Downtown Cleveland YMCA

Not sure what all the fuss is about, this Y is a gem from an era long gone. I visited this Y while in town for work using the AWAY program as I am a member at my local Y at home.
Pros:
–Free access using AWAY program for visiting members. Some make you pay a per day fee even while using the AWAY program.
–Free parking in the adjacent lot.
–Free towels.
–Large male locker room and plenty of available lockers.
–Free Spin classes for members
–Great 4 lane lap pool and hot tub. Great lap pool schedule with plenty of available times to get in.
–Cool historic old charm building, with 3^rd floor basketball court and old school suspended track
–Friendly accommodating staff.
Cons: Whats great in old world charm is lost on modern day necessity.
–Old running track
–Over all boxed in feeling of facility
–Some areas run down in need of some TLC and a face lift.
Overall great facility to visit and take a trip into the past, but if I lived in the area, I would seek a more up-​dated facility.

This is actually one of my fave YMCA’s in Greater Cleveland. It has separate saunas for men and women and lots of machines so much so I’ve never really had to wait to use one even at peak times. Parking is a little bit of a pain because it’s downtown.

I have first hand knowledge of the downtown YMCA:
As such, I simply want to clarify some things. There is no «crossover fee» to use the downtown facility. This used to be the case, as another Unilocaler wrote, because the downtown branch does have higher overall rates. However, now, you can use any YMCA in Cleveland, any in the state of Ohio, and as I’ve informed people, you can use any YMCA in the USA really. All they have to do is call and verify your membership is active and without any owed balance, and you’re good.
So far as outdated equipment/​lockerooms etc., is that true? Sure, I’m not going to say it isn’t. It’s a building that’s over 100 years old. Do your research on the history of the YMCA in Cleveland to see for yourself. That being said, THE DOWNTOWN YMCA will be in a NEW FACILITY IN 2016 located at the Galleria at East 9^th Street. You can see the facility in a virtual walk-​thru by going to
and selecting the downtown branch. Please see the plans that are being laid out before you judge the existing facility on the age and appearance of the building as it is now. None of us look the same as we did when we were fresh out of high school, right?
The YMCA has a rich history built on being far more than a «gym and swim», and again merits homework to that end before you complain that it’s not comparable to the plethora of franchise facilities. The YMCA offers rehabilitation programs for ex-​offenders, homeless services, employment for special needs individuals and valuable after-​school and summer camp programs for children who may otherwise be unattended by working parents and left to get in trouble. Membership dues also go to supplement and defray the cost of membership for military families and for those who cannot afford the regular fees — and who are often the most in need of recreation and fitness to achieve health goals and relieve familial and economic stress.
I would say that if you have any specific complaints with the facility, you reach out to the branch directors. If you don’t know who they are — look on the website, or ask at the desk. Any business welcomes constructive critique from it’s customers or in this case, members. Complaining about it on Unilocal doesn’t create an opportunity for change.

I don’t know where to begin. My experience was shocking. I get this place (and other YMCA branches) free on my work health insurance so I decided to check it out.
— The machines are ancient and at least one of them had rust on it (one of the leg machines).
— In general, the weight machines, being older, are heavier. The part you sit on /​lift /​move /​etc is heavier than at most gyms today therefore the weight you usually set the machine with is probably going to be too heavy for you at this gym. Most noticeable to me on the lying leg press machine.
— Some of the machines are in disrepair. One of the decline sit up benches had cracked foam rollers and duck tape on it. This is a very unhealthy surface — you cannot clean cracked foam sufficiently.
— The machines are not as adjustable as new ones today are therefore it may not be possible to obtain the right position you like to lift in. I did actually really enjoy the leg curl machine, but the leg extension machine was really awkward.
— The locker room and gym and track are carpeted — cleanliness issue there as well in my opinion.
— The ‘benches’ in the locker room were dirty. They were really plastic plus sized Rubbermaid stools that looked like they belonged in a bathroom equipped for persons’ with disabilities.
— Bring your own lock for the lockers. They weren’t that deep, but at least they were full length — there’s one kind of pro about the gym.
— The basketball court (or gym as they call it) is up a few flights of stairs from the locker room, through a conference room, down a winding hallway, then through a room with an unfinished hardwood floor.
— Another pro! Security. Admission to everything is secured. The receptionist must unlock a door next to their desk to grant you access.
— Another pro! Towels are available behind the reception desk.
— One final pro! From 5−6pm the place was dead — maybe 20 people max inside. That’s really nice for after work, but based on the above you can see why.
In summary this gym needs to be closed, deep cleaned, and refurbished immediately. I’ve heard it’s the most expensive of the YMCA network and that is definitely unfortunate. It’s not worth it! (Though they do give free parking to members).
My recommendation is to gym shop — there are many other gyms downtown in Cleveland with competitive rates with much newer equipment.

Recently my «fam» joined the Lakewood Family YMCA and since then, we’ve been curious about visiting the downtown location.
Well, this weekend we decided to finally give their saunas a try, since the one at the Lakewood location is being replaced. The first thing I noticed about this location was that it has that oldschool athletic club vibe to it. The layout is somewhat similar to a labyrinth, filled with winding hallways and staircases that take you deeper and deeper into the catacombs of the building. Pretty neat, if you ask me!
This location is also much less family-​oriented. In fact, I didn’t really see any room here to bring children. What they do boast is individual saunas for men and women, located in the locker room. Men also have a steam room – which I did not see for the ladies. The locker rooms definitely carry on that old athletic club vibe with carpeting (I know… kind of strange), large televisions, towel service and larger locker spaces. Each locker room brings you up to the pool and hot tub area and that’s where you’ll experience a blast from the past. The pool is definitely older and tucked away in a room that sort of reminded me of high school. Again, I thought it was pretty neat.
I didn’t get to explore a lot of the workout areas, but I noticed that the weight room and aerobics room were separated. The weight room seemed strictly for men, boasting more oldschool equipment. The aerobics room was definitely geared towards woman and had everything you’d need to get your stretch/​core work on. The cardio area was a little dated and much smaller than the Lakewood location, but efficient.
We also learned that because the Downtown YMCA membership costs more, you have to pay a $ 5 fee to come in if you’ve signed up at certain other locations. That seems pretty confusing and a little dumb to me, but whatever.
I definitely like the «club» feeling this location has going and it’s a nice reprieve from all the kids running around at the Lakewood location. Although, for what I need on a daily basis, I think I’ll take the Lakewood location for their unisex workout area with updated workout/​cardio equipment. If only I could take the pool from downtown, which I think is way cooler.

Not a bad place if you work downtown and want to workout nearby before going home. This is one of the only options besides CSU for downtown that offers a pool. They have about 7 treadmills, which aren’t usually busy, but they capped the time on them to 30 minutes max which is annoying.
The swimming pool is only three lanes wide and two of those lanes are used during late afternoon for water aerobics, which creates a bottleneck for those looking to swim after work.
As a male, the lockers and showers are a bit on the scary side. There is a lingering smell of bleach as if they were trying desperately to hide a dead body. Also many of the older members seem to have at one time all lived together in a nudist colony. This is the only explanation I can think of because they all walk around naked without ever attempting to cover themselves.
Parking is good as there is usually always a spot when I arrive and the staff is very helpful for any of your needs.
Overall the place works are a quick-​use gym for professionals downtown. If, however, you are used to the quality in Lifetime or Urban Active, you will need to lower your expectations as this is a YMCA, not a fitness club.