Walk down Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, and you’ll see the usual suspects: Target, Sephora, and a dizzying number of coffee shops. But look up at 70-20 Austin Street, and you’ll spot a name that feels like a portal to 1980s fitness culture. Lucille Roberts.
For years, people have been whispering that the brand is dead. They aren't entirely wrong, but they aren't right either.
Honestly, the story of Lucille Roberts Austin Street is kinda wild. It is officially the "last one standing" of a fitness empire that once boasted over 50 locations across the Northeast. If you grew up in New York or Jersey, you remember the commercials. You remember the pink signs. You remember the "More Gym, Less Money" slogan.
But today? The Forest Hills location is the sole survivor of a massive corporate collapse, and it’s currently undergoing a bit of an identity crisis.
The Drama Behind the Pink Sign
Here is the deal: Lucille Roberts (the woman) was a legend. She was a Soviet immigrant who basically invented the affordable, women-only gym model in 1969. She wanted a place where women could sweat without feeling judged by "gym bros" or paying Manhattan prices.
She died in 2003, and things started to get messy.
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The chain was eventually sold to the parent company of New York Sports Club (NYSC) in 2017. Then came 2020. We all know what happened then—gyms across the country shuttered. Town Sports International, the owner at the time, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Locations in Brooklyn, Long Island, and Manhattan vanished almost overnight.
But the Austin Street spot? It refused to die.
What is it like inside right now?
If you walk in today, you’ll notice things are... different. For one, it’s being rebranded as Lucille by NYSC. They’ve recently shrunk the footprint of the gym to make room for a cafe next door. This has been a huge point of contention for the regulars.
You’ve got a mix of the "old guard"—women who have been coming here for 30 years—and younger women looking for a safe space to lift.
- The Vibe: It’s strictly for women, which remains its biggest selling point.
- The Equipment: They’ve moved away from those old-school vibrating belt machines (thank god) and are focusing more on functional turf and strength training.
- The Crowd: It’s a community. You’ll see grandmothers in Zumba classes next to college students hitting the squat racks.
Why Lucille Roberts Austin Street Still Matters
Most people get it wrong—they think women-only gyms are a relic of the past. But in 2026, the demand is actually spiking.
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The "gym-timidation" factor is real. A lot of women are tired of being recorded for TikToks in co-ed gyms or dealing with unwanted advice from strangers. Lucille Roberts Austin Street provides a bubble where that stuff just doesn't happen.
There’s also the price point. While Equinox and Life Time are charging rent-equivalent monthly fees, Lucille stays relatively accessible. It’s "mid-tier" now, but it still caters to the neighborhood crowd that doesn't want to spend $250 a month to run on a treadmill.
The Elephant in the Room: Cleanliness and Heat
I’m gonna be real with you—if you read the recent Reddit threads or Google reviews from late 2025, it’s not all roses. The biggest complaints? The AC and the bathrooms.
Since the "consolidation" (the polite corporate word for making the gym smaller), members have complained that the air circulation isn't great. If you’re planning on a high-intensity HIIT class in August, you’re gonna sweat. A lot.
Also, the renovation process has been slow. Management keeps saying they are "under construction," but some members feel like it's just an excuse for the place being a bit of a mess.
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Practical Tips for Joining (or Visiting)
If you’re thinking about checking out the Forest Hills location, don't just walk in and sign a contract. Here is how to handle it:
- Demand a Tour First: Some staff members can be pushy with the sales pitch. Don't give your phone number until you’ve seen the actual locker rooms and the state of the machines.
- Check the Class Schedule: The classes (Zumba, Total Body Conditioning, Yoga) are the heart of this location. If you’re just there for the weights, you might find the selection a bit limited compared to a massive Planet Fitness.
- The "Hidden" Fees: Watch out for the annual "maintenance fee" or "capital improvement fee." It’s a standard NYSC move, but it can catch you off guard if you only look at the monthly price.
- Go During Off-Peak: Like any Queens gym, it gets packed after 5:00 PM. If you can go at 10:00 AM, you’ll have the place to yourself.
What’s Next for the Last Lucille?
The future of the Lucille Roberts Austin Street location is basically a test case for NYSC. Can they modernize a legacy brand without losing the "tribe" atmosphere that kept it alive for 50 years?
They are betting on "Lucille by NYSC" becoming a boutique-style women's gym. More lifting, better lighting, and maybe a bit more polish.
Whether it survives another decade depends on whether they actually fix the HVAC and keep the "judgement-free" spirit alive. For now, it remains a fascinating, slightly gritty, and totally unique piece of Forest Hills history.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Visit in person: If you're local, go to 70-20 Austin St during a weekday morning to get a real feel for the space without the crowd.
- Check the digital schedule: Use the Lucille Roberts or NYSC app to see if the classes align with your goals, as the floor space is smaller than it used to be.
- Ask about the "Founder's" or "Rebrand" rates: Since they are transitioning to the new brand identity, there are often promotional sign-up deals that aren't advertised on the main website.