YMCA Of Greater Louisville

A superb Y, all 7 floors plus basement of it. Has everything you could ever need at a great price. This includes locker rooms, indoor pool, smoothie and sandwich cafes, women’s rec area, racquetball courts, a floor of cardio machines and stacks, two floors of free weights, basketball court, rock climbing wall, a tiny indoor track, punching bags and plenty of classrooms for yoga, bodypump, spin and other things. Also, parking is available for only a dollar and the classes are available at lots of times. If I still lived in Louisville, I’d be here every day.

GUEST VISIT EXPERIENCE
I found myself one morning without a running buddy and way downtown where an Urban Active should have been but was nowhere to be found. Normally I attend the large Corporate Urban Active location for my calorie burning experience. I wanted to get the nonprofit experience at the YMCA.
Many of my friends live downtown and attend this YMCA. I hear all the time about the variety of classes, the great hours, the convenience of it being a walking distance from work, and how great it is to run into all your friends there.
My experience was no less so then as described. I walked in and was greeted by two up beat front desk employees (as shown in photo). As a nonmember I was informed that I could visit twice with no charge within a year… my gym has a daily fee for nonmembers. I was navigated to the stairs where I found my complementary towel… my gym charges a $ 1. The second floor had the lockers rooms that were spacious and contained full bathrooms and showers. After I locked up my belongings, we hiked to the third floor that contained the classrooms and exercise courts. We finally reached the fourth floor to the main exercise room that contained your basic weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and weight machines.
The member I was with walked over and checked into a kiosk that I later found out is an electrical work out buddy that tells you your workout for the day, tracks your previous activities, keeps you in line with your goals, and rewards you with points… I don’t get points from my gym or have an electrical work out buddy. YMCA kiosk points can be redeemed for prizes and while I was there my YMCA member got a key chain flash light… I’ve never got a key chain flashlight from my gym.
I found my treadmill in the corner without the TV screen, this was my preference because the majority of their machines have TV capability. I got a great view of downtown with the floor to ceiling windows and started programming my run into the treadmill. This moment is when I became overwhelmed with envy! My treadmill had a fan at the top that you could adjust speed and direction to blow on you while you ran. My large corporate gym does NOT have fans on their treadmills. That day I ran my mileage in the blissful delusion of a breezy summer day and it felt fantastic.
After my workout I ended up running into someone I knew that was working out at the gym also, just like everyone says. There is parking on the street for the YMCA, but they have their own parking garage on the same street with cheap rates, but it is only for members. As I drove home I became sadden that the YMCA only allowed two free visits a year for nonmembers, because I definitely would visit more often if I could.

I am a regular at this downtown Y. It is located in a five story builidng a few blocks from downtown, and there is parking in an adjacent garage ($ 1 for 3 hours, after 4 PM). The front desk staff is very pleasant and helpful, always with a smile when I check in, and a greeting of «Have a nice workout». The men’s locker room is large, and there are always enough empty lockers to easily store my belongings when I work out. There are an abundance of plain white towels available to use after showering, and I always see the Y staff removing the used towels and restocking with freshly laundered towels. I have been a member of the Y for over a year, and have never encountered a situation where towels were out of stock. I usually am on the fourth floor using the cardiovascular machines or the weight machines, so I cannot comment knowledgeablly on services on other floors, though they offer a wide range of options that are worth checking out. There are usually two or three Y employees available if you need help, plus you can make an appointment to learn how to use the weight machinges… they have a lot of machines, and I have never had to wait an excessive time while doing a circuit. There are a lot of cardiovascular machines (treadmills, spin, stationary bikes, Stair Steppers, ellipicals, etc.), and I think all of them have TVs built in to help pass the time. Though I wish they had more of my favorite cardiovascular machines, its a large space, and its always possible to find an open cardiovascular machine to use. After working out, the shower area is OK, and about what you would expect. One nice touch to the building is that they have two areas on the first floor which serve food… one makes sandwiches and the other makes smoothies. I have often ordered a smoothie after a workout, with some additives (protein powders, etc), and each one has been very tasty and satisfying. Overall, I am very happy with this Y location, and don’t have any significant problems with it. And there very nice staff helps create a very pleasant environment, and they are always willing to help. If you are looking for a gym in the downtown area, I would definitely suggest that you get a tour of the Y to see what they offer.