Commonwealth Sports Club

I like how the space is kept very clean, the gym has many amenities, such as swimming pool and steam room. The instructors are super awesome too.

I’ve been coming to this gym for almost 2 years now since I moved to the Allston-​Brighton area — I’ve previously considered other gyms nearby such as the BSC, New Balance or something as cheap as Gym-​It — I am SO glad that I decided to pay a little more for a QUALITY gym. Yes it is quite expensive — about $ 80 a month — but they have soo many classes of all kinds/​interest, salt water pool, hot tub, outdoor pool in the summer, and everyone is so friendly. Not to mention, there is FREE PARKING in a designated lot AND it’s right off the Packard’s corner stop. Can’t beat that.
My usual workouts include a few classes a week and then I lift and do cardio on my own. I love how this gym is never crowded whenever I want to go (i.e. I don’t have to work around others’ schedules to i can avoid crowds) and get a great workout in. I really love Lauren’s Monday night zumba classes, the yoga, booty barre, spin, bodypump. SO many options. I can’t say enough good things about this gym.

Great gym! I really like the atmosphere– it’s never super busy or intimidating, which has put me off from a few other gyms. It’s on the expensive side, but you do see where that goes, lot of facilities, everything’s well-​maintained and there are a lot of nice amenities. Didn’t opt for a personal trainer but my free session was a quality one.
Most importantly, if/​when you need to cancel your membership it’s very quick & friendly, 15 days notice, and they don’t hold onto you like jackals or anything.

I didn’t have to think twice before giving them five stars. Too bad I had to move out of allston.
The staff are friendly and this gym is one of the cleanest I have been to.

If i had rated this club during the first almost 3 years of my membership, i would have given it 4 to 5 stars. Unfortunately, a lot has changed and NOT for the better.
The Good:
–the salt water pool and hot tub! These were what sealed the deal for me.
–a rooftop pool open during the summer
–large variety of classes
–discounts for many things, for example, you can get a discount if you work for a non profit.
–the staff USED TO all know your name… unfortunately, turnover rate is high so that is not as true any longer.
–free tea and coffee
–useful toiletries such as lotion, cotton balls, q tips, razors, mouthwash, etc.
–anna’s yoga classes (and pilates when she subs) are ALWAYS great!
–pt and massages are available
The Bad:
–high turnover rate
–high price of membership. Even with a discount, you pay close to $ 900 for a year, and the membership fees go up every year. Unfortunately no discount or bonus perks for loyalty, even though some of their members have been there 25 plus years.
–the class schedule changes about every two months. So, if you are joining because you are interested in classes, know that a class you love likely wont be around all that long.
–many of the machines in the cardio room are broken constantly, and other repairs are very much needed
–you are supposed to get a couple free personal training sessions and pilates reformer classes when you join, but you have to constantly nag to get this to happen.
–The managers are difficult to get in contact with. The best way is to catch them at the club, but even then, its hard to talk through issues with them.
–i essentially paid for a year, without getting to use the club much. Out of the entire year, i was able to be active forless than 3 months. My situation is a rare one, in that the reason i did not go was my getting injured in the Boston Marathon bombings. I had to learn to walk again after surgeries, etc. I let them know as soon as i was able and my account was frozen, i couldnt go back until the surgeons approved me being back in a gym, but i was still charged the full price for that year.
–the manager had agreed to give me a partial refund, which i am still waiting on. They do not seem to care about the image they are projecting, or their valor and trustworthiness.
–they claim to have nutrition services, acupuncture, and advertise other services as well, that are actually not available.

I’m surprised by how high the ratings for this gym are because when I went to check it out I was not impressed.
The gym is very spacious but has a strange layout. There are two separate weight rooms with a long hallway between them. The cardio room feels very cramped with several rows of machines, fluorescent lights, and windows covered with posters. The machines are not in very good condition – the elliptical I used squeaked, the weight bench was rusted, and there were some stains on the ceiling in the weight room. Overall the décor and atmosphere were kind of weird.
If it was a budget gym, I’d recommend it. But at the prices they are charging, I was expecting something a lot nicer.

Excellent customer service. Staff is very friendly and eager to help a new client. Group class instructors are encouraging for a beginner, so I don’t feel self conscious or embarrassed. Facilities are well maintained and there’s lots of variety. There’s many free classes such as spinning and yoga included in the membership and you get a free week of «small group training» classes and a free pilates class at the start. The small group training classes will really kick your ass. You also get two free sessions with a personal trainer where they’ll help you make a personalized fitness plan. $ 79 per month may seem steep at first, but the membership includes so much (free parking!), making it worth it. I’ve tried those cheap bare bones gyms in the past and was never motivated to go and they were always so crowded. Even during peak hours here, you can find the machine/​space you need and it’s practically empty on the weekends.

I came here for Unilocal Fit Club for a class in body combat and I can’t say that I’ve ever sweat more in a class other than hot yoga. I’d come back for the classes, but maybe not for the rest of the gym as it did not look to be too big (maybe I missed some stuff but I did wander around after). The staff were energetic and fun! They made you want to participate in the class and keep going to try your best.

1. Don’t choose Evandro as your instructor. His attitude changed so quickly after you paid for his classes: late for his class, changed his schedule often, and delayed my classes after knowing that I would end my membership.
2. Don’t trust George. He is totally a businessman, friendly when you come, and arrogant when you leave.
3. Be very careful when you decided to pay for personal training class: make sure that the teacher would not change his schedule from weekends to weekdays, make sure that they promise to provide you with classes at least once a week after you paid for it, and make sure that you can get your money back if it is at their fault that you haven’t finished your classes before you leave.
Don’t choose Evandro, don’t choose Evandro, don’t choose Evandro. I have to say important things for at least three times.

My experience with the staff at the gym was terrible and I would never go back. When I was signing up I told the trainer who was helping me that I will leave Boston in 3 months so he made me sign a bunch of papers and told me that he made sure that my membership won’t renew automatically after 3 months.
However, I found myself charged for a 4^th month after I left Boston so I tried to call the gym and they gave me the email of their account manager. I emailed her the whole story and she didn’t reply for 3 weeks. I emailed her again and found out that she probably never opened my email. I explained the story again and gave her the name of the trainer who signed me up. She told me she will get back to me and after 2 more weeks I contact her again as she never came back to me. She told me the trainer that helped me sign me up has resigned and they can’t find the paper that cancels my membership. I ask her to reach out to him or try to confirm my story somehow, so she asked me to give her one more day and she’ll get back to me.
A week later I email her again as they obviously don’t care about keeping their word or having good customer service. She told me that the Gym’s manager will contact me to resolve the situation. I asked for his number and she told me to call him on the Gyms phone. I tried to call him for 4 days, but of course he would never get back to me and now, 10 weeks after I’ve been charged I still didn’t get my money or even a proper explanation from the gym’s manager.

CSC is no question 5 stars. Even though I moved to a different neighborhood, I keep my membership and visit them. The staff is always very nice and helpful. Amenities are always clean and organized. Parking is fairly easier than it is with other gyms in the hectic city borders.
I go there in different times and days of the week, and it‘s always comfortably crowded; its never hard to find an available equipment or space in the locker room.
Also, perhaps the most important thing, you can feel the staff is enjoying their work there.

Friendly staff and a clean facility. Maria is an amazing instructor and teaches awesome Pilates and Barre classes!

Kinda shady to review after the first date, I know. This is a review of the blacklight spin class, which I took one Monday afternoon.
Thanks to ClassPass for hooking me up with two free weeks of workouts, which included my stellar decision to try the spin class at this gym while recovering from an ear infection (loud music was probably a bad idea, but I’m ok).
The girl who checked me in showed me the spin studio as well as the locker room, which offered complementary keys, which I appreciated. Also, the bathrooms were stocked with Q-​tips and other useful toiletries. I forget what the other ones were but I was stoked to clean out aforementioned ear with a Q-​tip after class. And yes, I know that’s not the correct use for them. I digress.
It’s also worth noting that upon checkin, you get a glow bracelet. Blacklight spin takes place in a dark room with – you guessed it – blacklights. Class was peppy and fun and I felt like I got a good workout in.
The bikes don’t have RPM/​calorie meters, so that was one drawback for me. The gym overall didn’t look in the nicest shape, but I don’t know what the costs are. If it’s one of those $ 20/​month places, it’s definitely decent.

I’m a reluctant gym goer and have been a satisfied member here for two years. I mainly swim, and enjoy that most times I don’t have to wait for a lane.
I also enjoy the little perks like towel service, lockers, and the lawn chairs in the courtyard.

Everyone here has always been so friendly and helpful. A lot of great classes and options available. The only reason for not giving it 5 stars was the high price of membership.
Overall great gym!

My boyfriend and I were looking for a club to join. First off, I was just excited that my boyfriend was actually interested in joining a gym with me. So for me, it was important that we find the right one.
I first called and spoke to George Dossas. Immediately, George was helpful and friendly. The day that we were supposed to come in, a huge storm happened. I was a little deflated because I thought that would lessen my boyfriend’s enthusiasm, but we ended up coming in after it all happened for our tour. Not only did George remember who we were, but he thanked us for our courtesy in keeping him up to date on when we’d be coming in. This definitely kept my boyfriend’s enthusiasm there.
This was a complete 180 from what we had experienced at other gyms nearby. Aside from the fact that George welcomed us and made us feel already like part of the CSC Community, he also showed us the amazing facilities. Today was the first day that I tried everything! Went and worked out and was happy with all the machines. Went and lifted weights and found that I had access to everything that I needed when needed. I went to see the jacuzzi and pool and was happy to see how clean everything was. Went in and enjoyed myself. Lastly, went to go and get myself cleaned up for the day. Got in the shower and it was clean. Went to get my swimsuit dried by the dryer, and it worked perfectly! Went to the hair dryer and it did its job. Finally flat ironed and got the job done. Did I mention the complements I got by a wonderful club member in there regarding my hair? Yeah, that happened.
The community is wonderful, the staff is unbelievably helpful, and the facilities are plentiful. The boyfriend and I paid a great rate, so I can’t say I’m disappointed with our choice.
Pros:
— Unlimited 7 day guest passes
— Indoor salt water pool
— Rooftop pool that opens between Memorial Day and Labor Day
— Jacuzzi (amazing for cold winter days)
— Free parking for members
— Great community
— Lots and lots of FREE classes (some that would range in the $ 20 range at other places)
— 2 free personal training sessions and 1 Pilates reformer session
— Clean, clean, clean facility!
Cons:
— Got none! Seriously. For the price the BF and I paid, we have nothing to complain about. I would say even if we were to have paid the normal price, we may not have too many complaints.
Good luck finding a better gym. Trust me, we shopped around (and I’ve been a member at one that had a cheaper rate) and are happy we made the decision to join CSC. I hope you make the right choice!

Since moving away from Coolidge Corner, I have yet to find a gym with friendlier staff, better amenities, or better equipment.
When I joined CSC, it was mainly on account of the exercise equipment, pool, and sauna. What I found was much more. After initially going a few times a week for cardio and a swim, I soon branched out into other offerings. I tried a few classes (excellent and a reminder that you may not push yourself absent motivation) and then tried the personal training promotion.
Natalie (my personal trainer) was a revelation. She was friendly and very knowledgeable. Very quickly, she helped me craft a better workout regimen and showed me all the little things I had been doing wrong. Not long after, friends began asking what I had been doing differently (one friend, after not seeing me for a few months exclaimed «you got skinny!»).
Now that I am in the process of moving back to Boston, I have been targeting my apartment search based on proximity to CSC. More than anything, I want to renew my membership there and restart personal training sessions.
I cannot think of another business that has influenced me in that way.

In almost 3 years at the Commonwealth Sports Club my review changed from what would have been 5 stars during my first few months to the current 2 stars after my time with the Club has ended.
There are/​were many things I really like or at least liked about the club at some point. The first of which is the salt water pool which is great and doesn’t leave you smelling like chlorine. However, it’s a little shy of even 20m which makes it less than ideal when utilizing the space for Ironman training purposes, but I made it work.
Additionally, they raised the rates at least twice during my membership (I think 3x) without any legitimate changes in the day to day appearance of the club. The things that members see every time they walk into the club which make the place look old and unkept. Things like water stained ceiling tiles, the pool having a net over it (at least from about April to July), holes/​scuffs on the walls, one pool lane closed for weeks, pool lane dividers missing or broken for months at a time, moldy grout in the showers, loose shower heads, coffee machine broke for weeks at a time, sauna+steam room which was not in operation extremely often, stained carpets, etc.
I feel like they were far more interested in buying new equipment or renovating new areas of the Club so that you can charge members more money for «new classes» instead of taking care of the things that need to be taken care of now.
One of the things I loved when I became a member was the friendliness of the front staff. When I walked in they knew my name and called me by it. Over the past couple of years that has changed and the agents at the front of the staff are often too distracted by their phones, each other, etc. to remember or use my name.
Often times I was pushed out of a swimming lane for a aqua fit class, which I understand is scheduled and takes priority as such, but to take up 3 – 4 lanes of an already small pool with only 3 people in the class seems (as happened often) extremely excessive.

Management has continually allowed the steam room sensor to be tampered with (after being personally shown what was happening) effecting the temperature of the room and causing it to overheat by 20−30+ degrees over the recommended operating temperature. I believe that this misuse of the machinery led to much of the services and shut downs required. I know that I’m not the only member who was bothered by this practice.
It took management well over a year to put computers on the bikes in the spin room when I was told multiple times they would be done «soon». Without which it made it difficult to properly utilize the spin bikes for any sort of training.
All of these items were brought up to the Club Manager, Mr. Dossas, before I canceled my membership as I asked for them to waive my 30 day cancellation notice due to my moving without much notice. They denied my request, even though I was an active member of the #CSCFamily for many years, recommended many friends join the club, and always let management and staff know if there was an issue someplace in the club. I never even so much as received a reply to my email to Mr. Dossas, let alone any feedback of the issues I brought up.
It is due to the visible deterioration of the club during my time there and for the seemingly careless attitude of management to it’s dues paying members which I gave 2 stars even though I was very happy at the club for many years. It is also a significant reason as to why I left.

I’ve decided to pursue an update for Commonwealth Sports Club. After reviewing my previous review, I realized that I was basing some of my experiences upon only a few singular fitness instructors and did not entirely apply my supremely positive experiences as well.
I have to say that recently, CSC has made some impressive jumps in their workouts and within the gym itself. They have instituted the Yoga Barre, added classes for Pilates and in the group exercise schedule, and have created some pretty awesome challenges for their patrons.
I’m currently participating in their Beach Body challenge and have enjoyed learning about Barre, Yoga, and Pilates. Although I’m usually into boxing and other high-​impact sports, I feel challenged but have fun while taking these classes. Maria is super energetic, funny, and optimistic — she wants everyone to succeed!
Although there are still a few trainers that I’d rather avoid, they have more that are committed, optimistic, and helpful to their clients. It’s definitely taken some great steps forward. I may have to move soon and will be really sad to leave the CSC family if I must!

I joined when I moved here for the salt water filtration pool. The clientele is more mature than other gyms I’ve frequented (Washington Sports Club/​Boston Sports Club/​Urban Active). I paid up front for an annual membership and it works out to $ 65/​mo.
The trainers care about their clients. I met with Danielle — she’s energetic, cares about her job, knowledgeable, and determined to help her clients reach their goals despite various roadblocks.
The facility is clean (if a little dated in places), there are no men on steroids grunting in corners with too heavy weights. It’s not a pick up joint, so no dudes joining me on the elliptical trying to strike up a convo.