Brooklyn Boulders is an adventure lifestyle company that builds and operates urban climbing, fitness, and community centers. The company and its associated branches are anchored by the notion that physical movement stimulates innovation, community, and creativity.
History
Brooklyn Boulders was founded in 2009 and is spearheaded by Lance Pinn, President and Co-Founder, and Jeremy Balboni, Chief Executive Officer. Before the venture began, Pinn and Balboni created a Facebook group called “NYC Needs a Climbing Gym” to gauge local interest. Within days, hundreds of followers expressed interest in a New York City climbing facility. Construction began in March 2009 and on September 9, 2009, the first Brooklyn Boulders location opened in the old Daily News garage on Third Avenue in Gowanus. BKB Gowanus is a 18,000-square-foot climbing facility—the first of its kind in New York City. On July 31, 2013, Brooklyn Boulders opened their second location, Brooklyn Boulders Somerville, "a 40,000-square-foot climbing facility; a hybrid climbing and fitness facility collaborative workspace in Somerville, Massachusetts." Soon after, Brooklyn Boulders opened its first location in the Midwest. They opened Brooklyn Boulders Chicago on December 13, 2014, located in Chicago's West Loop. Brooklyn Boulders Chicago features "a 1,000-square-foot Active Collaborative Workspace", with standing desks, exercise-ball sitting desks, and above-desk pull-up bars." A year later, Brooklyn Boulders opened its fourth facility in Long Island City, known as BKB Queensbridge, with a Grand Opening celebration held on December 10, 2015. It takes up the first floor, basement and sub-basement of a 17 story high rise residential tower and was one of the first of its kind. Bloomberg Business featured Brooklyn Boulders in September 2015, declaring that "Brooklyn Boulders is tapping climbing's popularity in the tech world to become a co-working haven for entrepreneurs." Brooklyn Boulders values community so much that, when pressured by its employees to be more inclusive, equitable and community-oriented, they laid off the entire New York City staff.
Brooklyn Boulders Foundation (BKBF)
Brooklyn Boulders Foundation is a 501 public charity founded in 2010. BKBF’s mission is to positively support the environment, inner city youth, and persons with disabilities through physical movement, community building, and creative expression. BKBF includes the Adaptive Climbing Group and City Rocks.
Adaptive Climbing Group
Brooklyn Boulders is home to the Adaptive Climbing Group, founded by climber and adaptive athlete Kareemah Batts. ACG offers people with permanent disabilities the opportunity to inclusively participate in the sport of climbing and competing. It takes the already existing abilities of a person and helps them engage in the sport.
City Rocks
City Rocks is a non-profit dedicated to helping students of low-income communities develop self-confidence, creativity, and resiliency through mentorship and climbing. In 2015 City Rocks paired over 50 relationships with their mentees, positively impacting youth through physical movement and emotional guidance.
BKB Wild
BKB Wild is Brooklyn Boulders’ outdoor program that bridges the gap between indoor training and outdoor adventure. Participants are immersed in outdoor trips focused on exploration, adventure, and community. BKB Wild offers programs for people of all experience levels.
The Hueco Hacienda
The Hueco Hacienda is Brooklyn Boulders’ lodging facility located in the Chihuahuan Desert, 15 miles outside of El Paso, Texas, and approximately one mile from Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. The Hacienda provides climbers and guests a place to stay after climbing and hiking at Hueco Tanks. Visitors have access to hiking trails, bouldering, and backcountry tours. The Hueco Hacienda provides free Wi-Fi, a full kitchen, and crash pad rentals.
BKBX
On March 1, 2019, Brooklyn Boulders opened BKBX, a first-of-its-kind Adventure Training Center in Allston, Massachusetts near Harvard University. BKBX is the newest brand within Brooklyn Boulders’ adventure lifestyle ecosystem that features a class-based studio, a state-of-the-art recovery center, data tracking and wearable tech, outdoor expeditions, and a 92-foot long bouldering wall. BKBX was founded on the premise that members train for the love of adventure, the pursuit of progress, and the goals that move them forward.
Press
Brooklyn Boulders is known for graffiti adorning their walls, some of it by notable artist Cope2 and its "biggest architectural flourish: a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge suitable for climbing." Called the "best workout in Brooklyn" by Vogue, Brooklyn Boulders is also home to some of the world's best climbers, including Ashima Shiraishi and Sasha DiGiulian. During Hurricane Sandy, Brooklyn Boulders was transformed into "an operating base for Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization," and remained open for 24 hours. Brooklyn Boulders Somerville hosted TEDxSomerville on March 30, 2015. In April 2019, travel expert and host Samantha Brown showed New York Live's Lauren Scala "Places to Love" in New York, including Brooklyn Boulders in Gowanus.
