The ultimate fitness destination has arrived in Long Island City with three floors of training, wellness, and recovery, whether you’re ready to hit the squat rack or unwind after your workout with a red light therapy session.
Vibe Fitness, located at 10-04 Borden Ave., opened last month at its brand-new 55,000-square-foot facility, boasting brand-new equipment, five studios for classes from reformer pilates to boxing, recovery rooms, and much more. The flagship facility is the brand’s third expansion, following a location in Woodside that opened in 2020 and Greenpoint, Brooklyn at the beginning of 2025.
“We put blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of love into all our locations, and when we looked at Long Island City, we saw that there was a real need in the community,” said Vibe Fitness owner Sal Lucchese. “There’s some smaller places that have classes, but there’s no facility in this area that has everything we have at our price point. From the day we opened, the amount of gratitude was overwhelming, more than any other place we’ve opened.”
Lucchese is a born-and-raised Queens resident and a founding partner of the L Group, a leading developer and property management group based in NYC. When he and his partner initially got into the fitness industry with their Woodside location, it was post-pandemic, and the group spent three years improving the facility and quickly building a reputation for 24 hour access to suit any schedule, a massive multi-zone fitness layout divided into specific sections from upper body to legs and glutes to make workouts more seamless, to high-quality, freshly-prepared meals from their Pure Eats cafe. While the gym environment is known for its high standards of cleanliness and no-nonsense fitness, it’s also a place for community and connection, which is how the brand got its name.
“When we were rebranding from the BQE, and we knew we were going to expand, we asked the members, what’s so special about the BQE, and everyone said ‘it’s the vibe’,” said Lucchese. “What makes the vibe? It’s all the people who come in and use it constantly. No one wants to go to a gym that’s empty-you want the gym to be respectfully full. We don’t want to be like the budget gyms that are constantly overcrowded, but we want people to come and be part of the community. That’s what creates the vibe.”
Their newest LIC facility gives clients plenty to explore, beginning from the first floor, which features a Pure Eats Cafe, machines for cardio and a turf, along with rooms for private training sessions if clients prefer the exclusivity, and a kid zone, which will be open later this month so parents can work out while their kids are being cared for nearby. Their first floor also boasts their locker room which has more of a spa vibe with tranquil music, a sauna room and jacuzzis, a fully stocked vanity bar, as well as a posing room for clients to show off their hard work on Instagram or track their progress with the perfect amount of lighting and mirrors for the best post-workout selfies without having to feel shy trying to snap a picture on the main gym floor.
“This is our luxury level brand because of the amenities that are provided, and with that branding, you need to provide those types of finishes that are part of the package,” said Lucchese.
As guests walk up the stairs to the second floor, they’ll notice another special touch along the walls of the facility, with original artwork by a different local artist each month. Lucchese said this detail is in all of their facilities and gives the gym another opportunity to connect with the community and highlight local talent in the neighborhood.
“Our creative director, Ashley, is an artist and came up with this concept of letting local artists display their art,” said Lucchese. “We rotate it once a month-it’s been an important part of us growing together with the community with things like this.”
The gym’s entire second floor is their strength floor featuring the brand’s signature themed workout sections with specialized machines and isolated strength training for the upper body, to the other side of the expansive floor dedicated to legs and glutes, including smith machines and more.
“When we first took over BQE the [former owners] had all the pieces of equipment scattered,” said Lucchese. “If you wanted to work out, a machine for one part of the body was on one end and another machine for the same body part was on the other end of the building, so when we started to reorganize the place into sections it seemed like common sense to do that, and it’s worked out very well.”
The third floor boasts the gym’s five studios, which are tucked away in more private areas, including a heated room where classes like hot yoga, pilates, barre, and dance classes are hosted; however, clients are welcome to use the room when it’s available to stretch or do yoga on their own. There’s also a reformer pilates studio which clients are also free to use any time when class isn’t taking place, along with their boxing room, equipped with heavy bags. The third floor also features their recovery room, with infrared light therapy, compression massage beds, and specialized heating and cooling tools to wind down after a workout. The third floor also offers access to their rooftop space, which will be available in warmer weather to give clients the opportunity to enjoy an outdoor workout while enjoying a view of the NYC skyline.
“There’s 5000 square feet of outdoor rooftop, a beautiful seating area, and an area with mats to unwind and do some yoga,” said Lucchese. “In the spring and summer, we’ll have formatted classes. Clients can just go outside, take a break from their apartment building and hang out, we don’t care-we want them to be here.”
While the fitness facility is still new to the neighborhood, they have introductory specials, including a limited-time rate of $149.99 a month (normally $179.99–$184.99 a month) and a waived $99 enrollment fee for new members with a two-month commitment. For those who are unsure about joining, the gym offers a $50 day pass that lets guests enjoy all of the gym’s amenities, excluding classes. The introductory special is available for a limited time and should be verified with their front desk staff. Vibe Fitness LIC is open seven days a week, including 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit their website or follow them at @vibefitness.ny.
“We want the gym to become everyone’s third space,” said Lucchese. “It’s become a country club for people who don’t have one, especially in the urban areas.”
