Columbia Street CrossFit Keeps It Real in Brooklyn

Looking to tone up before it's too late? A new workout alternative is now available in the Columbia Waterfront District.

Columbia Street CrossFit opened its doors at 68 Summit St. in March and has been attracting a steady clientele of nearby residents since.        

"The Columbia Street Waterfront District is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Brooklyn right now," owner and coach Nate Larrea told Patch. "There are tons of people in this area that live within a few blocks and are very into fitness but there were not many fitness businesses available to them." 

Larrea says he was inspired to open his gym in the Columbia Waterfront District not just because of the energy and new development, but because of the space itself. 

"Our facility is within a building that is over 100 years old and our unit itself use to repair ship engines and hold parts of the Brooklyn Bridge, according to our landlord," says Larrea. 

Still, the interior required some renovation work before it could function as a CrossFit gym. 

"We redid the floor and exposed all of the original brick," he says, adding that it's a rare feature in a CrossFit outpost.  "The door to our place is great too and has a very rustic, old, industrial feel. Both of these traits i think make us stand out from the rest."

But the vintage charm comes with a tradeoff—space.

"We are kind of small (1100 square feet) which is incredibly challenging," Larrea tells Patch. "But we make it work. Most CrossFits have these massive warehouses, which is great. But i think that with our small boutique style box, we are able to concentrate more with our clients individually since our classes features no more than 10 individuals."

Larrea is also quick to commend his staff.            

"Another thing that makes us great is our coaches and their personalities," he says.  "We all love what we do and are doing it full time. We don't have full time jobs elsewhere—we spend every hour of every day improving and growing our knowledge on CrossFit, nutrition and information to help make great athletes."

Curious to learn more? Columbia Street CrossFit is located at 68 Summit St. Visit www.columbiastreetcrossfit.com for more details.