520 Waller St. is now the home of MX3 Fitness, a gym offering personal and group fitness training and bootcamps. The space was previously occupied by Wiggle Bicycles, which relocated to a larger space next door (at 518 Waller) back in March.
MX3 was originally based out of Fitness SF in SoMa, but when his lease ran out, owner Glenn Shope spent months seeking a new location. During that time, he began running bootcamps in Duboce Park, which "has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city," and decided to find a spot nearby. He took possession of 520 Waller at the beginning of September, and by the end of the month, he'd softly opened his gym.
Here's what he had to say about getting his start in fitness, and what it's like to have a storefront in the Lower Haight.
What originally brought you to Duboce Park to run bootcamps?
We were looking for an area that was neighborhood-focused, with a park at a more intimate scale. You get more of that in Dolores Park. My trainer had been running a couple of bootcamps over in Golden Gate Park, but it's so giant. We were looking for something with a more scaled-down, neighborhood feel.
How did you find this space?
I found it on Craigslist, which is where I found most of the places I tried to get. Originally, I found 518 [Waller] on Craigslist and started negotiating for that, and Wiggle Bikes moved into that space so they could finish the retrofitting here.
As they were making that move, they realized that space was a better fit for them, [and] it turns out this is a great space for us, because of the way the bathroom was configured. The shear wall for the retrofitting was perfectly placed, so we can have a shower, a unisex changing room, and laundry.
Are you from SF originally?
I'm from Minneapolis. I feel it's such a sister city to San Francisco, from the sense of neighborhoods and the pedestrian friendliness and just the friendliness of the city. I've been in San Francisco since 2005; I was working as a programmer, but I was always interested in health and fitness. I did pre-med when I was living in Seattle, I did an internship with a naturopathic doctor.
When my startup started declining, I needed to do something on the side. Once I started, it was like a lightning bolt—"This is what I'm supposed to be doing." I have not looked back.
Where does the name "MX3" come from?
"Mind Meets Muscle." It's our tagline, which became our name: M times 3.
What are your first impressions now, that you're settling in?
Even just having three clients here, it's such a different feel from a big box gym, where people feel anonymous. This is my first retail space—people pop in to say hi, and it's been really, really great. So far, I feel so welcome in the neighborhood.
For more information on MX3 and their fitness offerings, visit their website.
