Buehler YMCA

My 2.5 year-​old son did 2 weeks of day camp here (June 6^th — 17^th) and my mildly disabled daughter did 1 week here (June 6^th — 10^th) as I was out of town for that time period. The YMCA summer camp staff were *awesome.* They let my son stay in the program even though he isn’t potty-​trained yet (I hadn’t seen anything about their potty training policy when I signed him up). After two weeks in the program, my son knew all of his ABCs and several other nursery rhymes. He is developmentally significantly behind on talking for his age, but was talking a great deal more when I got him back. They accomplished more with him in two weeks than my horrible previous child care provider (see my other reviews) accomplished with him in 8 months.
This is only a review of the summer camp programs. I can’t vouch for any of the other services here, but I would use the summer camp programs again.

Not very kid friendly-​have been given the stink eye just for having my children walk down the hallway. I get that not everyone likes kids but this is a family institution and not a private adult spa. As a mom of young male children all under five I have been yelled at for taking them into the girls/women’s locker room to use the restroom as well as the women’s locker room. The family locker rooms have three shower rooms and one restroom which is always-​ALWAYS– occupied by senior citizens who have been using the pool. Where do I go to use the restroom with them or change them for classes? I’ve had people yell at them to get out of the way in the hallway when they’re just walking at the speed a normal two year old walks. The facility itself is adequate but there isn’t a large variety of machines and many times the ones they do have don’t work too well and are out of service. A lot of the equipment is worn out and not maintained. The staff that works in the kids area tends to be completely disinterested in dealing with the children. I once left my two year old in there and watched from the outside window. My son was crying and trying to ask for help from the staff member and the staff member just walked out of the toddler area and stood outside the gate with their arms folded. I watched for about five minutes hoping that someone would come along and do their job but then just walked in and took him out. So I wouldn’t count on the kids area unless your children are old enough to pretty much watch themselves. There really aren’t any other family gyms in the area so I guess everyone’s just forced to deal with the mean people and neglected facility. It’s unfortunate that so many people who dislike being anywhere near children have all decided to gather here.

Our family has been to Buehler YMCA several times a week for years. There’s one employee who is continually rude. She’s blond and we have learned her name is Kelly H. (will withhold her last name) from corporate YMCA.
We take our 3 year old daughter there for pre-​school and swim lessons. Kelly has been habitually rude even in front of our 3 year old.
At first I wasn’t understanding what the problem was, with Kelly. So I read the Unilocal reviews and they describe Kelly perfectly. We have seen her rude to co-​workers, as well and I believe she’s a supervisor. My wife and I are amazed at the fact that she’s a supervisor.
Unilocal suggested that we give suggestions on how Kelly could be a better employee and role model, as she is at the Young Men’s CHRISTIAN Association and behaving in front of children.
There are a multitude of suggestions but #1 would be her maturity level. Then, treating people with respect. Again, there are a MULTITUDE, but a little humility wouldn’t hurt her and she is being paid by the members of the YMCA. She needs them a lot more than we need her. Hopefully, this will help Kelly.
5 stars for Buehler. Kelly is a –2.

Unfortunately it is difficult to call anyone to find out about services and there is no way to leave a message. I have never been able to find a number to the front desk. A few years back they made changes to the fitness offerings and some good instructors left. That said, the family pool is big and the water temps are good. Equipment is in good working order. The customer service is what garners this rating.

Buyer beware! This is a nice workout facility, if you can get thru all the kids in the hallways, locker rooms and restrooms. The parking lot is an overcrowded mess. The main reason I give it 1 star is the customer service there. Everyone working there is a lazy, could-​care-​less high school kid. They can’t answer even basic questions and really don’t want to break up their personal conversations or phone calls to try. Cancelling my membership was a holy nightmare. They continued to charge me, months after I had cancelled. Telephone calls were met with no interest and zero return calls to management. I finally threatened to call the BBB before I was removed from their list. Look elsewhere… it’s not worth it.

As always the kids they hire Dont really want to work or be there. I don’t understand how working at the front desk and texting all day can get you so tired or cranky that you need to ruin the day of every patron of the YMCA.

I want to leave a review, specifically for the childcare center which many people don’t even know it ever exists. There is a childcare wing at this facility, offering 2 years, 3 years half day preschool, and 3 – 5 full day. All the teachers are super nice, attentive, caring, and experienced. The two directors are extremely accommodating. Everyone there is hard working. I have the family feeling over there.
The facility is not that new looking. The toys or books are not that newer. However, I don’t think that my kid minds that.
On the other side, there are a long list of things that I like about this facility. Here are a few:
1) the two directors are enthusiastic, and energetic. They are willing to work with you based on your needs. In short, they are best.
2) The schedule and options are most flexible in the area. You can add additional classes after 2 hour preschool, etc.
3) Not everything is for profit. At one time, we forgot to pick up our kid. Then we got called and the e-​mails. By the time we got there, it was already an hour later. My kid was happy and safe, and already started the nap. I was told it was OK and not to worry. I was not charged as well. I am a 3^rd kid mom. I don’t know how many times in the past, i was billed for $ 10 for 6:01pm or 6:02 pick up (in other facility which 6:00pm is the close time) for my elder two and I was threatened and felt horrible.
4) Almost always 2 teachers around. This might be a «Me» thing. I felt more comfortable when kids are watched by more than 2 teachers even though there could be more kids in one room. I just believe the 2 teachers can watch out for each other.
5) Curriculum. I don’t pay too much attention to that honestly. After the 3^rd kid, I felt kid will always learn naturally. However, I was impressed again and again by the ideas, stuffs, teachers use as a learning opportunity. I felt the teachers are teaching and caring by heart. So they brought up some ideas learned from the books, magazines, or somewhere else to the classroom. The way the teachers are doing things make me feel they are as caring as the parents.
I have a lot to add, but I am going to stop here.
I hope my review here can somewhat return the love and the caring my daughter received from this facility. Thank you.

Great facility! Nice equipment, staff are polite, huge building, and nice track. Management isn’t the best, here. Members can be extremely rude and high maintenance to the front desk staff, which is very wrong and unfair. Would be a lot nicer if the water tower was repainted. Could use a little work, there. Otherwise, amazing place! Free classes included in memberships, which is a reason membership is a little on the high cost side… Other than some of the members being extremely rude and snobby, this place is great!

Love that the Y has an indoor track. It’s great in the winter. Also, my daughter does gymnastics here and the program is outstanding! Cathy and all of the coaches do a wonderful job.

I love the Y! Buehler has a clean lap pool which is almost always available, and a large cardio and free weight section. I also enjoy the free classes like Body Pump and Group Centergy. The staff and community are helpful and professional and make me feel welcome.

If you’re looking for an outstanding gym, this is the place to go. The facility is immense, with a pool, weight room, basketball, raquetball, sauna, small wading /​physical therapy pool, indoor track, and more inside of it. You won’t have a problem finding equipment to use, and the members are friendly.
For families it’s outstanding, the childcare is abundant, clean, and has great hours, and there are plenty of classes or groups for kids ranging from karate to swim clubs to gymnastics.
Another great thing is that there are LOTS of free classes — spin, yoga, pilates, you name it. Membership fees are not bad considering all the stuff that comes with it. I’d rather pay a little more up front than get nickel and dimed for extra services on the back end.

I had hight hopes for this Y, but I’m no longer a member. They had to switch my class because of low enrollment. No big deal, but the class they put me in was a cheaper class. I had to contract the manager Cathy Huffman to refund me the difference. That was 3 months ago and I still have yet to receive a check.
I was told 2x’s that I was not allowed to use the kids club because I didn’t have a family membership. It ends up that that is not he case. Anyone who has a single membership can bring their kids there.
I has to put my membership on hold to help out my mother who was sick. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to use the club or attend my classes. I was told that I could get a refund for the classes that I wasn’t going to be able to go to. That’s not the case either. I’m done!

This YMCA is kept very clean and has a lot of things for all ages to enjoy. This is the 3^rd YMCA I have been to in the northern IL area and I have to say it is much better than the other 2. They have 2 pools, track, work out areas, fitness classes, private work out training rooms, a gymnastics center, a teen zone, a family activity center (with a ropes course), several classrooms, outdoor fields and playgrounds, a café, and a private wing of the YMCA with secure entry childcare/​preschool/​kindergarten classrooms.
Something that most may not know about this YMCA is that in the woman’s locker room there is a spa. Yup, a spa. You can get massages, manicures, pedicures, you name it. Average spa package pricing.
The YMCA also has atleast once a month free community nights where members and non members can come check out what the YMCA has to offer. It is usually a few hours in the evening on a friday once a month. Check website for info.

It’s so big, I got lost. Fitness center is pretty big too! Nice and open. Didn’t get he chance to take any classes, but it seems they have plenty. There are several vending machines with healthier snack and beverage options, plus a food bar up front. RACQUETBALL COURTS!!!

I really enjoyed taking kickboxing two Saturdays ago. There was a sub, but I thought for my first time, she was very cognizant of the differing levels of her students. Music was good, and I liked that she worked out with us too. She is super fit!
In terms of the facilities overall, I did notice quite a bit of families with young children. They were everywhere and doing everything from swimming to gymnastics. Adults can run on the indoor track, take TRX classes, play basketball, and light weights but of course, there are so many more activities for everyone!
Front desk staff was nice and did look at our IDs.

I went here and the registration process went smoothly. The front desk attendants were very nice and helpful. This was my first time here and my primary reason for joining was to use the pool. I haven’t done anything other than swim at this location yet. The pool was clean, it was a good temperature, and even though they had a scuba class going on (didn’t bother me) they had 4 lanes open still. There was no waiting for a lane and I did eventually split a lane with a fellow swimmer as time came to after work hours. I’ve been spoiled by an outdoor 50 meter pool from this summer, but this is a good substitute for the winter months. I look forward to putting in my time at this pool. The facility itself was clean and not too busy, but I was there during the week.

The best Y around. People are friendly and the new equipment is top notch.

Easily the worst YMCA in the Chicagoland area.
It is true that they have very nice facilities and equipment. My grief is with the staff and management. First of all you are treated like a criminal if you are visiting member from another YMCA. Not only do they give you the third degree and make you fill out the waivers, but they then make you feel as if you are being granted the greatest favor in the world by gaining entrance.
Not only are the staff very poor, rude, and mean. They also have very bad hours of service.

As a member spanning decades and now millenniums, the Buehler used to be a LOT better, now it’s just BIGger and has gone to the kid/​family friendly extreme at the expense of Adult service. This YMCA actually STILL closes at 6pm on Saturdays and 5pm on Sundays. The Foglia in Lake Zurich is much newer with extended hours for adults and comes refreshingly without the Buehler «not-​invented-​here» attitude and curious undeserved and unflattering arrogance. Most of the «staff» here could care less if you are satisfied with the Buehler, they leave on time and that’s all.
I won’t go on about what USED to be like «free» towel service and lockers for adults upstairs and not having a 5 minute walk from your car when you finally find a parking spot. One bright spot is they don’t close for every real or imagined holiday like they used to.
Since Adults clearly subsidize the kids and families you would think that adults would get decent service and more attractive rates considering all the competition for our business. I can’t find any compelling reason to belong here anymore if you are a family of two or worse yet if your partner prefers her much cheaper decades grandfathered deal at Bally’s now LA Fitness. It is much cheaper to join HER decades old service that still caters to adults and knows who pays the bills. And if you want a real life head spinning example of what’s wrong with old non profits, call them up and ask them WHY they have different AGES for «seniors» depending on whether or not that YMCA belongs to what YMCA Association??? What?
That’s right, YMCA’s with built in age class discrimination. Oy.
Move on.

The only reason I joined this place is because of my teenagers who like to work out with their friends there. Administratively and staff wise, this is the most screwed up business I have ever experineced.
It took 3 months at the beginning of our membership before we weren’t stopped at the desk when our cards were swiped because their system wasn’t updated. They raised the monthly charge to $ 90 with no correspondence via mail or email. They said one of my automative withdrawls didn’t go through. I checked my account. There was no shortage in my account at any period so the screw up was on their end but blamed it on me. The staff doesn’t know what they are doing and have to call a supervisor or that Sabine person for every little question.
I love to swim. They have so many swim classes scheduled that the only time you might be able to get a lane to yourself is at 10pm at night and even then someone may very well jump in and swim with you… and who the heck wants to swim at 10pm.
As soon as my kids leave for college… I’m joining a real gym!