START SPREADING THE NEWS

By Brett Avery.

It is 5:29 a.m. A cluster of women and men are waiting for a set of double glass doors to glide open on the Equitable Center’s concourse level. Outside, the streets of Midtown Manhattan are eerily calm before the frenetic business day that will extend beyond sundown. This is a moment for the self and — as the last seconds tick off before The Athletic & Swim Club at Equitable Center begins another day — these women and men anticipate a chance to escape into the challenge of a good workout.

The people who call the Athletic & Swim Club their own see it as a refuge from their careers in finance, industry, or publishing where, from time to time, they may make others sweat. Their facility is not the mindless plod of many gyms. "It’s an oasis among the tall buildings," says Clare McHugh, the editor of special projects for InStyle magazine who became a member in the early 1990s. The club’s proximity to the desks and conference rooms of its members also places it within a cluster of affiliated business clubs and hotels, which can add sparkle to any visit to the city. They include the Rockefeller Center Club, one of the loftiest dining opportunities in New York, and the Grand Havana Room, where the emphasis is as much on the view outside as what is inside its massive humidor.

ESCAPE THE CROWD
Anyone who has visited New York knows memorable trips involve finding escapes from the crowd. Manhattan residents will tell you those havens often are amid the action. That’s certainly the case with the Athletic & Swim Club, which is connected to about a dozen nearby blocks by underground concourses. Among the club’s neighbors is the Rockefeller Center complex and dozens of widely recognizable corporations.

The club was established in 1987, shortly after the 752-foot-tall Equitable Center accepted tenants. The building’s skin of gray tinted glass set against Indiana limestone and red granite lends a distinctive appearance. There is an outer entrance to the concourse level through a gold-and-glass atrium in a courtyard.

The Athletic & Swim Club offers a distinctive atmosphere following a $1.4 million renovation of much of its 35,000 square feet in January 2000. The first steps past those glass double doors are onto black granite with gold granite inlays, and the main fitness room is all mirrors from the carpeted floors to the rich wood accenting the ceiling. The renovation, club manager Jill Bauman says, added a second group fitness room and space in the main room, as well as a lobby café.

Not all of the original charm was erased. A 1989 ceramic tile mural by Valerie Jaudon, titled "Freestyle," still extends along the 25-yard-long pool on the lowest of three levels. And, in a recent New York Times story on indoor swimming in the city, the Athletic & Swim Club was among a select number mentioned.

As beautiful as the surroundings, when it comes to workouts, many members appear lost in the determination of their stretching, bending, pedaling, lifting, and running. "We have ultra-marathoners and triathletes as members," Bauman says. "There are competitive people, but a number who meet friends and enjoy the social aspects, too."

The sense of community is palpable. One example: A group that meets at 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays for a 45-minute run through nearby Central Park. Those who take their classes indoors utilize two studios hosting about 70 classes weekly, including a handful of Saturday mornings. It’s a diversified menu of spin, Pilates, karate, cardio, and yoga.

"I’m what you might call a beginning bender, but it makes no difference," laughs McHugh, the editor, who targets two yoga classes and two individual workout sessions in a typical week. "You’re not branded as unacceptable to the class because you are new. And you’re inspired by the people in the classes, especially the instructors."

Lunch is the peak of the Athletic & Swim Club’s day. A steady stream of the nearly 600 members come in during those hours. A fair number eagerly bound up the stairs from the midlevel locker rooms to the StairMasters, treadmills, and strength-training machines. From most of the exercise equipment, members have a view of one of the 10 televisions invariably tuned to CNN, CNBC, or ESPN. And if someone can’t abandon the office, six cycling machines are equipped with a handlebar screen for Internet and e-mail access. There’s one catch: The pedals provide the power, bringing meaning to the term "rat race."

ATOP 30 ROCK
Are you among those of us who need a reward to endure the occasional workout? Here’s your incentive: vanilla meringue. That’s the payoff a few blocks from the Athletic & Swim Club, at the Rockefeller Center Club atop 30 Rock (as in 30 Rockefeller Center), a recent addition to New York’s list of affiliate clubs. That vanilla meringue, offered 60-plus stories above the courtyard that contains the famed Christmas tree and ice skating rink, rates among the city’s best desserts.

Damien Owens, the Rockefeller Center Club’s general manager, is an affable Irishman who delights in the offerings of his staff, led by chef Roberto Deiaco. Members enjoy breakfast and lunch in the Rainbow Room, always treated by the beautiful views.

"It certainly facilitates meeting people," says Malcolm Parker, who with his business partner, Joe Delfino, owns an executive recruitment firm and has been a member since 1995. "Nobody turns down an invitation to the Rainbow Room. There is a real ‘wow’ factor in being there with clients or candidates." No matter the gravity of the conversation, Parker says, people are tempted to peek at the landmarks, from a sliver of the Tappan Zee Bridge up the Hudson River to Sandy Hook’s beaches on the Jersey shore. Even after thousands of visits himself, he says, "You find yourself taking it in. It verges on being inspirational when you’re up there."

The Rockefeller Center Club made its debut in 1934 after the 12-building complex opened in the wake of the Depression. Through the years, its tables have been dotted with celebrities and titans — finding, say, a television personality or two and a few CEOs in attendance is not an unusual occurrence. Then again, Owens figures 30 percent of the seats are taken by out-of-towners trying not to ogle, inside or out.

Resisting the views is one thing, but the vast variety of food makes choosing what to eat a dizzying test. "We have people who say they’re going to order à la carte," Owens says, "but then they see the buffet and they put the menus aside."

Breakfast regulars know the fluffy omelette is the best breakfast choice after riding up the E elevator (almost across from the NBC Store located not far from the revolving doors at the front of the building). The breakfast chef works behind a table loaded with as many fillings and toppings as you can imagine. Lunch brings an even wider selection, beginning with a wondrous salad bar and segueing to hot dishes (don’t forget the specialty veal osso buco). And last, but certainly not least, are the desserts. "The chocolates are beautiful," Owens says with a grin, but they cannot sway him from recommending the meringue.

The Rockefeller Center Club is a bit of a throwback in an era of leisure attire in that jackets are strongly suggested for gentlemen. The Rainbow Room still hosts a Friday night black-tie dinner and dance. New York visitors would be wise to make a reservation, and if one wishes to venture outside the club’s domain and have dinner in the Rainbow Room, an advance call is underscored. Ditto for mid-November to early January because of the Thanksgiving Day parade, the holidays, and the omnipresent shopping.

TIME TO UNWIND
OK, so we’ve had our workout and a scrumptious breakfast or lunch. But at the end of the day, it’s time to unwind, and the logical spot is the Grand Havana Room. Housed in the 39th floor penthouse of 666 Fifth Ave., the 17,000-square-foot club, rich in its use of mahogany, is a tasteful mix of dining and relaxation. Not surprisingly, most of the comfy leather easy chairs face the windows, for soaking up the view.

What draws the eye inside, however, is the humidor, which the club bills as one of the largest in the United States. It’s a stupefying sight for those unfamiliar with smoking clubs: an enormous room of floor-to-ceiling glass. Each of 650 individual humidors bears a brass plate denoting its owner. The room’s contents, stored at the optimum 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent humidity, are among the choicest and rarest cigars in the world.

But man (nor woman) does not live by smoke alone, which is why the club is equally well known for its dining room. Lunch and dinner are available Monday through Friday (dinner only on Saturdays). The menu changes every 13 weeks, a mix of American cuisine and global selections, notably those with an Asian flair, says Laura Hendrickson, the club’s general manager. One of the most popular dishes is a risotto with lobster and foie gras. The dining room also has glass walls, housing its wine selections.

Then there is the Grand Lounge and its full bar, the location of many of those leather chairs facing outward. The bar offers a wide range of vintage ports, premium liquors, cognacs, and rare Armagnacs. The room is the hub of the club, the rare facility exempted from the city’s recent nonsmoking laws, thanks to an exceptional ventilation system.

From this high above the city it’s easy to enjoy the sunset, or see the rivers of vehicles moving through the streets and the people dashing about.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
While it might seem hectic and unforgiving, New York has rekindled its warmer side. Seeing a friendly face has its advantages, and Harold Ballenger can attest to that fact.

Ballenger, a member of Capital City Club in Columbia, South Carolina, has been a regular visitor to New York with his construction and engineering agency. He visited the Athletic & Swim Club through the years, but found himself unexpectedly spending 10 weeks there amid one of New York’s harshest winters. In early February, he left the sweater weather of home for daily visits to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for prostate cancer treatments. Within a week of his arrival, a huge snowstorm hit.

The Athletic & Swim Club filled what might have become anxious or unproductive hours. "My treatments at the hospital didn’t take much time, and they were done every day by about 10 a.m.," he says. "I was able to head to the club. It worked out great. The people at the club were very positive."

Best of all, he says, were the white T-shirts, shorts, socks, and practically everything else to suit up its members and guests. That meant Ballenger didn’t lug a bag to and from the hospital. "I found it to be a great perk," he says. "All you have to do is have your own shoes. Then you can work out, dress, and step back into the middle of Manhattan and go about your business."

Brett Avery, who on occasion employs chocolate pudding as a reward for finishing a run, is the former editor of Golf Journal, the U.S. Golf Association magazine. Now a freelance writer in Morristown, New Jersey, he has twice earned first-place awards in the Golf Writers Association of America writing contest.

The Athletic & Swim Club at Equitable Center
Location: Concourse level, 787 Seventh Ave. (between West 51st and 52nd Streets), New York.
General manager: Jill Bauman.
Membership director: Madeline Roman.
Amenities: Four-lane, 25-yard lap pool; two group-exercise studios offering more than 70 classes weekly; extensive selection of cardiovascular, resistance training, and free-weight equipment; sauna, steam, and whirlpool; massage rooms; personal training sessions; gourmet café.
Personal touches: Workout apparel provided (bring your shoes); complimentary clothes steaming and shoe shine.
Web site: www.athleticswim.com

Rockefeller Center Club
Location: 65th floor, 30 Rockefeller Center, New York.
General manager: Damien Owens.
Chef: Roberto Deiaco.
Amenities: Breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday, in the Rainbow Room and, occasionally, in the adjacent Pavilion Room; à la carte menus available, in addition to hot and cold buffets.
Personal touches: One of the best views in New York.
Web site: www.cipriani.com

Grand Havana Room
Location: 39th Floor, 666 Fifth Ave., New York.
General manager: Laura Hendrickson.
Executive chef: Alberto Gomez.
Amenities: One of the largest humidors in the Western Hemisphere, containing about 650 compartments; lunch and dinner in 65-seat dining room (available for private functions); game room featuring billiards.
Personal touches: Business center; high-speed wireless Internet access; two large-screen televisions.
Web site: www.grandhavana.com

CURTAIN CALL
Few treats symbolize a trip to New York like a Broadway show. But the logistics can be trying: Call a scalper well in advance, settle for whatever seats are on hand, stand in long lines to enter the theater and bear the risk that the tickets are counterfeit or, worse, lost.

Those hassles recently evaporated for members with Signature Gold benefits with the birth of Broadway Inner Circle, which turns theatergoing into a sleek production. Born of the experience of the producers of The Producers, it has established itself as the smoothest route to Broadway.

"Never before has the general public had legitimate access to the best seats in the house at short-term notice," explains Joe Farrell, the CEO of Broadway Inner Circle. "Before, the only access was through scalpers and brokers, but even they did not provide what we do."

Broadway Inner Circle handles about a dozen shows, including Hairspray — winner of best musical and seven other Tony Awards this year — Movin’ Out, Nine, The Lion King, and naturally, The Producers. (The complete list, including selected Los Angeles shows, can be seen at www.broadwayinnercircle.com.) The firm offers seats from the pool available to each shows’ producers, the choicest in each house. Short-notice bookings are a hallmark, making for an ideal business reward or surprise for a loved one.

An hour before a Tuesday performance of Hairspray, regular ticket holders stand in a line that will snake along the sideway outside the Neil Simon Theatre. Inside the lobby, would-be buyers plaintively attempt to find seats for late-autumn performances.

Broadway Inner Circle clients skip it all. Overnight delivery of tickets is available, if needed. Clients enter the Neil Simon Theatre through a special set of doors (there are similar entryways at most theaters). It’s no problem to arrive minutes before curtain and breeze past the seated crowd, the way celebrities do.

Farrell says the cost of tickets through Broadway Inner Circle is comparable to buying tickets through a scalper. Tickets in the center of the third or fourth row for Hairspray have a face value of $100, but are nearly impossible to land. Lesser seats through a scalper can run $500 to $700 a pair. But Broadway Inner Circle buyers are covered if their tickets are stolen or misplaced. A concierge usually is on hand to aid clients, and the firm also can help with dinner arrangements.

If you’re looking to wow a group, perhaps a corporate hospitality outing of 50 or more, the firm can arrange for an off-site visit with a producer or cast members. These question-and-answer sessions, which require added planning time and an honorarium, provide unparalleled insight into the shows. Special sessions also are available with backstage staff to explain makeup, acting techniques, or any number of topics. It’s just the experience that makes for an exceptional memory of New York.

— Brett Avery