Washington DC
DC has one the youngest and healthiest populations on the east coast and tall buildings are all but banned in the District. This keeps those pesky route gyms stuck out in the suburbs and leaves the market wide open for a bouldering gym. The 632,323 people who live in the District currently have zero options for climbing without driving or taking the Metro train for at least 45 min to the suburbs in Maryland or Virginia. The DC folks who make the annual median income of $59,290 also love their fitness. With an estimated 60 health clubs in the 61 square miles that make up the District (about 75% of them are downtown). Many of these people are climbers on the weekend but have nowhere close-in to get in a quick climbing workout.
You may think of DC as a political sesspool but Washington is also home to countless NGO’s and non-profits in addition to 4 major universities with their combined 70,000 students.
By far the biggest barrier to entry is the price of buildings which are currently going for $99 / sq. ft. for industrial and $221 for office buildings. This sole fact has kept the two major players in the area (Sport Rock and Earth Treks) stuck out on the Beltway. So if you have some money or a keen investor in your pocket DC offers the chance to make a large return on your investment.
Other cities to look at in the region:
Dallas – Fort Worth, TX
Richmond, VA
Lexington, KY
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