YMCA Sports Complex

Went there with my son for free play on sunday. Chatted with the front desk. After 15 minutes of chatting trying to find how much to pay I was finally informed that free play was free and we went and played. However when I returned 2 weeks later i received a very different story. I was willing to pay same as the week before. However I was told I had to wait an hour. Ridged, unhelpful incompetent.

This review is just for the weight room — I don’t take group classes, I don’t run on the track (which is huge!), and I don’t have kids for the babysitting.
One of the most overpriced, but worst equipped gyms I have ever seen, if your sport is weight lifting. There is NO squat rack. NO bench press. NO barbells. Are you kidding?! They only have doubles of each DB so if someone about your strength is working out at the same time, you have to wait. They have one smith machine (which, if you lift, you avoid like the plague) but if one guy wants to squat or bench, there goes that for the next 30 minutes. It is absolutely mind-​boggling that they are allowed to call this a gym. It is about the size of most hotel gyms. Not to mention the customer service is beyond terrible. I have been trying to get someone to talk to me about the above problems for the past 3 months and no one will respond to my emails.
If you are paying for a track, group classes, babysitting. I don’t know, then maybe it is fine, but over $ 100 for two people to fight for a few lousy weights? No way. I’m done.

So I’ve only joined the Y recently after a move to the area and haven’t yet had the chance to try all of the offerings, but so far, I am really impressed. I’ve belonged to several gyms, including Equinox, and the Y offers the largest variety of classes throughout the day and on weekends. I am particularly pleased with the mid-​day and early evening offerings since I am not a morning girl and also don’t like to work out after dinner. For the most part, instructors are really good. The equipment room is small but there is a nice variety and all the machines are brand new. Facilities are not fancy and there are no showers, but everything is always immaculate. Plus what do you expect for $ 54 a month? They do offer personal training at a reasonable price (at least compared to Equinox). To date, no problems getting a space in classes. My only complaint is that there is no Spin bike in the cardio room, and members can’t use Spin bikes outside of classes, but that is a minor gripe.

I came here three times with my friend and her daughter. Today I wanted to bring my friend’s daughter to walk around and to walk in for family art. The security from the front was very rude. He told me that if I am not a member and if I am without the parents i cannot come in and he don’t care what other staff said before because this is what he is demanding. Note that I came here and registered my information with YMCA for permission to bring my friend’s daughter even if the parents are not here.

Great place to workout while my little one snacks or runs with me on the track. The child watch program allows me to drop off my son while I take a group class. I also enjoy the family yoga class on Sundays!

I’ve been debating on what I would say in this review for a while. I have such a love hate relationship with the Y. However I felt it was time to give my honest opinion on the success this gym could have had. I’ve been a member here for a long time. Partly because it’s affordable and also convenience of the location. For the most part the staff here is friendly, they weeded out the bad ones a while ago. My problem with this place is the set up, and where exactly all the members funds go to.
My first problem. This gym is over run by children and their nannies. It used to be worse a year ago. It seems they did a little damage control, but the problem still exists. Let’s see in the winter if it’s as bad as it’s been. Nannies line up against the track and babies are crawling in every direction. I’ve seen it a million times when a small child runs on the track and gets run into by someone trying to work out. You can’t blame the person running, that’s all I’ll say about that.
Second is the set up. This gym could have had such a good outcome. I’m not sure if it was a design flaw by the organization, or because it’s a government building that they weren’t able to change much. The whole gym consists of a track which is Rarely used by members but more from teams and schools that rent it out. It’s a waste of space honestly and I think the excuse is that it’s used for events, but there are probably six events maximum a year.
The cardio room. This is such a joke, anyone who has been here knows that the whole system sucks. The room is tiny for such a big gym and usually at reasonable hours there is a wait time to use a machine. The line sometimes goes out of the room. My problem during peak season, when teams and schools rent out the tracks the coaches sometimes take the kids into the cardio room to use the treadmills. Like hello wasn’t that the point of renting out the track space. It sucks and it causes paying members to be forced to wait. I honestly don’t think this is right or fair.
The weight room has improved slightly, but again the size is tiny and the set up sucks. When there are more than six people it feels over crowded and the free weights section is a hot mess when there are three people at a time trying to work in the area.
There are a couple of good instructors here. You have to find one that fits your speed and stick with them. Can’t really complain there.
Lastly, where the funds go. I notice they have all these lunches and pizza parties for the after school programs and the special kids programs. I wonder if that’s membership fee money. Because if it is they should spend less of it on parties and more for the actual members. I get it’s a non profit charity for children, but come on get more kettle bells for us to use or just equipment in general. I took a leak into a storage room and saw all this unused equipment. Why isn’t it out for members to use if they want to? We paid for it.

This place has everything, ping pong tables, basketball courts, and vending machines. They have Rec league basketball, and a basketball skills clinic. This place has a full size basketball court, and 2 smaller basketball courts. This place is awesome!

Nice, spacious sports complex. Best categorized as a sports complex since you can do so much here — basketball, track, karate, Pilates, yoga, ping pong etc. Great place to elevate your heart rate during the winter months and stay out of the roasting sun in the summer. There are nice rooms for party rentals and the staff is helpful. I would lessen to call this a gym as it would not meet your standards. The changing area and lockers could use more privacy but overall this is a nice place to work out.

Not a fan of the «high energy dance music» they play in spinning class, etc. Incredibly grateful it’s not pumped from speakers throughout the entire facility. Why the lights are turned off in spinning class baffles me (it’s actually a bit disorienting). And as a former architecture student, the fact that they lowered the ceilings by at least 4ft when the place was renovated is something that drives me crazy so I make a real effort to ignore it. All things considered, it’s a really great Y and we’re lucky to have it in our neighborhood.

I’m training for a half marathon but the sh*tty, cold weather has been making it tough for me to stay motivated. I was interested in using the indoor track so my friend, who has a membership here, gave me a bunch of guest passes.
I’ve tried using the track about 5 times, thinking each time might be better than the last. But I’m always disappointed. On weekday evenings, the track gets hogged by both a running club for adults and a bunch of teens (I assume they are part of an after school program). Despite a sign in the entrance indicating the direction you are supposed to move in (clockwise or counter-​clockwise), the club and kids always run in the opposite direction. Not sure why they do this, but it’s incredibly annoying — not to mention dangerous — to have to dodge people running directly at me. I do my best to stay out of the way and stick to one lane, but the groups always meander so I have to scramble every time we pass each other. I’d rather the club designate 3 – 4 lanes for the groups so the rest of us runners can jog in peace.
On weekends, this place becomes a daycare and the parents stupidly let their kids run around. I once saw a jogger, who was looking at their phone while running, plow right into a child. Yeah, it was stupid of the jogger to be looking at their phone, but parents need to do their job and watch their children.
I’ve also tried using their machines and weightlifting equipment, but as others have said here, the rooms designated for these are too small and you’ll be lucky if you find a machine that’s open. My friend however, says the classes are pretty good.
I’m glad I didn’t have to spend a dime here. I will not be signing up.

Awesome basketball court and indoor running track. The gym and weight room could be improved, specially the free weight.
The building is very nice and restrooms always clean.

Like the previous, this review is about Petra only. I decided to take her spin class and will never return. First I didn’t think it was challenging enough but that’s not why I won’t take it, I found her very rude and I felt she was judgy. She seems like she thinks she is better than everyone else, her attitude has got to go. To be an instructor you have to be personable and friendly. I’ve had no problem with the other instructors I’ve taken.
Another complaint, what is with all the nannies ??

This could easily be one of the BEST gyms in the entire city if not the country. COULD be… unfortunately it is not and the squandered potential is painful. First off, this place is HUGE, and beautiful. See the pics, it’s housed in an old armory and the interior is ornate and harks back to a bygone era; there’s a wrought iron railing that goes around the entire upper seating area. The track, basketball courts, and giant open space is the best part of this place however it is unbelievable that with so much open space the cardio area and weight room are JAMMED into two tiny rooms. There was no space in the weight room and the equipment was terrible. How can you have a weight room with no bench presses? Planet Fitness has the same machines, a greater number of machines, is not dangerous, and is a fifth the price. If there is more than 5 people in the weight room it is dangerous to work out. This place could be luxurious… I don’t get it. There is also no locker room, for males or females; you change in the bathroom and there are a bunch of free lockers in a common area. Bizarre.
What a disappointment.

The five stars are for Petra’s classes only. She is a smart, talented, and challenging instructor whose spin classes are the best I’ve ever taken (at different studios in NYC, including the snobby ones). Having learned from Petra about working with the beat and rhythm and having gotten used to her great playlists, it is really impossible to enjoy classes taught by other instructors.
Cons: whereas Petra’s classes are of the highest caliber, all the other classes I’ve taken are decidedly so so, overly crowded at times or not difficult enough.
Another problem is the women’s bathroom — very often reeking of dirty diapers, quite disgusting. Though the janitorial staff clearly works hard, there are just so many children at certain times of the day that preventing the smell is impossible I guess. Still, sympathetic as I am, it would be nice to have bathrooms without the overpowering odor.

Pros:
Amazing spin class depending on instructor and kickboxing is the best
Kickboxing instructor is amazing
Cons:
1. Expensive
2. Extremely poor service at the desk
3. Some of the instructors are obese and don’t finish the class with us. To be an instructor you have to be in shape to motivate

I’ve worked out in many gyms before, good ones and bad ones, but this is the worst!
1) The Building itself is run down, no showers, no changing room, just a commercial bathroom.
2) The Weight room is vary basic. A high school gym is more complete than this.
3) There is No customer service what so ever. Starting from the manager all the way to the front desk guy.
4) I believe in «Play the part Be the part», The trainers here have no clue about fitness, I would have to get paid to let any of this people train me.
And if this is not enough, I’ve been there only 3 times and every time I’ve been harassed for working out with my friends.
I definitely would not recommend this!

I love the Zumba classes here! Danela and Lilka’s class are amazing. Cheryl as a yoga instructor is awfully rude. I wish they would bring a more personable instructor for restorative. She was not very yogic.
It’s affordable, clean, air conditioned and they offer a wide variety of classes. Download the app!

Huge and beautiful.
The yoga classes are great – especially Zaria’s Saturday class, she is amazing!

For the price compared to my NYSC membership, this place is pretty decent. There are no showers or towel service so you’ll mostly see a lot of people already changed into their gym clothes from the neighborhood walk on in.
Definitely bring a towel — if not to wipe your sweat, lay it on a mat (or bring your own). My favorite part is how the building is compartmentalized and there is a large track. Different rooms for different things on the 2^nd floor and while it’s sort of interesting you see some rooms have people in meetings (support groups?), kids rooms, you sincerely feel a sense of community in this Y. Men/​women change in the bathrooms but put their clothes in lockers outside the hall.

I give it three stars, but it could actually go up or down (for others) very easily depending on needs.
The good: It’s relatively cheap, the building is an awesome re-​use of a classic armory, and the resulting track/​indoor space is massive for NYC standards.
The bad: You can’t use other Y facilities without paying a premium… bumping the cost to about the same as the other mid-​range chains. You can’t ride a bike there (no place to lock it), thought they allow indoor stroller parking. Also, as mentioned, there are some joint ventures with the city and schools so the place can be calm and quiet one day and feel like Justin Beber’s Piñata Party on Disney Main Street the next.
The ugly: They «gym» parts are tiny… a small, creaky room packed with cardio, next to a tiny room packed with a bare minimum of machines/​weights, down the hall from some tiny rooms used for classes. As mentioned, no lockers or bike parking, so you hike there from wherever in order to hike some more.
It’s this strange dichotomy of space that is both initially intriguing but later becomes annoying. You could easily park a 747 in the main building/​fieldhouse, which at times can be almost completely empty of people. Yet it seems the vast majority of regular, paid members want to do stuff that’s crammed into the smaller «classroom» type spaces.
I appreciate that there were concessions made and the need to maintain a regulation track. However it’s always got this strange vibe as a result.
Bottom line: great if you want a full, indoor track and are flexible with availability. Decent, it seems, for some classes. Terrible if you want machines/​weights.