YMCA of Hamilton-Burlington

Some things never change… And the downtown Hamilton YMCA is one of those timeless dumps. More than ten years later, this place is the same dilapidated sinkhole people call «a gym». The hallways make you feel like you’re walking through a psychiatric ward and the locker room makes you feel like you were time-​warped to the ‘90s. The lockers are small and rancid: imagine the smell of curry body odour and old man crotch straps. Barf! I was there for a run, but couldn’t wait to escape!
Menu — N/​A
Food — N/​A
Drink — N/​A
Hours — 5 stars: It’s open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even on holidays, that’s pretty sweet, if you have absolutely nothing to do except go to the YMCA on a holiday. They open at 5:30 AM and close at 10:00 PM on weekdays, weekend and holiday hours vary. Not bad.
Location — 5 stars: Not sure if the location actually gets 5 stars or 1. You’re right in the heart of downtown Hamilton — ugh, a reaction that, for most people, would be a mix between spontaneous vomiting and a sense of nostalgia for «Old Hamilton».
Wait Time — N/​A
Service — 4 stars: Thank god, the attendant who signed me up for the one day pass had decent manners. She was polite, sensible, and knew what she was doing. This is a rarity in a jungle of hill billy folks wandering the streets of downtown like «The Walking Dead».
Venue/​Vibe — 1 star: I did not feel safe! From the locker room to the gym, I was clutching my wallet for dear life — no kidding. You will see eyes dart over your valuables. Keep your wallet and phone near you and do not put them in your locker — it’s not safe!
Cleanliness — 1 star: If I could draw a picture representing the YMCA, it would be a toxic dump. From the lockers to the gym equipment to the hallways and rooms, it looks filthy. You would think that they would invest in renovating this place, guess not.
Washrooms — 1 star: A birthplace for Hamilton cockroaches, the toilets and showers are also the perfect place to get your next plantar wart. If you have to pee — or heaven forgive, poop, you’ll be sorry if you’ve got any relief here. Hold on tight.
House Rules — N/​A
Cost — 3 stars: $ 11 for a one-​day pass for the gym, including lockers, sauna, cardio equipment and weights. $ 1 extra for towels, but towels stunk even before using it — gross. I suppose you get what you get for a «poor man’s» gym membership.
X factor — 1 star: The only thing special about downtown Hamilton’s YMCA is that it’s a great place to get robbed when you go for a work out. Even if you dodge the thieves, try avoiding the ancient-​dust-​gathering gym equipment or landfill locker rooms.
Downtown Hamilton YMCA, you need to clean up your act — big time. I came here for swimming classing in the ‘90s and came today for a workout in your gym; nothing has changed. Splash a coat of fresh paint, update your equipment, renovate your locker rooms; just invest in your gym! What are you doing with all those membership fees for the last two decades? For Unilocalers, avoid this «gym» like your trashy ex; this place is a slimy disappointment and makes you wonder why you even considered coming here. Go elsewhere!

I was a member at the downtown YMCA for over a decade, and this is why I quit my membership.
For many years I loved the Y. It had racquetball and squash, decent equipment, supported a small Jamaican church, and generally just felt like a place that was trying to make a positive impact in Hamilton. I could get a workout in, and feel good about where my dollars were going. I didn’t even mind paying for parking!
Then maybe 2 or 3 years ago the atmosphere of the Y started to change. The YMCA employees who worked on the floor lacked any sort of professionalism. They didn’t enforce rules or have any higher standard — they would talk and swear with the guests. They wouldn’t say boo if someone was using a cell phone in the gym. The change rooms have become grungy places that feel like gang hangouts. Honestly, I stopped wearing anything nice after a string of locker break-​ins occurred. Any kind of pride/​ownership that was once there is now gone.
I think the Y needs vision and structure. It’s a boat with huge sails but no rudder. It’s tossed out membership assistance to those who need it, but without an end. It’s turned its change rooms into animal houses.
I turned in my membership about 8 months ago. My new gym is clean. Employees are professional. Other members are respectful. Sometimes I forget a lock and just throw my bag into a locker, come back an hour later and everything is fine, untouched. I don’t know how to turn the Y around, but I’m saddened at what it has become.