The Manhattan Times

J’s Big Gym has a “Cheers” camaraderie

To the Editor:

From my experience, your article concerning the two gyms now available to local residents offers a very one sided aspect of Jay's Big Gym. As a 62-year-old retiree and extreme "non-lunk," Jay's offers me an opportunity to improve my health at my own pace in an atmosphere that is non-judgmental and supportive.

If your reporter had visited at 10 in the morning he would have found Jay's crowded with people of every shape and size from 20 to 70+ years old, doing what they can to get and keep fit.

That Jay's is a venue for serious bodybuilders only adds to the mix and diversity of the clientele. I would hate to think that people who are interested in finding a place for exercising at whatever level of intensity would pass up checking out Jay's because of having read that it's a place only for serious bodybuilders.

If you need to imagine what Jay's is like, think of what the TV show “Cheers” would have been like if it took place in a gym rather than a bar.

Alan Sommerman