How did a "stuntman" and a "fitness" expert become the owner and managers of New York Spaces?

In 1984 the opening of West Side Rehearsal Studios in a newly built building at 131 West 72nd Street with Patricia Ripley as the manager, was the beginning of a new age for New York rehearsal studio history, persay. Patricia began teaching fitness classes on the 4th floor as construction continued below.  She had moved her fitness studio from 133 West 72nd Street. She had taught for 7 years at the Lotte Berk Method on East 67th Street, learning from the best.  She met Butch Grier, a stuntman-actor at a local restaurant he was managing in the neighborhood of West 72nd Street.  This is their story of Ripley-Grier Studios.

In 1987, we (Patricia and partner, Butch Grier) took over the lease at 131 West 72nd Street and renamed the space the West 72nd Street Studios.  We had three floors and 5 studios. In 1988 we took over the first floor and opened two more studios and an office.  We had to turn people away we were so busy, so we went looking for additional locations. In 1990 we found an old building at 939 8th avenue that was ½ occupied and was in the warehousing mode.  It was to be torn down and a high rise built in its place.  The owner found out that he could not tear it down because the area was declared a landmarks district, so he decided to open up the building to new tenants.  It had been old dance studios, so with a little bit of construction we were able to create 5 more studios that were larger than the spaces at West 72nd Street Studios.  We named them the 8th Ave Studios. In 1992 we created one more studio at West 72nd Street Studios and both locations gave us 13 studios. We kept booking to capacity and turning clients away.  We went looking for more space and headed into Mid-town.  We researched and looked at many buildings but decided upon 520 8th Avenue as it had the size and price we were looking for.

In 1999 we built and opened the first Ripley-Grier Studios on the 16th floor (using our combined names). That complex of 7 studios became RG I.  That same year we adopted our lovely Jean-Michelle and her positive addition to our lives complemented this new endeavor. We now had a total of 20 studios. In 2001 we broke through a wall and built RGII, adjacent to RGI. We added 5 more studios. In 2002 we were offered a space exactly over our RGII space and the landlord built a staircase to it, (he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse). We built 4 more studios and an expanded waiting area. RG III opened and we had a total of 29 studios.  When we built them they came.

Our most expansive project, RG IV was the realization of our experience and knowledge.  With the influence of Feng Shui (Patricia is a consultant), we designed and constructed 10 beautiful studios in most of the front space on the 16th floor. We opened in October of 2003.  It was our most ambitious build-out to date and it reflects our respect for our clients’ comfort and versatility, a true labor of love.  We then took two years off from construction. In 2003, we also began our adventure into the world of producing again (we had done some Off-Broadway directing and producing in the late 80s.  This time it was a future Broadway musical called (at various times)”Lorca, “Deep Song” and recently “The Flamenco Poet”.  It is still an ongoing project to this day.

When the opportunity came up however to acquire another space on the 10th floor in 2005 we decided to build a “lockout” floor.  For the first time we took in a subtenant “Shut Up and Talk”, a voiceover company.  After extensive, expensive and very creative construction we had our Grand Opening in the spring of 2006.  We had built a beautiful complex where clients could have the whole space, which included three studios, an office and a kitchen specially built for lockouts.  The space was theirs for as many weeks they needed.
It was designed with Feng Shui principles and it is a true “oasis”. That year we were rated #1 in New York! 

That spring we also decided to use the Ripley-Grier moniker as our company name for all three locations, putting New York Spaces, Inc. our corporate name on the back burner.   Six months later we were offered the remaining space on the 16th floor and began construction.  We built our new corporate offices there.

In a leap of faith we also built a café and food court.  It took quite an effort to realize the dream of giving our clients an in-house place to eat and relax. We named it Butch’s Café Oasis. In May 2007, we moved our offices from West 72nd Street (after 20 years) into that front space on the 16th floor and named it RG V.  The café took two more months to build and we opened in July.

One of our personal dreams was to have our son Shayne be a part of the business, so in June of 2007 he moved his family, his wife Heather, sons Jackson and Ethan and 6 month old daughter Brooklyn to Atlantic Beach and rented a house near us to begin a new life in New York. He is a comedian and knew he had to try New York sooner or later, so with a job waiting managing the new café he and Heather made their decision to come up to the Big Apple. (He had spent many summers with us when he was in school and was not new to the area). We are all settled into our offices and the café is buzzing so we want to spend a year or so getting our projects finished and running smoothly.
 
Why this amazing success story, a true New York story?  Smart moves in real estate, the desire to create someplace special for artists and teachers, hard work and tough decisions.  Good Karma and Good Luck also were factors as well as the ability of two people to merge their relationship at work and at home.

But most of all in these past 20 years we have been fortunate to have found and hired staff members who have contributed to and enhanced our amazing story of growth and expansion in the greatest city in the world.  Some of them have become managers others have been able to work for us while they plied their true callings in the performing arts.  They are amazing and supportive of Ripley-Grier Studios and we are so grateful for their professionalism and loyalty.
                              And, our clients are the best in the world.  Thank you all!!

     
                                                         ……..to be continued…..