Brick Board

Facilities: Location Padonia started as a tennis club with bar, hot tub, and cigarette machines. Since the owners Lynne and Victor Brick bought the gym in 1985, the space has been reconfigured to include a half basketball court and a large equipment room, which features modern apparatus such as Ellipticals, cross trainers, and Stairmasters on two floors. There is a joie de vivre among sports fans, and it's not unusual to see Lynne Brick in the middle of them.


Who is it: The average age is around 41, with most members between the ages of 25 and 65, said Josh Gerber, director of corporate marketing.

What's hot: TRX suspension training, Brick Board fitness Boxing, Baltimore Barre ("a cross between Joseph Pilates and Jane Fonda," said Brick), spin ("Everyone knows how to ride a bike," he explained its popularity), and focus on exercises for 30 minutes when challenged. A sign outside the building to remind the members, "Do you have a flash today?"

Special Feature: The club is open at 4:30 am for early birds on weekdays, has a Little Brick child care program is structured, has a private group training and individual sessions, and hundreds of classes, including Zumba, body butter and body jumping.

Meet the trainers: Certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor Pam Monacelli has been at the Bata Agency since 1993. "What I really enjoy is seeing someone finish something that they do not think they could do," he said. "I strongly believe that we all have it in us to do things we never imagined we could do."