[*The New York Times*: ‘A Military Regimen: Bring the Pain’](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/nyregion/crossfit-a-military-regimen-with-geek-appeal.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all)

In 2005, though, there were no CrossFit gyms in the state. Joshua Newman recalled doing CrossFit workouts with friends at the Arthur Ross Pinetum Playground in Central Park while children and their parents stared in bewilderment.

“We got kicked out of Equinox, New York Underground Fitness, Peak Performance, Trainer’s Place,” said Mr. Newman, 32, a former mixed martial arts competitor who runs a venture capital firm in Manhattan. “The owners complained that we were too loud and crazy.”

When Mr. Newman founded CrossFit NYC in 2007, with a paltry 22 members, their informal motto was “They can’t kick us out of here.”

Today, the business is one of the largest affiliates in the world, with more than 1,100 members and two sprawling spaces in the Flatiron district totaling around 24,000 square feet. (The rent is $60,000.) It is seeking a third space in Manhattan to accommodate its growing clientele.