Melbourne’s flex zone: This street is a fitness junkie’s paradise

Welcome to the most ripped stretch of street in Melbourne, with more Lululemon and chiselled torsos than anywhere else.

As you stroll down this 200-metre strip of wellness, you’ll first encounter Upstate Balaclava Pilates. Within 70 metres you pass by Balaclava Fitness and Anytime Fitness. Next door is the newly opened bouldering gym, Up Climbing.

A little further is the Laya Wellness yoga studio, before finally the Hustle Wellness Club wraps up the offerings at the end of William Street, Balaclava. A Fitness First is just about to open on the street, and if all else fails, Zap Fitness is just around the corner on Carlisle Street.

Dale Barnett has recently opened his bouldering gym, Up Climbing, in the William Street ‘fitness district’ in Balaclava.Credit: Joe Armao

Fitzroys division director James Lockwood says the changing appetites of people living in Balaclava and surrounding suburbs, and their relatively stable economic situation, have helped shape William Street into a magnet for health and wellness.

“These businesses love demographics where you’ve got young families, young couples, and an older generation that is quite affluent. So that is one of the reasons they look at these areas because they know that there’s the right demographic,” he said.

In Melbourne, the cost of living crisis has meant that retail insolvencies are on the rise. Earlier this year, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) data revealed the number of insolvencies recorded in Victoria increased to 2372 in 2023 – up 29 per cent on the previous year.

But while consumers are looking for ways to cut spending, health and wellness is one thing they’re willing to splash cash on. Lockwood said it all comes down to the “feel-good factor”.

“All the different options cater to different groups … People will spend money on things that make them feel good,” he said.

Up Climbing owner Dale Barnett is one of the newcomers adding to the tally along William Street. Having opened just four weeks ago, at a cost of $1.5 million, the space features more than 500 square metres of climbing walls.

Barnett said William Street is a rare pocket in the City of Port Phillip that has been zoned for industrial use, making the street an attractive location for gyms requiring large, open spaces.

Fitness First will soon open its doors as the latest addition to William Street.Credit: Joe Armao

“It’s a bit funny that we’re all on this street. I think most streets in Melbourne can’t support six gyms, but if you have a little street with six sort of unique gyms … they don’t take away from each other,” he said.

“I think it’s a positive for us, the way we see it is all these other gyms are a good thing.

It’s bringing young, active people to the street, and people going to Fitness First or Anytime Fitness will walk past and say, ‘Oh climbing, cool. I wouldn’t mind trying that’.”

City of Port Phillip chief executive Chris Carroll said the fitness-related options along William Street add to the vibrancy of the area.

“As with other inner-Melbourne municipalities, parking is in high demand in this area. We use parking restrictions to encourage turnover so as many people as possible can access parking spaces. Council officers also undertake regular enforcement patrols of the resident permit zone to deter gym goers from parking there,” he said.

Up Climbing is the latest bouldering gym to open up in Melbourne.Credit: Joe Armao

With the nearby Balaclava Station, and the tram options along Carlisle Street, the lack of parking has done little to discourage health and wellness businesses. There appears to be a synergy among the William Street tenants and Barnett said it’s all about creating a unique sense of community within each business.

“One thing you might notice is how much non-climbing wall space there is. We made sure there was plenty of space, not just cramming in climbing wall, because people don’t just turn up and smash out their climbs and leave. They like to hang for two to three hours, have a coffee and chill with their friends,” he said.

The team at Up Climbing are hoping to provide a bouldering space servicing the inner south, after the recent closure of the Boulder Project in Prahran, and the remaining options mostly located in Melbourne’s inner north. On offer is a six-week trial priced at $19 per week for unlimited climbing and shoe hire.

“A lot of people climb once, and then that’s it. The six-week trial will hopefully mean people will come back again, try it a few times, and then realise that there’s so much depth to the sport,” Barnett said.

“For a lot of gyms, the way to grow is opening more facilities. This is our first, so we still have so much to learn about getting the place right, and I want it to be a great space for the members. We’ll probably open another gym at some point, but right now, we also have a huge debt to pay back.”

Hustle Wellness Club was one of the first gyms to establish itself on William Street in 2020. Owner Ricky Smith said he too was attracted to the area due to the availability of industrial space.

Hustle offers 450 square metres of 24-hour open floor space, along with a purpose-built group classroom, two infrared saunas and a range of personal trainers. Smith said the set-up cost between $800,000 to $1 million, with memberships priced higher than the traditional franchise gym chain.

Levi Cox is one of six personal trainers working at the Hustle Wellness Club.Credit: Joe Armao

“We are a niche, we have a different clientele that we’re trying to target. I try to create a space which is more for the members and the community rather than just memberships, which is what those big chains are pushing for,” he said.

While there is no shortage of options along William Street, Smith said there remains appetite for more, and Hustle has now outgrown the location and is on the hunt for another.

“We’re looking to create another gym, probably in Carnegie, that is double the space or a bit bigger if we can,” he said.

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