Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge

4 words: Not For The Unfit !
Brooklyn Boulders is a pretty cool place, not just for rock climbing but you can also workout, do yoga, etc. You can also hang out and watch the pros show off. The staff was pretty friendly and helpful.
This was our first time doing this kind of activity and I thought it would be a breeze… Yea right. Apparently rock climbing is super hard (why didn’t anyone inform me of this lol) and a major workout.
One of the staff members showed us how to do the climb with the automatic rope attached (if you fall you’ll be okay they said… It’ll be fine they said.). I thought «ahh this I can work with!» …wrong again Patty!
In order to come back down you have to lean back, let go of the rope, and lightly tap your feet against the wall as you descend. Well let me tell you «just let go» ain’t no joke bro. It’s SCARY. You panic and out of instinct you grab onto the rope (which you’re not supposed to do as you’re falling). Needless to say, I dropped like a sack of potatoes and hurt my arm. Now I know why we must sign our lives away beforehand :)
Not their fault though, they gave me proper instructions and I chose to freak out and throw those instructions out the door.
Although it was a new & fun experience I don’t think rock climbing is for me.

Full disclosure: I work at a university rock wall, and get free access to BKB. BUT, I also regularly climb at other gyms in the city.
I’ve been climbing for about two years, mostly at gyms in New York. For most of those two years, I climbed at BKBOG (in Gowanus). Now, I divide my time between Queensbridge and the Cliffs.
Queensbridge is a beautiful, clean, well-​lit facility that’s easy to access by subway or bike. The bouldering has stuff for both beginners and more experienced climbers. On my bouldering days, I usually go to QB. However, the rope climbing is lacking. There are some good top-​rope routes, but sometimes the grades are kind of all over the place. There’s also only one wall that’s truly good for leading, which is kind of disappointing.
TL;DR
Pros: great bouldering problems, staff, accesibility and overall facility. Good if you’re a beginner.
Cons: lack of stuff for top rope/​leading, lack of bike parking

I am a member at the Gowanus location, but because of the building issues there, Gowanus members get to use the Queensbridge one for free. This location is much better in terms of facilities, and the routes are more technical.
Location: 5 minutes from the subway with a good selection of lines
Facilities: Clean, bright, and spacious. Two floors, the upper one with four to five bouldering areas and some top rope in between; the lower one has a fitness area, changing rooms that comes with showers and saunas (I wish we had those in Gowanus too!!!); some workspace rooms which I did not use
Routes: I did almost all the V5s and some V6s. Compared to the setting in Gowanus, routes here are definitely more technical in style, and requires better footwork. The wall with only volumes was super fun. Also, the density of routes is much lower, which means there is more clarity and less bruised shins!
People: Some people say the Gowanus location is more crowded, but that’s no longer true after the reservation system went on. I felt that climbers here were less friendly and sociable. The crowd’s definitely not the same, maybe because of its proximity to Manhattan.

Great place to boulder and belay. Fellow rock climbers and staff are very friendly. It was not super packed on a holiday which was also a plus.

As a first time rock climber, I wasn’t sure what to expect but this place is so cool! The staff was super nice and helpful. I went on a Saturday night & it was semi empty which means no waiting around. If you’re looking to do something different with your significant other or friends, I highly recommend this. Shout out to Groupon for having this deal.

Awesome place, staffs are very friendly and they try to accommodate whenever they can. 5star

Like this location a lot more than the Brooklyn one since it’s only 5 mins away from Queensboro Subway. I have been here several times since it opened, almost always when I’m able to snatch a online voucher rather than paying the face price for a day pass. Lately there are a lot of Groupon deals, but I personally prefer rush49 one since the promotional discount is always going on, and practically no different than the one from Groupon. I come here usually early morning or late afternoon on weekends, and I find this place a lot less crowded than the Brooklyn location. As always, the facility is hella clean, people are also pretty friendly.
Something strange happened to us when we were at the gym on Sunday: the fire alarm went off. Not really sure what the cause was but everyone was escorted out of the gym, and waited for the fire department to disable the alarm. the whole ordeal lasted 30 minutes. Speaking to someone while waiting, apparently, this has been happening on multiple occasions. He offered his own theory that involves the gym’s air circulation and the climbing chalk that gets thrown around so often. Anyways, whatever it is, just some minor annoyance that i want to share. But will not stop me from coming here.

Having been to the OG Brooklyn Boulders located where the name suggests, I can confidently say the Queens location trumps the original spot. Though, I would gather that «Queens Boulders» just does not resonate as well as a namesake.
Girlfriend and I got a $ 19 day pass and we were given a tour of the grounds. The guide informed us that the residential apartment building which houses this particular Brooklyn Boulders was constructed with them in mind, so high ceilings and building columns feel much more natural in this location. The top floor is the ground floor, with 2 sub-​basement levels completing the boulder and wall complex.
The general populace was also noticeably older and more mature. Less kids and birthday parties than the Brooklyn location, although I would severely discount this observation on the premise that on any given Saturday, it’s bound to be someone’s birthday somewhere in Queens or Brooklyn. The bouldering crowd was stereotypical of the community — everyone laughs and assists one another, the V5’s get along with the V1’s (level of difficulty ranges from V0 to V10+ for the unacquainted) while the V10’s make effortless movements across the wall.
P.S: The location is accessible by car and public transportation. I’d recommend parking a few blocks away because traffic near the location is slightly denser. The 7 train is 1 block away as well, which should make traversing from Queens or back into Manhattan a seamless journey. This location is also notably larger than the spot in Brooklyn.
Look forward to seeing you guys again!

Great time! Great space! Great staff! Great pricing !! Had a blast def will come back

I’m very hesitant about writing a good review here because I don’t want this gym to get as crazy packed as other climbing gyms! But I’m just being selfish as it is a very nice location.
This bkb is very conveniently located near multiple trains. As the name suggests, bouldering is key here and you will surely not run out of problems to solve. I’ve heard it is much better than the other location as it is better ventilated and of course newer, cleaner, nicer.
Staff is very friendly and can often be found climbing as well. They have started changing the walls quite often so nothing really gets old. Only thing is, the ratings seem to be easier here than other places. Kind of gives you a shock when you visit other gyms and can barely do anything haha.
Update: problems are starting to be a bit more challenging!

TL;DR: a great space, but I still prefer Cliffs at LIC.
Full disclosure: I’m a member at Cliffs at LIC, but have several friends/​climbing partners who climb at BKB, so it was inevitable that I’d pay them a visit eventually. BKB Queensbridge is a newer outpost of the original BKB location in Brooklyn. It’s pretty focused on bouldering (which there’s a ton of), at the expense of toprope and lead (which it has very little of). My two friends and I spent about four hours there and never ran out of boulder problems around our level (anywhere from V3 to V5). So, if you’re primarily interested in bouldering, BKB is probably the way to go, and if you’re looking for more toprope and lead, head to Cliffs.
The setup of the space is kind of puzzling in that there are several levels connected by stairs, and the lockers/​weight room are all the way down in the basement (as is the only water fountain). As a result, the gym feels a bit more cramped and not as spacious as Cliffs, which has super high ceilings and feels less claustrophobia-​inducing. This isn’t that big of a deal though — instead, my one big gripe about BKB is that the walls are smooth and polished, which makes no sense for climbing because it makes it impossible to smear. I’m not sure why they chose this material for the walls (in fact, I’m pretty curious about it), but it’s a pain in the ass.
All in all, there’s plenty to do here and I really enjoyed many of the boulder problems (plus the community was friendly — lots of other climbers who we struck up conversations with, climbing-​related or otherwise), but I’m still pretty devoted to Cliffs.

Love it here! I like this facility a lot better than the original in BK mainly because there’s a lack of crowding which allows for more climbing time. This location is also much more cleaner and friendlier than the environment in bk. I’ve been here almost ever Fri of last month and I think I’m addicted to climbing. Just bought my own set of gear so I’m sure I’ll continue to visit weekly.
My only concern is what I’ll do when the amazing $ 20 all day pass promo ends. I’ve been stocking up on them so I can continue visiting since the monthly membership just does not offer the same flexibility as passes. If only they reduced the admission fee for those who do not need rentals… one can hope. I also wish they had more auto-​belay or top rope routrs because of love the thrill of being high up. Bouldering is grrat but not my cup of tea yet.
Try rock climbing for a day and you’ll easily see how amazing it is! I would also suggest getting belay certified so you can take advantage of the place and really climb to your heart’s content as you and a friend belay each other. Happy climbing!

I really had a fun time here, even though this is my first time climbing and I still have a lot to learn.
So when you first start, you will be filling in a waiver form followed by a quick guide tour, essentially showing around the place and pointing out some attention points. After that, you will be set free. I personally enjoyed the non-​rope climbing more as I felt more challenging by figuring out and finishing up the route. Started with V0, nailed a bunch of V1s and one V2, so proud of myself!
I purchased the deal from groupon, 19 dollars for both climbing and roller/​shoes renting. Remember to bring your lock!

Lots of bouldering routes — graded easily but SO MANY ROUTES and lots of every level.
No slackline :(but nice little fitness area, nice lockers, and some meeting/​work rooms (?)
Sauna did not work! They made a huge deal out of the sauna, and I was so excited, and it was room temperature — wtf
Friendly staff !

Had a pretty good experience trying this place out. I’m used to the BB in Brooklyn so I wanted to check this place out. It’s alot more spacious than the original and they have more walls to boulder on than the one in brooklyn. From quick glance, I noticed they only had around one V0 for each wall and multiple V2/​3s. They were challenging but very fun! It wasn’t that crowded on a friday afternoon. Also, if you signed up already for the location in brooklyn, you have to sign up again for the queens location; they don’t transfer over (for guests w/​vouchers.)

For those living in the Queens area, this Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge location is a very convenient location.
On a snowy President’s Day, my son wanted to go rock climbing. Not willing to drive to Brooklyn on a snowy day, I was very reluctant to take him until I found a $ 19 groupon deal for their Queensbridge location.
Though my son (and my nephew) enjoy using the auto-​belay and bouldering (my climbing only involved the stairs taking pictures), this location is best for people who enjoy bouldering. The climbing areas appears to be cleaner and not as crowded (thanks to the snowy weather). Those who are sensitive to chalk dust, the air was not permeated with it (unlike their Brooklyn location).
The following are some of the pros and cons (in no particular order):
Pros:
1. Groupon deal for $ 19 which includes full day pass, shoes, chalk dust and belt harness
2. Not crowded during bad weather (like a snowy day)
3. Clean climbing areas
4. Air was not permeated by chalk dust
5. Decent changing areas and free lockers
Cons:
1. Can be expensive without a groupon discount
2. Can get crowded on good weather days
3. Street parking may be hard to find
With a groupon deal, I’d give Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge 4 Unilocal stars… Suffice to say that without a groupon deal, it’ll most likely get 3 Unilocal stars…

Newer and more spacious than the Brooklyn location, which means more bouldering/​climbing routes! Be aware that even if you been to Brooklyn one before, you still need to sign a new waiver here.

This is a review based on a first time climber wanting to learn. Quick and simple, groupon led me to the «learn the ropes» and was totally worth it and I learned a lot.
Checking in was a little rough, as half the people at the front desk had a stand offish attitude with their body language. Maybe they were a little frazzled with all the people but it being a newer place, I made sure to go during a busy time (12:30 on a Saturday) to see how smoothly things ran there and how comfortable I felt.
There wasn’t much communication and very confusing when a random person called for everyone to follow them for the tour (wearing some kind of BKB branded item could’ve helped). That person didn’t know there were also people signed up for classes and that we were waiting for our instructor. Heck, we didn’t even know we we’re waiting for our instructor. We were just told to sit in until our assigned class time.
It was then time for our class and FINALLY things started moving. Our instructor was super awesome and taught us a lot while making us feel very comfortable with the whole place. On top of taking the class, we were then allowed to stay for he rest of the day so that we could practice what we had learned.
The take away from all this, it’s a great place to start and it can only get better from here. Literally, they are still building a few things (I.e. Showers) and putting the finishing touches on things. The community itself was very friendly and very accepting when you would say that it was your first time. As someone who went by themselves, there were plenty of strangers willing to help! Music played that wasn’t distracting nor was boring. Can’t wait to go back!

So much more space! The bouldering problems aren’t all on top of each other so that you don’t have to wait as long for people to finish bouldering. Some of the awesome features of the Brooklyn BKB are the same — there’s still the ‘beast’ bouldering wall and plenty of top rope and auto belay walls.
So many more bathrooms and locker room space (with gender separate changing rooms) so you don’t have to fight over the same dingy lockers like it was in Brooklyn. I only went for the soft open, but full opening is expected to have a study space as well. I would say this place was as large as the nearby LIC Cliffs.

This place is HELLA cool and so NEW!
First, I used to be a member at the Brooklyn BKB and have been to this Queensbridge location about 4 times now. It’s great! Everything is still in brand new condition. A lot of it is not open yet. But the big main parts are: top rope, auto belay, bouldering walls, bathrooms, etc.
They will soon have fully functional locker rooms with showers and sauna. Yes, SAUNA. I believe they will be putting in some weights and crossfit type equipment downstairs in the gym area. The yoga classes will be starting soon as well, according to the staff.
But let’s just talk about the walls for a sec. There is so much variety because of the space. It isn’t as big as their Somerville, MA location, but was built in a similar fashion. Brand new construction and great design choices all around. They have a crack and chimney (see pics). The bouldering walls are great and the place just seems more open than Brooklyn. The airiness of the big central area lets in a ton of light during the day, so much so I think they purposely put vinyl on the windows.
Come check it out for yourself though. It’s a good time!