South Shore YMCA

Very nice facility. But if you are looking for a real work out this isn’t the place to go. At any given time there could be a group of 5 kids standing around a machine and talking rather than actually working out. Trainers think they can reserve 5 pieces of equipment at a time. People don’t take their weights off after using something them. And it takes a good 20 minutes to find a parking spot.

its the YMCA so of course there will be lots of families and overrun with kids in the evenings. This is one of the best family friendly gym in Quincy and having a 5 years old daughter, i like the fact I can put her in the playroom for 2 hours to run, take class, or lift weights. Lots of free classes on schedule. beautiful pools and clean facility. Polite staffs. New gym equipment and ur own tv u can watch on whatever machine you are using. I am very happy with this Y and also my kid currently goes to the summer day care. perfect hours 7a-​6pm. Also has summer camps for older kids. Price is reasonable and if you are on a budget, they do financial assistance based on your income. Happy mama here! :)

Well it’s the best gym in Quincy in my opinion I’ve belonged to them all at one point in my lifetime. But I’m going to be honest. Gym etiquette is non-​existent in this place I’ve had kids pull weight off something while I was still on it several times. Also I’ve never seen so many people just jump on a machine while I’m going to get a paper towel and spray just to turn around and see them sit in a fresh puddle of my buttsweat. I’ve had a couple of interactions with the staff they are friendly but not very helpful. I had one staff member criticize my form once to his friend he thought my headphones were on. The kid clearly did not lift. The equipment is new and clean and if something is broken it’s fixed very fast. I’ve never had a problem getting a cardio machine. The bathrooms are pristine. If I had a family or kids I would probably love this place since there is so much this place can offer them.

Some of my favorite zumba, body pump and definition instructors! Great indoor track for running and walking. 2 hour activity center for the kids is a huge bonus for parents that need babysitting while they workout.

Only 1 sauna room for make and female, very awkward.

As any other gym, this place gets packed during high times. Ie before and after work and during weekends. With that said, the facilities are massive and completely renovated. There is an array of machines from cardio equipment all the way to several squat racks. The gym is well maintained and definitely cutting edge.
To top it all off, the price is in line with most ymcas, leaving it a huge value gym. I would definitely recommend this ymca.

I had been at this y since middle school, which was 8 years ago. I had been with them since they had the old building and this new one. I must say in terms of equipment, I like this new y so much better (duh of course). That is why I gave them an extra star and that’s probably the only pro about it.
I have lots of cons but I would like talk about the two biggest cons/​incident.
–number one. why the heck is there only one sauna. The old y had two, one in the men’s locker room and one in the women’s locker room. The annoying part about it is you have to take a shower before going in which mean I’m prob in my swimsuit or naked. Yes I understand why but seriously now. I don’t know about you ladies but I prefer not to expose myself in a coed sauna in my swimsuit or have a skimpy towel covering me. Yes I know, how about some clothes? Well I’m sure no one wants to take a shower and put on clothes so you can sweat in them too. If it was an all women’s sauna, I don’t mind but they can’t expect us to do that in a coed one. Not to mention it gets crowded fast and the new sauna (coed) prob fits 2 more people than the old sauna (gender specific).
–the front desk staff are eh. Some are great, some have no idea what’s going on or very slow at doing things, and some are just plain rude. I went to the y with a friend in the evening. I happened to see my brother and my cousin (who was visiting MA). It was a good thing we saw them there because the front desk staff won’t let them in even though they agreed to pay for a day pass. Seriously all they wanted to do was swim because my brother was showing him around. He didn’t have a membership so they denied them both of a day pass. They said they don’t do day passes. Are you serious? Since when? Anyway when me and my friend got there the male worker came up to us and asked if we knew them (in the rudest way). Asking me questions like who are they to you blah blah. He gave us the biggest attitude. Then he continued saying if they wanted a day pass (thought they didn’t do such thing), they had to pay $ 12 (I swear since I was a member, it was $ 10 for people over 20 and $ 5 for people under 20 so since when did they raised the price). Then when I went back to grab some towel, they wanted to charge $ 1 for a towel after my brother and cousin probably already overpaid them. I had no cash so the same worker gave them to me (compensating for being an a**?).
Never had a problem with the staff. I’m the type of gym goer that work out then leave and don’t complain much or think much about anything. I’m a pretty laid back member but this incident had me very worked up. I am quite pissed off how I was being interrogated, really does it matter who they were to me? Also if you don’t offer one day pass to people, how would they know they want to join the gym? That is all. If there was another gym that was cheaper or had a pool with a gym, I would definitely leave here.

I may be in the honeymoon period but I have had a great experience at the Quincy Y. Some caveats. I only go between 5:30 and 7:15 AM on weekdays and 7−10AM on weekends.
That being said, I have had a great time with my spin classes. Kickboxing with Mickey is one of the things I look forward to on a weekly basis. Field house has friendly staff. Also, had a great time at the Frozen 4k!

All I have to say are the CONS wayyyy out way the PROS. Some of the people in the gym need to take a «first time gymer orientation» or something before using the equipment. A lot of the older/​younger people here have no clue what they are doing and their needs to be a rule about not wearing sandals or dress shoes while using equipment. It’s scary how dangerous it is. I understand this is a family gym, and this might not be the place for me. I enjoy the gym, I’m fit and go there to work out and don’t want screaming kids everywhere, but this is a review for the people who are fit, who strength train and do what you need to do and leave.
CONS:
— No one re-​racks there dumbbells. You have to go searching for a match, or best of all trip over the one you’re looking for.
— There is a huge lack of mirrors. The 2 areas where there are about 20′ of mirrors are crowded by people and equipment. You would think the people who work here would start to notice where people gather the most and start putting mirrors in other parts of the gym.
— Always crowded with high-​schoolers
— They do not have kettlebells and will not have kettlebells. When I asked why, a trainer told me they are dangerous and could swing out of someone’s hands. So it makes sense to have someone swing a dumbbell?!? Right!
— Bad layout. You waste more time walking back and forth through the gym to get to equipment.
— It’s a zoo when you walk in. Little kids running everywhere.
— People at the front desk are not always friendly and they are not very helpful when asking people questions.
— They have a large franchise Honey Dew Donuts in the lobby, neither the less, they do serve more healthy items, but this would have been a convenient spot for a small business Juice or smoothie bar to help the community (i thought thats what the Y was all about)
— Bad design of locker room. No outlets anywhere
— Parking? Forget about it, you could be driving in circles for a good 10 – 20 min if classes are being held or you head there right after work hours.
— Its expensive for individuals
— Did I mention, no one knows how to re-​rack there dumbbells!!!
— The key locker is not in a convenient spot.
— Good luck finding the 2^nd floor bathroom. Architect forgot to coordinate signage. You can tell the job was rushed by the end so they could reopen the gym
— A lot of wasted space
— I have sent in comments on some of the items above. Never a response.
PROS:
— Zumba classes are great. Stephanie is awesome
— Equipment is high tech and awesome
— Very clean
— Can always get on a machine.
Honestly I was impressed for the first week, then when I had to start searching for things, tripping over equipment, trying to find a parking spot I was very unimpressed. This is not a muscle man’s gym, this is a zoo! Good Luck and hope it works out for you!

This is a really incredible YMCA! It’s got everything you could want and is huge and beautiful! I really love the track.

This gym has everything I need to get a good workout in.
Sure, it may be a bit crowded at times but that’s to be expected because it IS a YMCA.
Other gym goers are pretty good about wiping down the machines after use so I can’t complain too much.

Our daughter has been attending the daycare (classes are a better discription) for about a year now. I cant express how much we love the staff! They are beyond tustworthy! They write daily progress reports. Daily cariculim. Daily art projects. I mean, really, educational value here doesn’t end. Initially she had Ms. Ann and Mr. Ben, who you will be lucky if your early todd has the pleasure of being around.
Now up a level she has Ms. Sharon and Ms. Carrol. These ladies are amazing. The compliments and comfort I have in this program are endless. You would never be disappointed if you have your child here.

Before you sign up here you need to ask yourself a few questions:
1. Are you an asian teenager/​smarmy twenty-​something who goes to the gym with 14 of your ‘bros’ and all of them watch while you hog the free weight area/​bench press during peak hours?
2. Do you have poor enough form to coach your ‘girlfriend’ through your own personal variations of upright rows, deadlifts, and shoulder presses while simultaneously making fun of her? Could you be a trainer if you just got the certificate?
3. Is the best part of your workout the part when you post gym selfies and/​or answer text messages after each set? Multitasking is an important part of the gym lifestyle, right?
4. Do you believe that adding two more plates to the bar is not only the best way to reach your fitness goals, but also gives your friends a workout because they have to pull the bar off of you after each set?
5. Have you ever used the term YOLO unironically? Do you own a flat-​billed baseball cap with stickers still on it or a lifting tank-​top?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then this is the place for you. Come by during peak hours and make new friends who share your interests. From 6p — 9:30pm you can count on the gym literally being packed with like-​minded individuals.
However, this gym is not for you if you:
1. Enjoy a stress-​free workout with plenty of free weights.
2. Actually record your progress and nutrition
3. Wear sensible, clean, well-​fitting gym clothes
4. Prefer an efficient hour-​long workout
5. Know proper form and what weights work for your goals
6. Are an attractive women who isn’t looking for a date
Seriously, this place sucks. If you’re serious about working out find somewhere else that isn’t as busy or packed with idiot kids.

Can I draw my own personal time series for the Y.
I’ll start with mid-​June 2014 when I first went in to review this facility — TWO STARS!
A month later in mid-​July — FOUR STARS!
Another month later mid-​July when I’m no longer blinded by all that’s glittery and new — THREE STARS!
Mid June: I moved here from the Oak Square Y. It came highly recommended by some staff members that worked part-​time at both facilities! The place is easily accessible from Quincy Center. I tell the lady at the front desk that I am moving to the neighborhood, would love a tour of the facility and subsequently a «transfer» (apparently a bad choice of words). She said they don’t do transfers and I can use my membership card from another Y as long as I’m not using this Y more regularly than the other one. And then she went back to doing SOMETHING. 5 minutes go by and she looks up and asks me if «I still need help»! Did you not hear the part that I would like a tour? She looks at Lady #2, tells me that she’ll talk to her as soon as she’s free (Lady #2 was busy chit-​chatting) and goes back to whatever it was that she was doing. Another 5 minutes go by. Lady #2 is done talking. Lady #1 still has no clue what to do. She still gives me the «Oh why are you bothering me» look! So, I go straight to Lady #2 at which point Lady #1 immediately springs into action telling Lady #2 that I need a tour! Ugh.
Observations:
1. (-) There is only one steam room and one sauna room. That means, unlike the Oak Square Y where a wrapped towel would suffice, I have to be «proper» here. On the other hand, the nasty men shaving and flopping around naked at the Oak Square Y — not happening here!
2. (-) The parking area — Ample, but the eyesore of the old building is still around.
3. (-) The steam room — broken
4. (+) Indoor track, basketball courts, studios for cardio activities, spinning.
5. (+) Multiple machines of the same kind so you don’t have to wait for that one machine to free up.
5. (-) The men who bring their kids into the adult locker room even though it clearly says you shouldn’t
6. (-) The windows on the side facing Coddington road. I wish they had some kind of sun blockers on them. More than once I’ve contemplated (and have seen others) wearing sunglasses as they use the treadmills and ellipticals along this edge of the floor.
7. (-) Machines do not have computers on them. I consider this a negative because a small facility like the Oak Square Y had Fitlinxx on all their machines. Furthermore, all the ellipticals, treadmills and related cardio equipment are state of the art. Why skimp on something that now requires us to walk around with a paper to remember our settings!
Mid-​July: I had gotten into the rhythm of taking the train/​bus to N. Quincy, walking past the eye-​sore which is the old Y where demolition/​construction has stalled and getting my cardio+weights routine done. I like that, unlike the Oak Square Y, there are always cardio machines available. A couple of people on the staff are helpful. One lady on the staff even managed to snag one of the other users a magazine holder!
That Honey Dew donuts shop in the lobby — A lot of reviews have a negative view about it, but I don’t see DONUTS on the menu. It’s bagels and the «relatively healthy» shakes. It’s not protein shakes and fresh squeezed kale juices but hey, if it doesn’t fit your diet plan, look the other way as you walk through the lobby!
Mid-​August: All that I said I loved in the previous section still holds. However, I started noticing additional things that are trivial in isolation but irksome.
1. (-) The steam room is still broken.
2. (-) The staff, other than a couple of them, don’t seem friendly and even seem condescending. I haven’t needed their help since the machines are similar to the ones at the Oak Square Y, but smirking before helping someone (else, not me) is not a big morale booster for someone asking you for help!
3. (-) I asked one of the staff members for a magazine holder since the cardio machines are SO sophisticated that you can plug in your iPod but good luck trying to balance an old fashioned magazine on it! He looked at me condescendingly and said «he’ll see what he can do». What he did: He vanished, never to be seen again for the rest of the evening!
4. (-) Is it too much to ask the STAFF, that is training a member, to clean the machine after your client, marinating in his/​her own sweat is done using a machine? Lead by example, will you. I can point you to the spray bottles if you need help locating them!

This is the first YMCA location that I have ever joined, so I don’t have any other location to compare it to. I’ve been a member for a few months now and I love it. There are plenty of cardio and weight machines to use even during the peak times. The trainers are nice and helpful. The childcare is good and the people working there are very nice and my kids like them. Every month they offer a kid’s night which my kids love going to, where they swim, play soccer, and have pizza and fun with other kids. I’ve only tried a yogalates class once, so I can’t comment on the classes, but they seem to be very popular as they are always so full. My only complaint is that I find the people working at the front desk not knowledgeable about the simplest things. I’ve had a few frustrating instances with them with signing my kids up with their classes, kid’s night out, and even scanning our cards. Otherwise, the facility is a really great place for family fitness.

Update, six months in.
The dust seems to have settled at the new YMCA facility. It’s still the same barn-​like physical structure but the staff has better organized the second floor. The dressing room has new, big-​enough privacy curtains. Can’t change the lighting, I guess, so it still has that morgue-​like feeling. Staff on duty the day I was there were very very helpful (thus the third star in the rating.) The new field house has a great walking/​running track above the basketball courts. But I still find it utterly appalling that they DID open a Honey Dew donut shop IN THE LOBBY. OF THE YMCA. WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ORGANIZATION CONCERNED ABOUT HEALTH.

We love bringing out two-​year old to go swimming, the facilities are great for my wife and I to work out, and we are looking forward to the classes that are included with the membership.
And having a daycare is almost priceless…
I never write reviews, but was baffled by the other negative reviews here…

Went for a swim for the first time in the new facility and I have to say I am not pleased. I used to go to the Y in Chinatown so I am not new to this. I went in and was promised a tour, once I got there the staff look dumbfounded when i asked for one. He literally said:” I don’t know if we do tours.” So I went and paid the day-​pass to swim not knowing that there are no towels in offered. I then have to walk back out to the front desk and pay $ 1 for the towel. Then walk back in and noticed that the locker room was extremely small for the Y. it wasn’t until the end of my visit that I discovered that the women’s locker rooms were across the hall hidden from view. I was in the girl’s locker room the whole time. They certainly can improve on the signage since NO ONE KNEW TO OFFER ME A TOUR!
The pool was nice since the facility was new. The floor was clean and there were plenty of staff members keeping watchful eyes on the visitors. I am not so sure about paying $ 42 a month for a space this crowded and staffs who has no idea what they’re doing.

The negative reviews on here just prove that people are impossible to please. Having just moved here from Austin, Texas where gyms are on every corner and expensive, I love this place. It’s brand new! All the equipment & machines still have that never been sweated on them feel! They have the weight rook separated from the cardio area. Plenty of cardio stuff! People that complain about it being busy… you can’t go to a gym in the evening and not expect it to be busy! Get up early and go before work! ;) The pool is awesome, perfect temperature for this cold Texas gal. They also have a sauna and steam room! I wished they had a racquetball court, my only sad realization! Huge locker room! Reliable child care. Indoor basketball, soccer, and track! All this for under $ 60 bucks a month! Score!

I am extremely disappointed with the new Quincy YMCA. Went there, two pools 90% empty family swim was confined to one tiny little corner that had 30 people in it. They told us the rest of the pool was for classes but the classes had two/​three people in it. The men’s locker room had chairs, it was warm and had an abundance of showers. The family locker room was a disaster. There were four showers and more than four families looking to take a shower. It was cold and not designed for families. There was such a long wait for the showers my son and I didn’t even get to take a shower. This is not a family YMCA. If you’re looking for a family place don’t go here.