Kid’s Crunch gave parents a break during busy days.
By Lisa Kava
Kid’s Crunch, the childcare service at Crunch gym at 162 West 83rd Street, will close for good on Tuesday and moms who frequent the gym are enraged. The group is planning a protest in front of the gym at 1 p.m.
The moms describe Kid’s Crunch and its beloved caregiver, Angie Rivera, as a crucial part of their daily routine. The childcare program has offered them a break from the solitude and challenges of caring for young children, allowing them time to exercise while knowing that their children are safe and cared for. But Kid’s Crunch will end because of planned construction of the childcare room, which will make way for additional gym space. The moms say that they were just informed about this change on Friday.
The women say they are heartbroken about the news and angry about the lack of notice given to them. “My kids adore Angie,” Amanda Petersen told West Side Rag. ”For almost 2 years, Angie has watched my youngest 5 days a week. As a self-employed mom that hour/day at the gym is the only break I’m able to get during daylight hours, and it’s more than just a physical release- I need that time for my mental health.”
Amanda Peterson’s son at Kid’s Crunch with Angie Rivera.
Jenifer Thigpen, a freelance vocalist and mom of 2, was shocked upon hearing the news on Friday. “It is extremely disheartening that Crunch cares so little about the 50 members who have faithfully trusted them with their children and paid their dues to use the club…to cut us off with only 2 days notice.”
“We are human beings, you are dealing with peoples lives” said Shelly Keogh, a mom of 3 young children.
The group is additionally concerned about Rivera and what will happen to her. “I am so sad for Angie as she has given so much to many and I feel like this is very unfair treatment” said Margaux Nissen Grey, an organizer of Tuesday’s protest.
The moms claim that their emails to Crunch’s managers and member services team have been ignored. Petersen says she was offered a free 3-month membership by a manager she spoke with in person but “it doesn’t help. I cannot use the gym if I don’t have babysitting for my children.”
A spokesperson for Crunch wrote to West Side Rag: “We are closing our Kids Crunch babysitting space at 83rd Street as we make room for more workout space for our members. Over the past few years we have seen a decline in the usage of the babysitting at this location. Meanwhile, we have seen an uptick in memberships and in an effort to enhance the experience for our entire member base, we are utilizing that area to make more room for our members to workout. We value all of our members and their families who have used this service over the years, but due to the space not being utilized to its full potential we have made the decision to use the space for additional workouts.”
West Side Rag asked the spokesperson about the short notice given to members and about the future of the childcare staff members. “We do not comment on employee matters, but I can tell you that our construction timeline was accelerated due to an unanticipated change with our contractor, which moved up our timing.”
Meanwhile, the moms put up a Facebook post urging others to join the protest:
“PROTEST TOMORROW AT 1 PM OUTSIDE CRUNCH!!! Unleash your inner Jane Fonda and go for the burn in a whole new way!! JOIN US!! Save Crunch Kids!”
So, umm, why not just find another gym? If usage of something is down and demand for something else is up, it makes sense to change. Or is this because the moms feel they are entitled to babysitting services at reduced rates?
Many are locked into long-term contracts, so finding another gym may mean forfeiting amounts paid or owed.
Many of us schedule our lives to make sure there is time for exercise – always a tricky balance, and to a parent of young children there are few more terrorizing words than “Child Care Problems.”
UWS moms feeling entitled? Color me shocked!
As one of these UWS moms who uses Crunch, and who it mentioned in this article, I assure you, we’ve looked into ALL other options. I think it’s an ignorant, rude, and entitled person to make this “ENTITLED” comment. First, it’s not just moms who use the service. It’s PARENTS. AND shocker, KIDS. I joined at Crunch because of the childcare, the location, and the cost. This closure came out of NOWHERE (2 business days notice). As mentioned in the article, I work from home, and don’t have endless resources to shell out money for additional childcare for my 3 kids, or a pricier-gym. That being said, IF GIVEN THE OPTION, I WOULD HAVE 100% PAID EXTRA DUES, AND HOURLY COSTS TO KEEP CHILDCARE OPEN and Angie around. This closure is a huge deal to many, many families.
Rather than protest, why not consider yourselves as a block of stockholders, find other members who are sympathetic, and threaten to all not pay your monthly dues for the next month. It’s a business, and money talks. Approach them like a business, not a government with policies.
Right, Amanda. But that’s business. If they started removing treadmills because everyone wants to spin, well, then it’s not a gym for you. There is no right to childcare at a gym. It’s a benefit that makes the gym special. And if they no longer offer it, well then they’re no longer special, and you can either deal with it, find another gym that offers childcare, or hire a babysitter for an hour or two. But to protest it because they ended one of their benefits? That’s entitlement.
No, it’s not entitlement. It’s just her right to Express her opinion on what’s happening on an issue she feels passionate about and has a huge impact on her family and life. Take away that it’s a gym that offers babysitting, it WAS handled poorly. Typical with businesses today. Always trying to entice new customers or keep new customers but what about the old faithful ones that stuck it out for years? How about keeping them happy as well, instead of practically throwing them out. If it were me , that’s how I’d feel. I’d demand a full refund and leave. Seek out other arrangements…. providing the project is a go….
While I agree that more notice definitely should have been given, referencing Jane Fonda only hurts their cause. Hanoi Jane is only trying to stay relevant with the “cause du jour”. These women have a very personal and valid complaint.
Ridiculous! As a woman, allow me to agree with the male commenters on this one. Much ado. Much hyperbole. Much silliness.
Couldn’t agree more. I just finished watching a wonderful Youtube video on the return of POWs from Vietnam 46 years ago. My husband was stationed in Vietnam and the abuse he took from some people upon his return was horrendous. Jane Fonda was one of the people who fed into that hate.
You’ll get no empathy from me.
As a mom who used this service, I am so disappointed. I wasn’t told at all. I received a voicemail on Friday stating they were doing renovations, but no details other than that. I found out from the beloved Angie when I came in on Monday that the last day would be Tuesday.
I have canceled my gym membership (I can’t go to the gym without childcare) and am upset that because of the short notice I couldn’t cancel earlier. Because they make you pay last month up front, I’m paid through November. They absolutely should have given more notice or at least need to refund us moms who now have to cancel.
Angie is all that was stated – she’s the best. I will sorely miss seeing her. I only managed to make it in once a week but I looked forward to it. I saw how she got to know each kid that came in and always made accommodations for my kid so that he would enjoy his time there.
To be honest, the way Crunch ran the program always made me frustrated. It’s hard enough to try to take care of your own mental/physical health as a primary caregiver to a child. For those of us who committed to going to the gym, they sure didn’t make it easy. You could only schedule by making a phone call. You could call no more than 2 days in advance (so even though I wanted the same day/time every week, I still had to call exactly two days ahead, week after week) and if you didn’t call the second the gym opened the childcare spaces completely filled up. I ended up setting early morning alarms on my phone so that I could call the minute the gym opened and get the time I needed. It wasn’t a very friendly system, but at least the childcare they provided (via Angie) was phenomenal.
Finally, to the person who has recommended finding another gym – gyms are not as ubiquitous as banks. The next closest one to me that is at a somewhat comparable rate to Crunch is 15 blocks away. If I’m going to hike down there to work out, I’ll just count that as my work out. I won’t be back at the gym until my schedule allows, and I know I don’t want to go back to Crunch after the way they handled this.
Are you kidding me? A private gym makes a business decision based on what they think is best. People can agree or not agree and if you don’t agree don’t patronize that business. I am sure that if the service was used and profitable for them they would keep it. I have two young kids and I get the pain of having to change your routine, but really — the UWS is not lacking in options for child care. and the woman who said Crunch was “Dealing with peoples lives???” Really? Would you rather the gym just close altogether? Let’s cut the drama and deal with change… it’s hard but put on your big mommy shoes and grow up.
To everyone criticizing the moms I would wonder if you were a mom yourself who dealt with post-partum issues? Then you would know how absolutely critical self-care is when you are tired from nursing your baby all night and schlepping your older children to school, making dinner. Some of us don’t have a million dollars for nannies and night nurses and to be honest if I did have that money, I would still choose to raise my children myself. To that being said, I still need a break. This gave me much needed mental health break every day for up to 90 minutes where I had a caring, trusted person to watch my kids. Shame on you for criticizing mothers and their thresh hold. If you want to call me entitled because I found it important to “put on my oxygen mask before I put on my child’s” than so be it. It made me a better mother, wife, friend, daughter and human in general. Haters gonna hate I guess.
Jen – as a mama of twins I complete understand your VALID points.
Yes, there is plenty of entitlement up here on the UWS but having this kind of break is crucial to us parents.
To the parents losing out on childcare at Crunch – the Equinox kids club is a wonderful options for your kids. I know the gym is more expensive than Crunch, but my kids truly love the space there (they go 2-3 times a week). Just some food for thought!
Aaannddd, the world comes to an end. Sheesh!
In 1994 I started at Crunch 83rd in Membershiip and soon became sales manager when I brought child care to the gym. Later became sales director and the area director. The gym business has changed and especially that location. Lots of promise and no deliver. That’s why I left in 2005 and moved to Halstead and have been a happy broker every since. Sad that they don’t seem to appreciate their members.
Funny, there use to be Mark Friedman at NYSC West 80th location, as well (mid 90s).
same guy
Why don’t the Moms collaborate and hire Angie to care for their kids off premises??
Sounds like a smart move to me. I bet she would be happy to get $20 to care for your kid for an hour, and extra happy if she could bundle that with someone else’s kid…
How much do the moms pay Angie? Do they provide health insurance and retirement benefits? Do Angie’s kids have good care?
Please people – get over yourselves!
Listen we all know it’s not the end of the world. Not even close, but it’s unfair and these people are making a stand for themselves and Angie. So good for them. Too many people sit on the sidelines.
it seems like it is mostly men trashing the Moms, or perhaps exclusively men. it’s hard to tell because some are putting un-gendered ids.
Let’s get some clarity here. Yes, Crunch is a private business, so can make decisions on that basis. But the clients of that business, the moms in this case, have every right to protest, boycott, end membership, let the press know that the business is not acting in the interests of its clients, and so on. Crunch is looking out for the interests of its owners; these moms are looking out for their interests, the interests of their children, and the interests of the beloved service provider (Angie).
No “entitlement” here.
Why you need to know everybodies gender? You profilin us or somethin?
I’m lost. Is this a full-time child care service, or a babysitting service while the parent uses the gym? If the latter, then I have to agree with the comments criticizing the moms. A gym provides this service as a perk to members; it can get rid of the perk as it sees fit. Of course, if it does, it must allow membership cancellation and refund membership fees. But to boycott or strike or whatever does strike of entitlement. I understand the disappointment. I empathize with the need for a break. But many folks dont get a gym break during the day. If these moms are single moms and cannot get or afford a 2-hour babysitter every few days to allow them to work out, then I get the frustration. But if they are married, where the hell are the husbands/partners??? Let them watch the kid(s) in the evening to let mom go to the gym!
Many husbands (including my own) doesn’t get home from work until 2 AM. That’s not a great time to get to the gym is it?
I am one of the parents who was affected by this, and as soon as I learned of the change I immediately canceled my membership and joined another gym. I am extremely fortunate to have been able to do this, as I know it’s not an option for everyone (ie: I will be paying TRIPLE what I paid at Crunch when factoring in the cost of the childcare). To anyone suggesting this as the simple and obvious solution, please understand that it’s not.
I think many people commenting on this post are missing the point, which is that parents were only given two days notice of this change. But more importantly, Angie was only given two days notice. This is completely unacceptable and indicative of a larger management issue.
As a side note to the comment on going in the evenings, this isn’t necessarily an option. Please keep in mind that many partners work very late hours or travel regularly.
I do tend to find it interesting that the majority of negative and quite frankly obnoxious comments above are coming from people hiding being pseudonyms like most other internet trolls. You clearly don’t have anything productive to add to the conversation, so why even waste your time?
My daughter’s full-time day care closed without ANY notice. We all had to leave work in the middle of the day and run over to pick up our kids. Parents were frantic about getting full-time child care, and for days threreafter had to miss work or find creative solutions while another option was made available. The same issue plagued a number of friends. It sucked big time. Did we protest, march, complain to the BBB..? Of course not. A business disappointed its customers and the customers were forced to go elsewhere. It sucks, but that’s life. We all get your disappointment that you lost your ability to take an hour break during the day to work out – but please step back and weigh your difficulties compared to more drastic issues that other parents (and non-parents) deal with on a daily basis. That is why all the posts feel the group smacks of entitlement.
how is it moms can be bothered to band together about gym childcare but won’t get seriously organized on real issues like neighborhood quality of life, pink tax, etc.
This gym needs to fix almost all of it’s broken machines instead of expanding! They’ve been broken since I joined in Feb. Equinox has childcare but is way more expensive than Crunch and the building blew up last year. There definitely is a shortage of decent gyms on the UWS.
I wonder if people will start protesting outside Starbucks if they end Mocha Frappucinos. They definitely make me feel good and work as a stress reliever, focusing my zen.
Sure wish I could get a 90 min gym break in the middle of my 11 hour work days. I think I will go picket outside my boss’s office and see how that goes.
I usually just read these comments when I’m out of town to remember the uws in all its glory. People feeling smug about their opinions and dismissive of all others. It’s usually hysterically funny. But people being so unkind toward mothers with young kids was so …thoughtless? Ignorant? Mean? Mean spirited? People cvetchIng about old ladies in fairway and other character assassinations and stereotypes and old school NPR canvas carrying folks vs private school Uber riding soul cycle hesgedunders is usually enormously amusing. But this? Calling women with young kids who were given 2days notice about something so important entitled when they raise objections. Just mean. Really mean.