Looking for a gym can be a workout all in its own. There are many to choose from and all offer different components that may or may not fit in with what you need so don't be afraid to shop around for the "right fit."
Availability is crucial, a gym that is open 24 hours or at least until 10 p.m. gives you plenty of opportunity to make it in for a workout. Also, gym's like Good Life and Mademoiselle Fitness allow you to workout at all of their locations, so if you have one close to you at work or school and don't want to wait to drive home you will be able to workout there hassle free.
Ask to test out the facilities. Gym's are eager to get you to join but I highly recommend asking for a trial workout before committing to a contract, this way you can test out the equipment and see if it's what you want and need. This is also the perfect opportunity to check out what kind of clientele that gym is bring in. For example, when I was shopping for a gym Good Life was one of the finalists, so when I asked them for a trial they naturally were more than happy to allow me a day pass. Everything up until that point seemed great, then I saw the kind of people I'd be working out around, and let me tell you, Steroid Nation is not a place I want to be a citizen of.
And my final piece of information when looking for your "right fit" is checking out the overall shape and condition of the equipment. Newer is generally better, but if it's an establish gym then the equipment could be a little older and that's perfectly fine as long as they seem to be taken care of. And for those of you that like using free weights make sure they grow in increments of 2.5 lb., this way you can have a gradual increase in weight as you improve and decrease the chances of injury.
There you have it, I hope these little titbits prove to be helpful, I know they were for me!
"The first wealth is health" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
