When I originally came up with the idea for this column — spending 10 straight hours hanging out at Chicago’s famed East Bank Club — I thought I was being kind of silly. I honestly assumed that by hour three I’d be clawing at the rubber floor mats for something to do besides walking slowly on an elliptical while scrolling through Instagram. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Instead, my day at East Bank Club flew by in a protein-smoothie-fueled instant. The massive health club — where former President Barack Obama, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Oprah Winfrey have all been members — can’t possibly be fully experienced in a day, or even in a week.
That’s because this mecca isn’t just a health club. It’s a full-fledged community; basically a small town that exists across two city blocks. Yes, there’s the state-of-the-art gym amenities that you’d expect from one of the most elite fitness centers in the city. But there are also restaurants, a co-working space, a dry cleaner and even a car wash.
I tried my best to make the most of my measly 10 hours.
Hour 1: 8 to 9 a.m.
Immediately upon walking into EBC’s lobby, which reads more White Lotus than Planet Fitness, I see an errant Louis Vuitton duffle bag abandoned next to a baby grand piano. For a second, I worry about what kind of place my Costco leggings and I have walked into, but I’m immediately welcomed by the friendly staff. This is a theme throughout my day — while the club may be on the high end, it’s also incredibly welcoming, from both staff and members alike.
I snag an oat milk latte (the breakfast of all great athletes, I’m hoping) from the Market, one of their handful of food and beverage outposts, and I spend the rest of the hour exploring the 350,000-square-foot health club. Yes, that sounds big. But it’s somehow even more gigantic in person. I wander past a boxing gym, indoor tennis courts, a cardio room the size of an airplane hangar (give or take), two full basketball courts and even an indoor golf center.
By chance, I run into my friend Jeremy Mandell, who has been a member of EBC since 2021. “East Bank Club gave me the courage to never settle,” he says. “How can you when the 60-year-olds here look 19?!”
He’s definitely not wrong.
Hour 2: 9 to 10 a.m.
I have a little work to catch up on (read: pressing celebrity gossip to read), so I snag a spot in the club’s co-working space. The room looks like a sleek office, with lots of places to sit, private phone rooms around the perimeter and even a couple of massage chairs in the corner.
Hour 3: 10 to 11 a.m.
First class of the day: Yoga Beginnings with Maria Rosner. I’ve always been wary of yoga classes — maybe because I’m inflexible and physically incapable of relaxing — but Maria’s class is everything.
She’s funny and engaging, making The Karate Kid references and endearingly calling the class “darlings” and “cuties” as she walks around the room, adjusting members without ever embarrassing anyone.
Yoga is one of the most popular activities at East Bank Club, with over 50 classes offered per week, plus streaming options for members to watch at home.
Hour 4: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
I grab a smoothie from the Juice Bar and catch up with the Hon. Carole Bellows (my husband’s cousin) and Janey Morris, who have been meeting for breakfast at East Bank Club since the ’80s. Both of the women have been members of the gym for over 40 years, and they tell me about the gym’s past — and why they still love coming there.
“Everyone thinks that I’m crazy to make the rush-hour commute twice per week,” Carole tells me later. “But now you understand why after 44 years.”
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Whether you want an all-in-one athletic club or a niche boxing or cycling studio, we’ve got optionsHour 5: 12 to 1 p.m.
Time for a class in the Showtime Studio, a new cycling area with state-of-the-art bikes and a high-res LED video wall that makes it feel like you’re in a nightclub rather than huffing and puffing your way through a workout.
The class, called Beats Ride, is taught by the incredible Asia Mele, who somehow manages to keep the energy up while giving each person one-on-one attention and making it so fun that you barely even think about your hamstrings as you increase your resistance. Barely.
Hour 6: 1 to 2 p.m.
I sneak onto the Club’s Sun Deck, a 60,000-square-foot outdoor space for the summer. (Does it count as sneaking if it’s through a clearly marked, unlocked door?)
In the warmer months, the Sun Deck is the place to be, with multiple outdoor pools, chaise lounges, restaurants and, of course, a pool bar. Today though, it’s just home to one cold Chicagoan who is going to be desperate for a guest pass in July.
Hour 7: 2 to 3 p.m.
In what will definitely go down as one of my toughest days of work ever, I get an incredible massage from Hadit Santana, a masseuse who has been working at this spa for two and a half years.
She tells me that many members get weekly massages, and she’s enthusiastic about sharing the health benefits of the practice. “I love it here,” Hadit tells me about EBC. “I love getting to educate people about the benefits of massage.”
EBC offers a spa in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, with treatments ranging from massages and facials to reflexology and full-body wraps.
Hour 8: 3 to 4 p.m.
For my eighth hour at the gym, I head down to the cardio room to get in a brisk 15-mile run.
Just kidding. I spend a full hour hanging out in the locker room, where there’s a steam room, a sauna, a whirlpool and an area to just sit and watch TV. It’s heaven.
Hour 9: 4 to 5 p.m.
I return to the spa for a lavender manicure by the wonderful Angie Perez. As we chat, she tells me more about the close-knit, welcoming community at the club. “I always tell people who are new to the city that they should join the East Bank Club,” she says, adding that she has a client who got engaged to someone they met there.
My nails have never looked better.
Hour 10: 5 to 6 p.m.
East Bank Club has a full-service restaurant inside called, simply, the Grill, with a huge and delicious menu (and not just “delicious for a gym” — it’s actually really, really good), and a staff that knows every member’s name and order by heart. I eat the Superfood Bowl at the bar, while members around me chat with each other, work, sip wine, chug smoothies and, in some cases, all of the above.
There’s also a full bar in the Grill, for anyone looking to follow up their time on the treadmill with a glass of Cabernet. Hey, they’re both heart healthy, right?
Hour 10.5: 6 to 6:30 p.m.
I take one last slow jaunt around the track, thinking back on my day. Is EBC a fantastic gym? Of course it is. But what surprised me most is that it’s also a fantastic community. In a time when we’re more isolated than ever, the center offers members more than just a great workout and state-of-the-art amenities — it offers a chance to build connections, and to feel like you’re a part of something bigger. It’s what keeps members coming back year after year, decade after decade.
I’m already excited to go back.
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