is friends with the workers at Retro, was told that the fire was sparked by an overheated fan. Once filled with the sound of clanking weights and squeaking sneakers, the gym was a place to break a sweat and socialize. Now, students are left wondering how long it will be before they can return to their daily routines and the friendly buzz of activity that made Retro their go-to escape.
As of today, October 11, 2024, Retro Fitness has now been closed for 26 days, but who’s counting. On Retro’s Instagram, there have been updates to keep everyone informed of the clean up process. On September 17, Retro posted, “As of last night we started the clean up process.” Meanwhile, members “are free to visit Hackensack, Tappan or Fort Lee.” Although members will not be able to work out at Retro in Tenafly until it is back to normal, members can still access other Retro gyms with the same membership. Some members have taken advantage of this offer and have been spotted at Retro gyms, in the next town’s over. “I have kids from Tenafly now showing up to my gym in Tappan, and I’m not really happy about it,” Mr. Whitehead, an English teacher, said half-jokingly. Despite the gym’s offer to use sister Retros, other members have not taken them up on it.
“I am not driving 20 minutes to a gym,” Niko Myzyk (’27) said. Instead of going to a gym, he has been working out in his basement at home.
Now that Retro has been closed for quite some time, other members have altogether switched gyms due to the frustration regarding the fire.
“It’s definitely irritating that Retro is temporarily shut down; it’s a great gym,” Ron Bender-Gus (’27) said. “But it’s hard to believe it’s taking so long to repair the damage from that small fire. Right now I’m going to a different gym called Underground.”
Many other members of Retro have temporarily switched to Impact Zone as well, but their love for Retro remains unwavering.
“I like the people and the community at Retro, because everyone knows each other,” Ori Ben-Tsadik (’26) said. “There are also certain machines at Retro that I like better than the ones at Impact.”
In light of the recent challenges, the management of Retro Fitness has taken proactive steps to assist their members during the gym’s temporary closure. On September 27, Retro posted, “We have hired a private insurance adjuster to help us navigate the landscape and, in an effort, to keep things moving as quickly as possible. We unfortunately don’t have a definitive timeline for reopening yet.” Recognizing the uncertainty, they are allowing members to freeze their accounts if they choose, with instructions available at www.freezetenaflyretro.com. However, they cannot implement a blanket freeze for all members, as many are still utilizing other Retro locations, which would complicate the process. As the situation continues to extend beyond their initial expectation, Retro’s management staff is working with Retro corporate and their insurance carrier to assess potential compensation for dues particularly if the closure extends past 30 days. When they reopen, members will also have the opportunity to file a grievance form at the front desk to address any concerns regarding their dues during the downtime, ensuring that everyone’s voices are heard and considered.
But until then, many members are still trying to find ways to cope with the loss of their favorite local gym.
“The fire at Retro has truly affected my life in a detrimental way,” Ananth Mahankali (’26) said. “Due to Retro being closed, I haven’t been able to hit an effective workout in nearly two weeks. Luckily, I have a home gym… not nearly as complex as Retro. I believe Retro is handling the situation in a very ineffective way and…should compensate all of their members properly. I greatly miss the gym. ”
At first, Retro did an excellent job of keeping everyone informed about the situation, providing regular updates and communication. However, that effort seems to have waned recently, with no new post updates in over a week. As a result, members are beginning to feel uncertain and anxious, wondering what is happening and when they can expect to hear more.
