An upscale yoga studio, judged mostly a decade ago
Two things to set straight up front. This is a yoga studio, not a gym - the listing's own first type is yoga_studio, and every review is about classes, teachers and locker rooms, not weights. And the reviews are old. The most recent displayed review is from October 2016; the rest run back to 2011. So whatever you read here is a snapshot of Pure Yoga East on the Upper East Side from roughly a decade ago, not last month. I won't pretend it describes the studio today - call to confirm classes and pricing still run as described.
What the old reviews praised
The amenities, over and over. An October 2016 five-star: "The shower and locker rooms are well stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion - everything you would need after a shower," plus free wifi. An April 2016 visitor on a guest pass was floored by "the locker room was huge with all the amenities," nonslip mats, blocks, and "a wet towel to refresh yourself during the class." The teaching got praise too - one named teacher "made the class very challenging but in a good way, without any pressure if you can't do certain poses."
The catch everyone names: price
The recurring caveat isn't quality, it's cost. That same guest-pass reviewer, glowing about the facilities, still concluded: "The only issue is price. It's very expensive... I'll stick to my local yoga studio where I can buy classes on the need basis." An October 2016 member framed it as a trade you're choosing: "you're not just paying for the great classes and teachers, but also for the fantastic amenities." So the question isn't whether it's nice. It's whether you want to pay premium-club money for yoga.
The dissenting voice
Not every class landed. A 1-star from December 2015 loved the facility but tore into one teacher on a specific shift - "hot power yoga class, Dec 23 6pm" - as "flakey" and clock-watching, and called the desk staff "inattentive." One bad instructor on one evening, in an otherwise strong-reviewed studio. With only 24 total reviews, a single one-star like this pulls the average down hard - drop one 1-star from 24 and a 4.2 climbs noticeably. That's the math of a small sample.
What that 4.2 measures
4.2 across just 24 reviews is a thin, old dataset. The words are overwhelmingly positive about space, cleanliness and amenities, with price as the steady complaint and one sour class experience. Read it as "premium studio, premium price, mostly loved a decade ago" and verify the current reality yourself.
What's missing
Current pricing, current schedule, and current teachers - all of it predates 2017. No dollar figure appears at all, only "very expensive." If cost decides it for you, you'll need today's rate card.
Who it's not for
Budget yogis - the price complaint is the loudest recurring note. Anyone wanting a weights gym - wrong category. And anyone relying on these reviews as current, because they simply aren't.