Tony Y.
Yelp
I'd been curious about rage rooms for a while, and after stumbling upon The Ragery while walking my dog, I finally decided to check it out with a friend. We went for the $200 room, which came with one large item, one medium, one small, and a variety of plates and cups to smash.
The process starts with signing waivers, storing your stuff in a locker, and suiting up with a helmet (with a face guard), gloves, and a thin jumpsuit. They also give you a wireless speaker so you can blast your own music while you rage which adds a fun personal touch.
Inside the room, the rules are pretty straightforward: don't break the walls, don't hit each other, and keep communicating. You get a choice of "weapons" including bats, pipes, crowbars, a skateboard, and hammers. For about 30 minutes, we were on our own with plenty of room to let off steam and smash things to our hearts' content.
Was it fun? Absolutely. Smashing stuff is as therapeutic as you'd hope. Was it worth $200? That's a tougher call. It felt a bit steep for what you get, but the experience did match what was advertised. I imagine you could find similar rooms for less money outside of Manhattan, but this is New York; just about everything is pricier here, even breaking stuff.
Overall, I had a blast, but if you're on a budget, keep in mind that the cost is definitely part of the thrill in this city.