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Our Favorite Gyms in Brussels

Discover the Best Gyms in Brussels – Morton Place Guide for Newcomers

Brussels houses a range of fitness options, from the upmarket luxurious options to affordable yet effective fitness centres. Gyms are also a great way to make new friends – once you settle into your routine you will recognize familiar faces attending at the same time or enjoying the same instructors as you. We bring you a well-curated list of gyms that offer the best of what Brussels has to offer at locations convenient to the EU quarter and where Morton Place residents live and like to go out. We recommend trying a day pass to see which environment suits you best and remember to read the fine print before signing any contract!


1. Aspria: Full service gym steps from the office
Located at a stone’s throw distance from the EU quarter, Aspria offers a premium fitness experience that extends beyond mere workouts. As an upmarket gym, it pampers its members with high-end facilities, a range of fitness classes in 5 different fitness rooms. If you love a class after a long day at work, or a quick workout during your lunch break this is the gym for you. The full service spa is an added bonus for extra pampering. If you are someone who enjoys a sprinkle of luxury and loads of classes to choose from, Aspria should be your go-to destination.

Our tip: Check out the fabulous indoor pool, the only one in the EU quarter!



2. Basic Fit: When Cheap and Cheerful fits the bill

If straightforward and budget-friendly is your fitness motto, Basic-Fit is your destination. Spread across various locations in the city, it offers a huge selection of solo or group workouts, ensuring that keeping fit becomes an integral part of your daily routine. Each gym has a neighborhood feel, with the staff greeting members by name. The music is amped up, the crowd is focused and the equipment is plentiful. As an added bonus, the proximity to Morton Place practically eliminates all excuses – there’s a Basic Fit within 200m of all our houses!

Our Tip: Check out Basic-Fit Ladies for a female-only environment that feels both empowering and intimate

3. Animo Studios: Chic Fitness with a Touch of Pampering
Animo Studios is the latest hotspot for fitness enthusiasts looking for a modern and stylish approach to health and wellness. This is a boutique fitness class experience where you attend classes or private training sessions only. Conveniently situated near Flagey, Louise, and Brugmann, the studios offer top-quality group classes in a range of popular styles – think yoga, pilates, general fitness, and cycling.

Fabulous music, beautiful surroundings and the best part? You don’t need to commit to a subscription. Their pay-as-you-go option makes it easy for you to dial up or down your commitment. These group classes are not only fun but also pack a punch, and spots fill up fast through their user-friendly app.

Treat yourself to a luxurious shower experience in their dressing areas, complete with exclusive beauty products and a calming ambiance. Animo Studios not only promises a challenging workout but a refreshing and pampering post-exercise routine.

Our Tip: For a perfect Sunday, try the Hot Yoga at the Brugmann location, followed by a nutritious brunch at the local favorite, Seven. It’s a delightful way to end your week!

4. Yoga Room: Find your Inner Peace
For those who are inclined towards a more reflective and calming fitness routine, we recommend the Yoga Room. A popular choice amongst yoga enthusiasts with a range of levels from beginners to experts, the Yoga Room offers a serene and welcoming environment where you can practice yoga under the guidance of experienced instructors. Classes are taught in English and French. The studios are chic and clean, with a friendly welcome staff and a soothing cup of herbal tea to settle you down. The formula is pay as you go, so no subscription services and there are hundreds of classes at all times of day. Whether you want early morning focus sessions or after work cool down there is always a class when you need it.

5. Corpus Studios Pilates: For specialised care in a friendly setting

Venture a bit closer to the EU quarter to find Corpus Pilates, a boutique gem focusing exclusively on Pilates classes, making it the most comprehensive choice in Brussels. Whether at their cosy studio near the EU quarter or the expansive specialised location near Flagey, you’ll find highly trained instructors guiding you through nuanced Pilates sessions, perfect for enthusiasts of all levels. It’s not just a fitness centre, but an insider’s choice for a boutique Pilates experience.

Our Tip: Friday evening classes are a perfect wind down after a week of work with the option to enjoy a glass at the nearby Place Flagey with friends or fellow pilates classmates.

Embarking on a new chapter in this city means more than just adapting to a new home—it’s about embracing a community filled with potential friendships and connections. In a new city, forming friendships can start with simple, shared experiences, and what better place to start than your local gym?

Here’s to staying fit, enjoying your time, and forging new friendships in Brussels!

—

Frédéric Paulussen
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How to get around Brussels: Transportation Options

Transportation in Brussels – Getting Around (or out of) Town

Even though Brussels is very walkable, when you need to pick up the pace or head out of town – there are a multitude of ways to navigate Europe’s vibrant capital city. Keep reading below to discover your preferred method for exploring the neighborhood… and beyond!

Public Transportation in Brussels

The public transport network in Brussels offers swift and reliable options for getting around town. Take your pick of trams, buses, and the metro depending on where you are and where you want to go. You can even check your commute time at the interactive transport site STIB-MIVB and also find the fastest way to get from point A to B in this bustling city.

Our Morton Place properties are very close to public transport stations, so we highly recommend using them for easy and reliable service. The public transport system in Brussels is safe and clean and most Morton Place residents use it regularly for commuting. 

See which of the various MoBiB payment options is right for you and order your card online or in one of the vending machine kiosks in stations and around town. You can top it up with as much money as you need, and it can be used to pay for all of the public transport operators in Belgium. These days, you can also use contactless payment cards to pay on board, but you may save money by purchasing one of the MoBiB payment plans listed above. 

Personal Mobility in Brussels

Brussels has seriously embraced personal mobility options, ranging from electric scooters to mopeds to private car shares and more. We’ve highlighted some of the more popular options below, but check out this comprehensive list of mobility options.

E-Scooters

Electric (kick) scooters have taken over almost every corner of this city! These personal transport options, accessible via app, are extremely popular and very useful for zipping around town. You’ll find a flurry of options such as DOTT, Bolt, Lime, Voi, Bird and Tier, which have hundreds of scooters available.

Bicycles

The e-scooter companies Bolt and Dott also offer e-bicycles to zip around town. But for a longer term option, Swapfiets lets you pay a monthly fee for your own personal electric or traditional bike — a great choice for shorter commutes and freedom on the weekends.

In a pinch you might consider the traditional bicycle share called Villo! but it’s a bit more work since you can only pick up and park between fixed points. blue-bike is a rental option based out of train stations in Belgium, including all the stations in Brussels.

Many of our residents have their own bikes and there is ample space to store yours safely at Morton Place. 

If you’re in the market to purchase a new e-bike to go with your new room, visit Cowboy for the hippest new ride in town.

 

E-Mopeds

Want to feel the wind in your hair? Well, under your helmet at least! Sign up for Felyx, the electric moped service that’s as fun as it is useful. Download the app to find a moped near you and use the map online to see the range of distance you can travel. You’ll want to be sure that you stay within the Felyx -approved zones to park legally and also get back to where you need to go! Each moped comes equipped with two helmets.

Personal Car Sharing

Car sharing providers like Cambio, Poppy and Miles allow you to pick up a car at a station or within a zone and deliver it back when you’re done. Consider the different pricing, fueling up, parking and zone options depending on your needs — for instance, Miles is “pay by distance” whereas Poppy is “pay by time.”

National & International Trains

Looking for an adventure further afield? Brussels is well-connected to the rest of Belgium and throughout Europe & the UK by train. You can find high speed service via Thalys & Eurostar, while you can hop on many local & national trains by booking online at SNCB. (Pro tip: Visit the world’s most beautiful train station in Antwerp!)

Can You See Yourself at Morton Place? 

We hope that you’ll join our Morton Place community! As a resident in one of our homes it is our mission to help you settle into Brussels while delivering you the unique benefits of a chic, all-inclusive, coliving environment. Feel free to reach out anytime!

Housing Brussels
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Finding housing in Brussels: our top tips!

Tips to Find Your Perfect Apartment in Brussels

 

Thinking about moving to Brussels? You’re not alone—Brussels is the number one expat destination in Europe—and for good reason.

 

With its beautiful architecture, cultural diversity, efficient public transport, and buffet of culinary delights, this charming city offers something for everyone. It may seem overwhelming to start the search, but it’s easy to find your home-sweet-home thanks to tons of websites, chock-full of housing options. With traffic becoming an increasing problem in Brussels, public transportation should be part of your decision making in choosing your housing. Although you may hope for accommodation which is within walking distance to your office, that’s not always possible or preferable. Also think about whether you will need access to the Eurostar (Midi Station) or the Airport.  The STIB is the Brussels’ transport service, and their journey planner is an excellent way to figure out whether the location you are considering will be an easy commute. Start by looking at STIB.BE the portal for the public transport system in Brussels. Figure out the trams, and metros which head to your office and then you can narrow down the neighborhoods which are good for you. (For more tips on choosing neighborhoods check out our top tips here  Best Brussels Neighborhoods for Expats :) 

Art Deco details of brussels houses in chatelain neighborhoods

1. Popular Rental Portals in Brussels 

A quick Google search for “apartment+rental+Brussels” will land you hundreds of hits. How do you narrow it down—and how do you know if that dream room is legit? The more popular rental portal sites, such as immoweb or immo.vlan tend to specialise in unfurnished, long-term housing. This can be risky business if you are booking online, or with a private landlord, scams are not uncommon. We have heard horror stories of deposits paid for flats that didn’t exist.  If you want to start with a furnished place, sites like spotahome can be useful. These portals tend to showcase a broad range of available options, with huge variations in quality. 

 

Life in a new city can be daunting. With work taking up a lot of your time and energy, it’s difficult to find time and opportunities to make new friends. Shared housing can be a good opportunity to share costs and start making your new social network.

Happy young woman at party Brussels

2. Try Coliving!

Brussels is the epicenter of the coliving movement in Europe. With such an influx of international professionals coming to work for the EU and related institutions there is consistent demand for flexible, all inclusive, furnished housing.  At Morton Place, we focus on  fostering  communities of like minded residents with a variety nationalities  with whom you can share your first steps in this new city. Coliving homes  offer built-in community, camaraderie and exciting networking opportunities, especially as a new arrival in Belgium. Other shared housing options can be found on roommate sites such as s appartager, or housinganywhere . The providers might require a subscription, limiting you to a certain number of searches per week, or, in other cases, unlimited access until you find your dream space. 

3. Find it on Facebook

 

There are several local Facebook groups that offer apartment hunting and shared housing resources. You can sign up with popular groups such as bxl a louer, bxl a louer studio-apart, as well as BRUXELLES: location and brussels flats and rooms to rent to start looking, and post while you’re on the hunt. While these sites are an excellent resource and helpful for making connections, it can be difficult to find the most up to date housing options. 


Rental in Brussels

 

4. Leverage Your Net-Work

If you’re moving for work, your HR department likely has lots of information about settling down in Brussels. Ask if your organization works with a relocation agent who might be able to pass along the inside scoop on any rooms or apartments on their radar. Maybe other colleagues are interested in coliving and you can go on the hunt together. If you work with the Commission or another EU organization, get connected to their welcome office intranet which lists hundreds of rentals around Brussels. 

 

5. Trust Your Gut to Avoid a Scam

 

Although most providers are legitimate, beware of bad actors. If the posting is too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t transfer money until you’ve visited the space in person or via video tour. Ask your potential landlord for references if possible. Make sure you check dates, hidden fees and rental agreements so you know all the fine print before you commit.

Funrished Housing in Brussels

Enjoy Brussels –

We hope we get a chance to introduce you to the vibrant coliving communities of Morton Place – contact us for a video or in person tour.