From the title, you would expect that this would be a story about why I don't like 24 Hour Fitness, and it is, but only a little.  I've been a 24 Hour Fitness member for 5 years now and tomorrow I will be canceling my membership.  I tried to do it tonight, but surprise surprise they are only available until 6 pm PST and I am sure I will have to tell them a horrific lie so they will stop harassing me to stay a member.

So, let's get all the things I don't like about 24 Hour Fitness out of the way.  First, the facilities here in Salt Lake City near downtown are often dirty, extremely busy, and they leave some equipment 'Out of Order' for months without fixing or replacing it (one time I found a machine fixed with a wire tie), I find that some of the people that work out there are pretentious and rude as well as the staff, and I think the place is overpriced.  I started to hate going to the gym because of who I might run into, what machine I might have to wait on, or even worse the girls putting on make-up in the bathroom BEFORE working out.  

24 Hour Fitness is not the place for me even though I liked the free classes, hours, and convenient location just blocks from my house.  So, what did I do?  I got a membership to the Central City Recreation Center, a small community recreation center a couple of blocks from my house a few months ago and have been trying it out.  The gym is small, the hours aren't the best, but the membership fee is about half that of 24 Hour Fitness.  Why do I like it there?  The place is almost always empty, the equipment is mostly brand new, there is enough equipment to get a good work out, the place is extremely clean, not once have I seen someone talking on their phone while sitting on a machine, there are all different types of people who work out there and are interesting to talk to, the custodian thinks I am funny, and I get this strange (and I know it sounds cheesy) sense of accomplishment that I am spending time in my neighborhood with the people that live near me and getting to know the community.  It's an extra bonus to the after workout high.