Rauner Family YMCA

I don’t think this place where the Village People were singing about, but is fun to play at this YMCA.
It’s a pretty big facility and even though everything is a little outdated, you can still get your weights, basketball, indoor/​outdoor soccer, and volleyball on. Be aware, the outdoor soccer field is super rough on your back because it’s like cement underneath a thin layer of turf. You’ll definitely be sore the next day after a game.
Parking is plentiful, the front desk staff is always nice, and they offer free coffee for a quick pick me up before whatever workout you’re into. Overall a few visits a week down this way will keep you limber like a «Young Man» and that’s enough for 3 stars alone.

I like everything about this place. They have a basletball court, workout equipment, sauna, showers, lockers, a lot of bathrooms, indoor and outdoor soccer fields. I don’t see how having two soccer fields is a waste of space as some would say. It actually seems reasonable. A lot of people in this community are soccer fanatics. Also the reason they don’t have a pool is because of lack of funds. They use what they have to offer scholarships to low income families and their programs are so cheap for non-​members.
Their teen and after school programs are so thoughtful and the artwork all over the facility is so cool! (This might be a little biased since I contributed to one of the murals haha!) Still go check it out!
Source: loyal member for 8 years

A great place for the whole family!
This Y has become part of my daily routine as I have begun some serious weight training as of late, I also love that they have so many kids programs. Many of their programs are free for members and the ones that aren’t are very reasonably priced. Can’t wait to try family Zumba!
This particular gym is really large as it is equipped with indoor and outdoor soccer fields in addition to basketball, daycare and preschool. The gym part of things is set up a bit weird with having to walk to different areas to work the same body parts but no big deal because they have pretty much everything I need. That being said, I do wish that people would understand that the weight room is for those of us who wish to lift weights.
If you would like to sit on your ass and troll Facebook, please feel free to take up space on a stationary bike as there are so many of these and only one of each machine. Seriously, if I can finish my ENTIRE SET for back and you’re still on the same machine there’s an issue. I do wish the staff could, or would regulate this. (–1 star because this can and should be fixed) Don’t be gross, wipe down your machine!
Otherwise this is a great facility and yes as everyone else says I do wish they had a pool because there seems to be a lot of wasted space. Also, it’s very hot in there. Not warm, but hot. The music is also questionable at times but I get it’s hard to please everyone so just wear your headphones.
As of today I can leg press 250lbs I hope to be able to press 400lbs sometime next year, wish me luck!
Oh my quad Becky look at her squat!!!

New member.. Staff very friendly. I went on the tour with my kids the staff member was so professional and walked us through the whole building. My kids were getting a little ancy she took us to the gym gave the kids hula hoops and continued to talk to me about their programs while my kids were having a great time playing. That was so helpful! Soccer programs for the kids have been great! So far so good!

The Zumba class on Thursday nights with Naimah is SO much fun and it’s a great workout.
This YMCA is worth the $. The members are nice, the equipment is clean and the front desk folks are helpful and professional.

Regarding the soccer facilities here, this place is about as good as it gets. I play here in a few coed/men’s leagues as well as pickup and my experience with both indoor and outdoor turf fields has been great. Location seems further south than it really is, there’s plenty of parking, and the place is always clean and well lit during open hours. It’s been a great place to play, and I’m always looking for more opportunities to compete here.

To be fair I’m only reviewing the gym. so i decided to try a gym that was a little bit closer and cheaper. what a bad decision. the free weight gym space is the size of a small garage holding maybe 10 pieces of equipment. they even have the audacity to put a help desk in the space which not only takes up room but is creepy because the employee has to stare at all the man sweat action around him/​her. 2 or 3 ppl can work out comfortably, but no its never like that. theres always about 10 to 13 ppl crammed in this 25′ x 15′ space. save your money and go somewhere else. you can still play on their grass turf soccer field for free, which imho is pretty cool to look at.

I been a YMCA member for about two years, i have tried a couple of YMCA gyms and this one is one of the best ones. it has plenty of cardio machines, a steam room, and an outdoor and indoor soccer field. it wouldnt hurt to have more free weights but it all depends on what time of the day you go. in the morning is not crowded as much as in the evening. Free parking and friendly staff is a great plus.

I was very disappointed with the YMCA, visited because the reviews were so positive. The good stuff included new facility, friendly staff, and general upkeep of said facility. The place is huge, but they don’t have a pool, but managed to have 2 soccer fields. The weight room is about 275 square feet, stocked with one of everything, it was a step above a poorly stocked home gym. They did have a separate room for thread mils and machines, but so much space is wasted, it was startling. They have a special for the summer for $ 20, but even that seems steep, considering what you get. They obviously put a lot of money into building this place, but it was poorly designed. I hope they figure that out, because it could be a really nice place.

I’ve been here a while, and like trying different YMCAs (New City, PAV, Irving Park, and a few suburban Y’s). This is one of the best Y’s in the city — definitely comparable to a suburban Y. The parking is free and ample (with occasional spillover into employee parking which no-​one seems to mind). The Y has a number of programs for kids, and you’ll see some of the murals the kids created a few years ago are on the walls and look great. The change-​rooms are in good shape with steam rooms, but small. All the bathrooms are kept very clean. There are indoor and outdoor soccer fields, both of which are used often. I actually enjoy watching some of the soccer played on the outdoor field, as the quality of play from these recreational leagues is often very good, and the view of the field from the work-​out areas is excellent. You can also watch the flat-​screens, but I tend to do both. :-) The main workout area is OK, but can quickly get crowded. They are above-​average for getting equipment repaired, but even with all the aerobic equipment, it can fill-​up in the main area. You also sign-​into the machines in huge 30 minute increments (instead of 10 or 15), so some people just work-​out on the machines during the ‘no-​show’ slots. There is always empty equipment in the weights area or the ‘overflow-​aerobic equipment’ area by the stairs. The indoor soccer field and the basketball court are well maintained and great fun. I don’t think they’ll get a pool, but people keep saying they will and it would be nice. The kids, families and others in the after-​school programs enjoy hanging-​out in the central area (with tables and foosball), and are always well behaved.
The Y is very courteous to families having economic issues, and they will work with you if your income is under $ 50K/​yr.
Lastly, one word of warning — this Y has the same problem as every gym every year: it is overloaded between the second week of January and the second week of March. If you plan to go during this period, I HIGHLY recommend avoiding weekday evenings, and HIGHLY recommend weekends and mornings/​afternoons. By the time March and April roll around, feel free to go whenever you like.

If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by. This is one of the newer YMCA’s (now christened the «Y» but than again we still say Sears Tower as opposed to the Willis Tower).
They do have one of the best indoor soccer fields around with really nice turf grass. The exercise room is really nice too and is very cheap for what you get. Lots of various things to do in this spot, just come in and check out the newer building and judge for yourself.

How could I have never reviewed this Y? It’s such a good one. Brand new, clean and shiny. I really like it here. This is where I joined, even when I’m on the north side, since my boyfriend lives close by and we always go together. This one does not have a pool, but has a huge soccer field, which makes running a little more interesting than the treadmill in the nice weather. Nice equipment, nice assortment of classes. The locker rooms are really pretty too! It’s a nice location –I’m surprised there are not more reviews for it!

I have organized the Chicago World Cup Soccer tournament at the YMCA Rauner for 4 years now.
The facility is great, players love the field.
There is easy parking and a nice area to watch the game.
Couple of cons: location but that’s why we’ve cars and no shade when it’s very sunny, that’s why we have tents and cannopies!
See you this year again at the Chicago World Cup Soccer tournament there on June 19^th and June 26^th
Seb

PROS:
Cheap membership… Has all the basic cardio machines… Not crowded at all in the morning and afternoon (before 3)…Close to the house… Still looks new and taken care of… no one bothers you like in other gyms… has a steam room… nice view overlooking the soccer field… big flat screen tv’s.
CONS:
sounds like it becomes a meat market after 4 p.m. based on my conversation with some people… you have to sign up to use the cardio machines in 30 minute increments… the accessibility from the locker room to the cardio machines is across the length of the building and up a flight of stairs… you need your card to get into the locker room, which means you need to have it with you when you work out and the likelihood of forgetting it and losing it is very high.

This is a nice facility. I have only used the indoor and outdoor soccer fields. Both are great turfs.
I noticed the basketball courts are well visited and the rest of the place is kept up well for getting a lot of use. Parking can definetly be tight.

I have been a member for about a year now!!! And I really like it. I go in the morning so there are obviously less people so the machines are always available.
If you are looking to play footbal on Thurs. mornings at 7am we play in the indoor soccer field evry week

I love this place! It’s the first Y I’ve ever been to. My boyfriend and I have a family plan here which amounts to $ 50/​mo. for the both of us! It’s equipped with plenty of equipment and classes to keep you busy. I just started the yoga and kickboxing classes and they definitely are great. The staff is very nice and good at greeting and sending you off. The place is nice and clean!
Con– the parking spots are a wee bit small for a young lady who drives a minivan.

Oh… how I love you Rauner YMCA!
This is the first gym I have ever joined and I would have to say it has been a very pleasing experience. Some other gyms I have checked out in the past such as CRUNCH is full of let’s just say… work out junkies, the people who will judge a person by there looks and feel they are more worthy to be at the gym then you are. I am not down with that kind of atmosphere! Rauner has a completely different outlook. It is not a judging atmosphere and the staff are always looking around to see if people need help.
The workout room is small, but it gets the job done and I never had to wait for a machine. The one complaint I would have to say is about the weight machines. Some people and you know who you are… tend to stay on the machines to long! All I have to say is please take turns!
Overall, this is a great place to get into shape. The ambiance of this YMCA is so different then any other work out facility. There is Artwork on the walls, which is creating by the young adult members and Sculptures as well. From what I can see this YMCA is very concerned with our youth and tries to give the young adults and children more options and bringing the community together.

This is the closest gym to my house, and since I joined in the spring, I have found none of the problems identified in the reviews posted before mine. The facility is pretty new and consistently clean. The gym equipment is in good working condition and consists of relatively recent models. Granted, the workout room could be larger and there could be more equipment, but at least it is not steamy, dirty, dark and dank. The space is bright and airy and the cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, etc.) face huge windows that look over a soccer field bordered by Western Avenue.
I like the fact that the gym is frequented by families rather than image-​conscious yuppies. I have found the staff to be helpful, usually agreeing to change the TVs in the workout area to whatever station I want. One of the benefits, though it’s probably not great for the gym itself, is that the workout area is not often crowded. There are plans to build a pool, so people looking for that will get what they need. In addition to the workout area, small weight room, and basketball/​volleyball courts, they also have an indoor soccer field, a variety of classes, and summer camp for kids. I’ve been pretty happy with my membership here. I prefer it to the higher-​priced gym chains that tend to get really crowded and impersonal.

I just tried this Y for the first time this week. It’s brand new and seems pretty nice. The workout area is a little small but has plenty of machines and has a rowing machine that I like a lot. Its primary perk is that its really close to my place. The only complaint? No pool. Boo.
EDIT– I’m knocking this to a 2.5−3 at best. The girl at the front desk was extremely rude to me yesterday and completely out of line.