At the end of two of America’s iconic bridges, you’ll find a luxury destination: Life Time Dumbo athletic country club.
“DUMBO is actually an acronym that stands for ‘Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,’” explains Brett Christensen, senior general manager at Life Time Dumbo. “The Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge both come right into the Brooklyn region of Dumbo, making it a well-known and populous destination. It doesn’t hurt that you can see the beautiful Manhattan skyline from there, too.”
Opened in fall 2022, this athletic country club resides in a massive new construction build that also contains condominiums and apartments. In the middle of the property, there is a beautiful, open terrace that Life Time members have full access to. “The common grounds area connected to the building will allow us to host outdoor events, yoga classes, mixers, and other opportunities for really bringing the community together,” says Christensen.
Let’s check out the unique spaces and amenities you’ll find at Life Time Dumbo:
Life Time Dumbo has six fitness studio spaces: one for cycle classes, one for Pilates classes, two for yoga classes, and two for all other group-class formats.
There is an expansive workout floor with free weights, cardiovascular equipment, resistance-training machines, and an open space for stretching and foam rolling. This area also features designated spaces for GTX, Alpha, and Ultra Fit, our signature group training classes.
Similar to the Life Time Sky location in Manhattan, Life Time Dumbo has a NBA-regulation-size basketball court. “We hope to host professional basketball players at Dumbo like we have at Sky,” says Christensen. “A lot of the Brooklyn Nets players live in the area and we’d be happy to have them play or practice here.”
There is a six-lane, 25-yard indoor swimming pool for members to enjoy. “The size of our pool is massive for its location in the city,” notes Christensen. In addition to open-swim hours for laps, water workouts, or family pool time, private swim lessons are also available.
Sitting right off the pool are the executive locker rooms. “In both the men’s and women’s locker rooms you’ll find steam rooms, saunas, and whirlpools, which are perfect places to relax and recharge,” says Christensen. Members can also make use of the complimentary daily lockers, towel services, showers, and premium toiletries.
Just a few steps away from the executive locker rooms is the LifeSpa, where you can be pampered with body and skin services such as Hydrafacials, rejuvenation treatments, and custom massages.
“One of the really neat things about Life Time Dumbo is the LifeCafe,” says Christensen. “There is an exquisite cafe menu featuring healthy-choice eats, and members have the option to sit inside or outside on the terrace — or grab their food and go.”
There also is a coffee bar and lounge featuring a bar with wine and cocktail service, serving as an optimal place for socializing and unwinding.
Life Time Dumbo is the second Life Time in New York City to offer its Kids Academy space and programming (the first one being Life Time One Wall Street).
“Not only will we have the Kids Academy offerings for child care and engagement and enrichment activities,” says Christensen, “but we’ll also be able to run classes for kiddos in a movement studio and in the gym. This area is highly populated with families, so I’m very excited to bring the Kids Academy to the Dumbo area.”
Meet the Team
Rachel Houllif, Studio Leader
How did you get started with Life Time?
I’ve been working at Life Time Westchester for almost nine years. When I started, I absolutely fell in love with not only the beautiful facility, but the culture at Life Time, too. The environment here is so accepting, inclusive, and kind.
This is a family atmosphere where everyone works together for a common goal, which creates a happy setting for every person who enters our doors. I love being surrounded by top team members who challenge me to be a premier performer and leader.
What brought you to Life Time Dumbo?
I’m honored to be a studio leader at Dumbo. I live in Brooklyn, which is 42 miles away from the Westchester location, so having a Life Time in my own backyard is a dream come true. In the past, many people have asked me why I would travel so far for work (at times it can take over two hours to get to Westchester from my house) and I always answer, ‘I’ve worked in many health facilities and nothing can compare to working at Life Time.’
What’s your connection to Life Time’s healthy way of life mission?
A healthy life is multifaceted. When you surround yourself with good people, good things happen. I truly believe that being kind is the key to everything. When you’re happy from within, people can see it, feel it, and want to be around it. I strive to lead with compassion.
My family is everything to me. With my husband at my side, I feel invincible. My children and grandchildren are the oxygen I breathe. That’s why staying healthy is extremely important to me: I want to be able to run, laugh, and enjoy every moment with them.
Mychael Fabio, Facility Operations Manager
How did you get started with Life Time?
I started in 2015 as the assistant facility operations leader at the Garden City location. In 2017, I transferred to the Syosset location. By March of 2018, under the tutelage of my two operations leaders, I was promoted to facilities operations leader at Life Time Syosset.
What brought you to Life Time Dumbo?
Ever since I was part of the grand opening at Garden City, I always wanted to be able to be a part of a grand opening at a new facility again — the experience was amazing. When I heard Dumbo was opening, I hopped on the opportunity. I knew Dumbo would be a phenomenal location in Brooklyn, and I want to be responsible for helping grow the brand in the city.
What’s your connection to Life Time’s healthy way of life mission?
I’m an athlete by nature — I love to stay active. My three favorite activities are snowboarding, flag football, and hiking. I’ve acquired several all-American accolades in track and field and competed internationally after college. Being active allows me to step away and really appreciate the abilities of my body. I also believe that a healthy way of life doesn’t always have to be just physical — it’s mental and emotional, too.
