YMCA

The facility is great. There’s yoga, basketball court, work out machines and a swimming pool. Just be aware of a bitchy, rude lifeguard/​swim instructor named SONAM. She is so rude, and disrespectful. When I went there with my friends last month, she was so rude to my friends because she was wearing a Shirt on top of her bikini. Supposedly you can’t wear a shirt to the swimming pool, even for religious purposes either. This is bullshit. Anyway, when my friend took the shirt off, we all went to the pool and we saw the SONAM with her friend who was wearing a SHIRT inside the pool. Like really? Just because she’s your friend, doesn’t mean she can get away with it. If I have to follow the rules then so should you. This was so unfair and injustice. I hope someone does something about her. I thought this was a friendly environment, especially since I’m paying for this.

This is a great facility! Not only does it have great facilities and a relaxed vibe, the people who work here are awesome.
The facility is large — they’ve got a studio (for classes), a multipurpose room, a really large Cardio Studio, and A POOL! The front desk staff are incredibly helpful, kind and polite. I ended up coming here several times one summer because I was living in the area, and because a local friend had been a member for years. That friend gave me a few guest passes, and I also downloaded a few online. The staff were really generous, and let me come as a guest several times.
A few positive things to note:
–It’s right under the 33^rd St Subway stop (7 train) so very easy to get to
–The facility has a pool that isn’t crowded, although it has only three lanes I had no trouble getting half of one when I went one afternoon. It’s great to find a pool this close to Manhattan
–They have the same kind of group exercise class schedule and variety that you’d expect from any commercial chain. They offer anywhere from 8 – 15 classes a day. I tried Pilates Mat, capoeira and Spinning (yes, I spent a lot of time at the gym) and every instructor was knowledgeable, thoughtful and thorough.
–The machines in the cardio studio have Internet! I’ve never seen this anywhere. This means I could watch YouTube videos on the individual TV screen while I was working out :)
–Really really awesome front desk people
One (potential) con depending on your point of view:
–the YMCA is a nonprofit that serves families, which means that (especially in summer) you’re going to run into kids, senior citizens, and all types of folks. Some people do not like that fact. I never felt like the kids’ camps intruded on what I did at the Y (and the group exercise classes and cardio studio are for adults) but some people may want a different kind of experience. Personally, I like the atmosphere. If I had one recommendation, it would be that they consider some kind of short-​term membership for summer students and/​or people who come recommended by another member.

The facilities are large for the area. I was greeted right away and was treated quite well with excellent customer service. The track around the pool is nice and you have a view through the windows at one turn. They offer a variety of adult group exercise such as spinning and a Indian style dancing workout, also zumba.
As far as security I cannot comment. I have had no problems. And the staff is always friendly and ready to help.

Update: One of the location manager’s gave me a call to speak to me about the below incident. They very nice and ensured the employee in question would be reprimanded.
Horrible customer service. I called to cancel my membership before the 15 notice period, left a message. And never received a phone call back. I had to follow up myself with the membership department and because they did not follow up on my message in a appropriate amount of time, they are trying to charge me with an additional month of service. This is simply a lack of customer service a prime example a simp any trying to STEAL MONEY. the front desk agent Nyanna is very rude and disrespectful. Through the entire conversation she talked back and was very condensing. STAY AWAY FROM THIS BRANCH. THEY WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY. JUST GO TO NEW YORK SPORTS UP THE STREET. ITS A BETTER GYM.

Long Island City YMCA has been always helpful to me. My daughter had been registered to ballad last year. Meanwhile she had to go to Canada to spend a month with her Aunt. When she came back, the class was over. I contacted YMCA if they consider on such; and they were very helpful to apply the credit to her account.
One year later, I visited YMCA today and asked if they could help me renew my daughter’s pool membership along with the credit she might have in her account. They were very very helpful to it. Applied credits to the membership renewal right away.
This has always been a great place for me and my family. We love Long Island City YMCA.
When I see 1 star, I just get surprised why people just get that much upset for no YMCA fault. I never put my wallet with my own low quality lock. Buglers are everywhere and specially at such places where chances are high. I spend few bucks more but get a good lock that is not that easy to brake neither duplication is easy. If I purchase a 1buck lock, obvious that some sneaky hands leap though it.
I also get surprised when people blame YMCA because their kids didn’t learn as expected. Learning depends on personal/​individual interest and cooperation of involvement. If I need my kid special attention, I would pick up a trainer for one-​to-​one session not a class. If I need a class I would not prefer one-​to-​one. It depends. However, learning process may seem slower in the beginning but will get refined over time. Persistence and encouragement play vital role instead of writing bad reviews or blaming to our kids or any institution enrolled with.
I am not associated with YMCA by any means but I prefer my daughter getting involved in YMCA programs when and where possible. Every summer my daughter joins the summer program. Year long she uses the pool. She is happy to get enrolled with ballad this year for her first 8 classes. She is happy getting engages and she learns stuff faster because she keeps interest in them first. I never pushed her to any class unless she showed good interest to it. Once she is willing, I never will say NO because that’s the right moment to hit.
As a parent, I have seen a lot of families not quite paying attention to what kids really wanna get engaged. Most of the parents seem to be throwing their interest over kids not following, boosting and inspiring their kids’ interest and involvements. I love inspiring kids on their personal interests and approaches in various creativities studies wise, play wise, fitness wise and that approach applies to almost anything while kids are growing. They are curious and YMCA has a lot of activities to give a room for growth and fulfillment. This is a descent place and of course run by humans hence some errors are expected. We’re the ones who keep ability to correct errors and make YMCA more competitive, productive and sustainable.
Hope it will help to all new visitors to YMCA as I consider myself little experienced to YMCA activities.

My wallet was stolen from the locker. My lock was cut off. I informed the front desk immediately, the black guy didn’t call the 911, which he should have done. Instead, he told me to fill out a form. The form he gave me was for new membership. WTF? I questioned. He seemed absentminded and gave me another form without apology. While I was filling the form, he exchanged some words with the other black employee. They murmur some names but didn’t want me to hear.
To make things worse, he told me to go to the wrong police station which was in another precinct. I just moved here so I didn’t know. By the time I got to the right police station it was midnight. The police told me the Y employee should have called 911 immediately, especially because it was not the first time something got stolen from this gym. The Y employees should have known the protocols but they decided to give me all the wrong directions so they could close the gym and didn’t have to deal with it. Now it was too late for the police to collect any evidence from the gym.
Later I questioned about the security in this gym. To my surprise, their employees told me they knew there were some ghetto teenagers who got in to play basketballs through the back door. They knew. But they just didn’t want to do anything about it.

Big Y. Has an indoor swimming pool and a jogging track just above the swimming pool. Yes you can see people swim when you run /​jog …
Has a Basketball court, a big gym room with all the equipments from Treadmill, elliptical trainer /​bike, weights. the whole nine yards…
There is also a family room next to the swimming pool if you don’t want to take your kids to men /​women change room.
They have yoga, pilates, dance etc etc, just remember to get the timetable for them.
I think twice a year they come up with a offer to give out «No joiner fee» which is about $ 100 — $ 120 off.
Prekindergarten school also located inside of the building.
I usually do the treadmill for an hour, 30 free weight, 30 mins swimming and 15 – 20 mins of sauna.

Bought 14 private lessons with swim instructor for my son who is 5 y.o. and it was a complete waist. Although the instructor was nice and seemed to have a nice rapport with my son, he teaching techniques where obviously faulty because 13 classes later he is still doesn’t know how to swim. I have one lesson left and I don’t even want to use it. What upset me the most is when we went on vacation with a pool he learned to swim quicker on his own in 4 days than all those lessons that I paid a lot of money for. My advise, do not purchase private classes at the Y.