Update:
I was a member of this gym for almost two years and was constantly amazed by the incredible programming and supportive, knowledgeable coaches. The majority of the community there was also incredible, and I remain impressed with how welcoming people were to non-competitive/casual "WOD-ers" like myself.
That being said, there are a number of things that left a bad taste in my mouth, enough to make me feel the need to change the rating. Primarily the behaviour of the owners as I was recently "expelled" from this gym with no notice, no warning, and only a tirade from one of the owners, who cited my personal fb books to support his rationalization that I have "no motivation". It was all very dramatic and (obviously) has changed how I view Crossfit 604.
-There are a TON of rules. Rules that are constantly changing, being updated, being added to, and being posted on the (private) fb group. I could never keep up. There were rules about what we were allowed to say (no comment on music allowed, as it's viewed as complaining and no one is allowed to complain), rules about what we are allowed to do and how we are allowed to do things.. It's a very controlling environment and that's not what crossfit is about. At least for me.
- The lack of flexibility (see above comment on rules). While the owners were quite flexible when it came to making arrangements for my membership holds to work around my frequent work trips out of town, they are quite particular about the rules and refuse to acknowledge that at least some rules may be less than ideal. One good example is being unable to cancel a reservation less than 8 hours before a class starts. Even if you know well in advance that you can't make it to a reserved class, there is nothing you can do. You are not allowed to post that you can't make it (because "giving away" your spot is against the rules), you can't ask the coach to un-reserve you (against the rules), and even if you know (e.g) 5 HOURS beforehand, there is nothing you can do. If the class if sold out and you don't show up, well, brace yourself for passive-aggressive/comments from the owners who will not hesitate to remind you of this (and other events) years down the road. Geesh.
-Unprofessionalism on the part of the owners. There is a distinct lack of communication from the owners but they are more than happy to judge, criticize, and create drama around something you may have said or done that you thought was completely innocuous. We're all adults here, and the gym is our community. Discussion should be encouraged in an open and supportive manner but instead fb posts are arbitrarily deleted, and criticizing emails are sent out to the offending party, threats are made and punishment (for disobeying the rules) is swift. The tone is very much passive-aggressive and it's so bizarre. There's no reason for this drama, seriously. It's also really unnerving have one of the owners constantly yelling at people during class. While it's funny to joke about him being a drill sergeant, it really wasn't funny to be yelled at and threatened during class - for not remembering someone's name, for not putting equipment away in a timely enough fashion, for accidentally dropping the bar, for so many things it was hard to keep track.
The quality of coaching and the incredible programs at 604 are second to none. Apart from the owners, the coaching staff are incredibly supportive and talented people who are exceptionally good at what they do - coach. However, the way the facility is run - as if the members are recalcitrant children who need constant reminding of how to behave, with swift punishment of any (of the many and seemingly irrelevant ) rules are broken - means I cannot recommend this gym to anyone who is looking for a long-term crossfit "home".
Perhaps the fact that they often rent out the facility to do photo shoots or videos to businesses such as Lulu Lemon means that they can afford to only provide memberships to customers they deem worthy. It's such a shame that the owners don't recognize that they are running a business but instead act as if they are owners of a unique and discriminatory club. read more