setagaya gyms: why i hate them despite going 3x a week

setagaya gyms are whatever. i mean they’re there, but why did i sign up for more than 10 push-ups? my friend yuki told me this one on renan-bo street is ‘olympic standard’ but it just smells like old rubber bands. i’m not a fan.

first off, setagaya gyms are expensive. i’m paying like ¥15k a month for a place that smells like someone’s gym socks. some people say pachino gym in nokogiri is cheaper but i’m not sure if they’re just lying. it’s setagaya-how do you trust anyone here?

q: is setagaya expensive? a: depends. north setagaya is like, basically a budget trap. yamato-dori area? rent is ¥3x higher than guangzhou. if you’re a budget student or a broke freelancer, avoid the luxury gyms in masui. they’ll charge you for a cupped water.

q: is it safe? a: yeah, but only if you’re white. i’ve never been robbed but i once saw a guy in a ninja costume at a 24/7 gym. local warned me about summer nights-crowds get weird. job market tho? tech jobs are popping here. sony has a new office, so maybe stop complaining and start networking.

q: who should not move here? a: anyone who wants a quiet life. setagaya’s a traffic nightmare. i almost hit a cyclist on the way to my gym. it’s chaotic. if you want to zen out, go to Hitachinaka.

anyway, i went to this gym called ‘cross fit kurokiba’ last week. the owner gave me a free protein shake but it tasted like microwaved spinach. data points: it’s near the tokyo tower highway. safety score 98% according to police stats. but i don’t trust stats. i trust the lady who cried in the showers there last monday.

another thing: the job market in setagaya? it’s stuck. i’m a student, but even i see resumes ghosting here. maybe take a class at temple university. they’re cheaper than the fancy schools nearby.

setagaya gyms also have weird hours. one i checked was open from 5am to 9pm. why? because someone’s trying to be a morning yoga guy. i hate that. i’m not a pumpkin spice latte addict.

oh, and the weather here is ‘rainy temps’ for 6 months. so hydrate. bring a towel. don’t be that guy who sweats through his gym shorts.

nearby cities? hitachi-desu is like 20 mins by train. voz is closer but smaller. if you’re bored, check out yamashita for cheap ramen.

bbq: should i trust review sites? no. i looked up ‘best gym setagaya’ on reddit and got 12 threads arguing about omikado vs pachino. risk it.

p.s. this map shows the main gym area.

need directions? ask a student. they know all the shortcuts.