August 31, 2009 —
“We basically built a playground for ourselves,” said Ben Weaver, technical director and climbing manager at Brooklyn Boulders. “And there’s a real need in New York City for a dedicated climbing gym on the subway line in Brooklyn.” Located in Carroll Gardens, the Brooklyn Boulders facility was the first of it’s kind in the tri-state area and started by a small group of climbing-obsessed college buddies determined to offer a different experience.
Founders Stephen Spaeth, Jeremy Balboni, and Lance Pinn contributed their ideas and tapped into their imaginations to help create a climbing facility—complete with a mountable Brooklyn Bridge-like tower—that is truly eye-catching. The 18,000-square-foot venue boast 30-foot ceilings and a custom flooring system that is firm to walk across but soft to fall on. Much of the gym was constructed from recycled materials, and energy-efficient equipment, and the interior is decked out with graffiti-style artwork.
Despite the intensity of Boulders’ experienced rock climbing community—many are part of an intense second generation of Gunks climbers—amateurs are very welcome, and even catered to.
“We’re set up to be a comfortable home base for the climbers of New York—like a clubhouse for climbers—and we really want to make beginners and kids alike feel like a part of that club,” Weaver explained. “There’s really nothing like climbing. The rush and the focus of it are really unique.”
The Brooklyn gym is open to climbers daily from 7AM to 12AM. Climbing classes, which focus on basic techniques and include rental gear, run at 6PM and 8PM on weekdays and at 11AM and 1PM on weekends. A separate class called “Learn the Ropes” includes a day pass, equipment rental and a one-month membership for $78. Boulders also offers day passes for $32, as well as 10-packs, month-to-month memberships, and three and six-month memberships.
How to get there: Take the 2, 3, 4, 5, N, Q, R, B, or D to Atlantic-Pacific, transfer to the R for one stop to Union St. (Brooklyn Boulders, 575 Degraw St., Brooklyn, 347.834.9066, brooklynboulders.com)
Photo: Courtesy of shootingbrooklyn
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram