12th Street Gym is located in Center City, the heart of Philadelphia’s central business district. As a result, it attracts a diverse clientele made up of city officials, including the Mayor and his wife, students, hospital employees and Center City residents.
To meet the needs of this diverse clientele, 12th Street Gym offers a range of services, from personal training and group exercise classes, to tanning and more. And, being connected to the Camac Center — a building boasting a variety of personal care, fitness services and entertainment — has helped to facilitate meeting the other needs of members that may arise.
“It’s a one-stop-shopping place for members,” said Frank Baer, the owner of 12th Street Gym and the Camac Center.
According to Baer, the Camac Center and 12th Street Gym complement each other. If some needs aren’t met at the gym, members can most likely find those needs serviced next door. In addition to a day spa, salon and massage therapy services, the Camac Center boasts businesses providing holistic psychotherapy, wellness coaching and physical therapy — to name a few.
However, if members are looking for personal training services, Baer believes 12th Street Gym is the place to go. The gym boasts 31 trainers on staff — independent contractors who pay rent to 12th Street Gym to use the facility. According to Baer, this model has worked well for the club.
“We’re probably the largest in the city for personal training,” he said. “And we have very specialized trainers, versus general ones. We found that since we have such a broad range of trainers who are so high caliber, we attract more members.” In fact, one out of every three of 12th Street Gym’s members participates in personal training.
Group exercise is another area in which Baer believes 12th Street Gym excels. “We have a great group fitness director (Kristin Noblette),” he said. “She’s great at getting a mix of classes to represent our diversified membership.”
Founded in 1985, Baer said 12th Street Gym has learned to grow and adapt to a changed industry landscape.
“When I first came on board, there were only one to two other clubs in Center City,” recalled Baer. “In the last three to five years, boutique studios have become more popular and are taking some of the business … We know the way to compete is to change with the times, to please the younger generation.”
Creating a social atmosphere at the gym has helped in this endeavor. “The club is very much a community,” said Baer. “There are a lot of social things going on, and things to do after working out.”
Taking into account its social atmosphere, the Camac Center and its central location, Baer said if you’re new to the city, 12th Street Gym is a great place to visit. “It’s really cool for people who just moved here,” he said.
By Rachel Zabonick
