Aaron Showalter/New York Daily News
Mike Wolfert is converting a former warehouse into The Cliffs at Long Island City, slated to open in May with climbing walls towering up to 60-feet high. It will be one of the largest climbing facilities in North America.
A city better known for concrete canyons and climbing the corporate ladder is about to get some serious options for vertical adventurers.
Two indoor climbing gyms boasting tens of thousands of scalable feet are expected to open this year in Long Island City, potentially turning the once-industrial neighborhood into the city’s top rock-climbing destination.
The Cliffs at Long Island City, which would be one of the largest climbing facilities in North America, is slated to open in May near the Court Square subway station with colorful climbing walls towering up to 60-feet high.
And Brooklyn Boulders, a popular climbing gym housed in a former Daily News garage in Gowanus, is in talks to open its second location in the neighborhood as well, a company official told The News.
“It just increases the [area’s] cool factor,” said Dan Miner, senior vice president of the development group Long Island City Partnership. “It’s going to bring people in without a doubt.”
The Cliffs will also have cardio and strength training equipment, a party room and a retail store. It will offer yoga and other classes in addition to the climbing terrain.
It will also have a bouldering area, where intrepid climbers can attempt to scale a 16-foot wall without harnesses. A gymnastics mat will be placed underneath.
“It’s going to be a climbing facility that also has a gym,” said owner Mike Wolfert, who has another location in Valhalla, N.Y. “You come here for fun and leave with a great workout.”
He discovered climbing in his mid-twenties and within months closed his Bay Area marketing business to focus on the sport.
“I realized this is what I wanted to do with my life,” said Wolfert, who travelled the globe for a year on various climbing expeditions.
He said he believes the new gym will attract climbing aficionados from all over the metropolitan area and boost sales at local businesses.
Both climbing companies looked at the same former cell phone accessory warehouse to build their respective facilities.
But Brooklyn Boulders decided against the space that The Cliffs took, and is now looking into other local spots, said Lance Pinn, one of the owners. The company plans to open a facility in Queens this year.
“Long Island City seems like a great place for any business,” he said. “The climbing gym atmosphere is the most fun you can have in New York City without drinking.”
Manuel Labindao, organizer of NYC Hiking Outdoor Adventure Group, said the gyms will appeal to outdoorsy thrill-seekers. “It’s just going to get everybody more active,” he said.
Avid climber Patricia Perone, 34, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, said she can’t wait to test them out.
“Rock climbing is getting to be a huge deal in New York City,” said Perrone, who lamented that as the sport has become more popular, the city’s climbing facilities are getting more crowded. “Opening up more gym space is perfect.”
