West Cook YMCA

I love the West Cook YMCA. I have had a family membership for several years, and I originally got it because I have two children in swim lessons. Now, however, I use the walking track, pool, and fantastic ladies locker room with steam room and whirlpool several days a week on my lunch break.
I tried several places in the area for swimming lessons before the Y, but this is BY FAR the best place for swim lessons. The teachers are professional, motivating, dedicated, and very kid friendly. I love the YMCA in general, but the aquatics department is by far the strongest department. The director, Kim, is so friendly, attentive, and helpful, and all of her instructors and life guards are fantastic. Huge thumbs up!

Very convenient! Lots of classes! Swimming, spinning and yoga! Love the Oak Park location. Very clean and staff is super friendly and helpful!

Tons of New cardio equipment with 2015 remodel. Pool… Hot tub… Free babysitting while you work out. Sweet.
Update ¹⁰⁄₄:
Really enjoying the Y this year. Tried 1 of the 8 (?) new lateral elliptical machines today. The bikes are new too, I think, & there’s maybe 11 new treadmills? All have video on demand, CBS TV shows, selected YouTube content. They also started offering towels & fresh fruit upon entry. I was impressed this morning by how hoppin’ the gym was. Busy, but not crowded on a Monday morning.
Protip: Members get discounted preschool, which includes 1 – 2 days of swim lessons depending on the days of attendance. Members also get some free classes & discounts on the others. Getting the most for our money this year!

It’s a nice YMCA. It’s not fancy, but the equipment is good enough. The pool is pretty clean. The people are friendly.
Here’s the thing: if you’re looking for an ultra-​swank experience with high-​end amenities, you shld go pay twice as much for FCC or more for a private facility. Part of your membership dues pay for other people to receive housing, training and job experience for those who are struggling. It’s a very important social mission. In fact, it’s much more important than making sure the walls are freshly painted or the linoleum is new.
If your expectations for a gym are pretty minimal, you’ll love it here. If you need to be surrounded by staff who suck up to you and lots of fancy equipment… Go somewhere else! If you want to support an important cause that helps a ton of families, please donate to the YMCA or join up as a member.

If only I could choose zero stars!
Worst place ever! Recently divorced, my kids live in Oak Park but I do not. Needed to find something for the three of us to do during my weekday visits with them. The YMCA was the best idea, or so I thought. I pre-​paid for 3 months membership. My boys and I went there 3 times. We were kicked off the basketball court twice and kicked out of a smaller gym once, all because of other scheduled program. We were denied access to the racket and handball courts because the racket and handball club pays extra to block off the courts to the rest of the members of the Y. Even though there wasn’t anybody using the courts I was still told my boys and I could NOT use the court. You are not allowed to simply use the facility when your schedule allows. You must sign up with one of there programs, at a ridiculous price, and then you can use the facility.
Swimming pool is not even an option.
There was one room in particular that was a lot of fun and almost worth the membership fee. My boys and I were able to use this room during our tour before joining. However this room called the Y-​box, is now closed.
Thank you YMCA for raising the hopes of my kids and then shattering them with your inability to run a facility with any competence what-​so-​ever. I don’t believe there is reason to have all courts blocked off at the same time. This derelict ideology leaves the rest of us with a useless membership.

Wow, surprised at so many bad reviews. I’ve been a member here for nearly 3 years. Is it a bit expensive? Sure. But, based solely on working out in the main gym, I have little to complain about. Hours are great, they recently revamped things, so it looks nicer. Machines are pretty good, although they do seem to have a problem with machines crapping out regularly. But this place is convenient, and most every worker is really friendly. It does the job.

The Y monthly is pretty expensive but I just sign up for 1 class every session. For the most partthe facility is clean the faculty has always been helpful and the equipment works well.

I’ve only visited the Y for the children’s swimming lessons. I really like my child’s instructor and think the staff has been friendly and helpful. I am thinking about getting a membership. The facility does look a little dated, but it serves it’s purpose. It is definitely a family friendly environment as I’ve seen children of all ages inside.

Best value for money for a fitness center in OP — plus, by being a member, you’re supporting something more than just a gym. The Y is filling an important broader mission in the community.
Yes — they need a new building or major renovation. But they make good use of the space they have. It’s never too busy, except perhaps in the free weight section. Good selection of fitness classes. Equipment is decent. Staff are helpful and friendly. Relaxed environment. Great sense of community.

I finally quit this place. However they do have a number of people there who are retrievable as humanitarians. Hopefully they will get smart and leave as well.

Been going to this gym recently and I must say I am impressed with the YMCA. Granted, I never expected much from them so I guess anything is better than my previous expectations. Weight area is small, nothing to rave about. The pool seems a little erie and cold but it does its job. What I do like is that they have a nice full court basketball court and then a smaller half size basketball court as well. They also have a track above the basketball court. The personal training area is fantastic! They also have this machine called the Ab Solo, which I have never seen anywhere else and it is just what the doctor ordered for those 6 pack abs! Check it out, you wont be disappointed. Staff is friendly and helpful.

It is what it is. It’s a competitively priced gym complete with classes and even babysitting. In my opinion, you get value for your money with the classes. We’ve done parent and tot swim class– which is awesome, compounded by the fact that the water isn’t freezing cold!, They offer Zumba and cardio kickboxing classes too which are pretty good as well. The Y is family friendly and now that I have a kid– this is very important.

I absolutely do not understand what reviewers are complaining about when they say «don’t come at peak times.» I have visited at all hours, different days, and never had a problem getting a machine. I usually utilize the treadmill, elliptical, and rowing machines, and have NEVER had to wait for one.
I took swimming lessons (for adults!) last summer, and it was fantastic. I am so excited to FINALLY know how to swim and am not scared of the water. The instructor (Molly, I think?) was very pleasant and was able to break our class into smaller groups for the more advanced «I want to be in the deep end!» and the less advanced «I couldn’t let go of the wall if my life depended on it.» Only issue for me was cleanliness. The pool is kind of gross. Disclaimer: I am a germaphobe. I was more comfortable to be in a swimsuit in public than I was to use that pool, which –if you’ve seen my floppy body parts– means something. Hence why I now use the Elmhurst YMCA for my pool-​related endeavors.
But I still use the Oak Park Y for cardio. Love the new equipment and the improvements they are making. I also love the feeling of «community» and the price ($ 50/​month) isn’t bad either.

This is an okay YMCA– not as nice as my previous YMCA in St. Louis. The plus side is I left a comment card that there should be hand sanitizers in the fitness center or as you are leaving and the following week new hand sanitizers were installed.
They just reorganized their fitness area and got a bunch new equipment. I love the new elipticals. Overall, it is an improvement. It would be nice if they provided towels or at least the staff help wiping down the equipment.
The workers in the childcare center are friendly. Sunday childcare hours would be a big plus. Parking is usually not an issue in the lot. For the price of membership, I still think things can be spruced up a bit to make the YMCA nicer.

I think it’s a great place to work out. I mean, it’s the YMCA… it doesn’t try to market itself as a fancy, chic, metrosexual gym. There are going to be children and other people in the building, because they do much more than provide a gym and workout area for adults. If you’re expecting FFC, then you will be disappointed. However, if you just want to go workout for a lower cost, this is definitely the place. They just got new machines and changed the layout. It looks great. They readily give out scholarships and the application process is easy from what I have heard.
I like being part of a gym that does community-​based work and practices social responsibility. It’s not just s gym, it’s a community-​based organization. I feel like my money is going to a good cause… I couldn’t say that about Xsport or FFC.

I have been here twice and will never go back again!!!
The staff is incredibly rude. just plain rude. The people at the front desk have the personality of a dead doorknob or an angry pit bull, depending who you get that day (except for one lady but I don’t know her name)
The workout room is tiny and cramped but gets the job done if you are not picky
The pool is DISGUSTING !!! Don’t swim in it unless you like swimming with debris in the water. The water looks murky and dirty and seems to lack chlorine.
The bathrooms are filthy and stinky. They smell strongly of urine and although the housekeeper throws pine sol on the floor, it does not help much. I went to use the toilet and there was pee on the seat and floor as well.
The hot tub is kind of gross as well
The place seems a little crowded and noisy but this is the Y, a community center so if you don’t like noise, try a quieter place if you can find one
I’m a Y member so price-​wise I don’t complain. I would rather go to a better Y though, this one just plain stinks, literally.

A cramped crazy maze! I am not a member, but I worked out here as a trial. The place is insane. I felt like I was working out in the living room and basement of home that is a childcare too. I was claustrophobic in the weight room, which is nearly smaller than my mom’s basement. If there are more than two people in there, it feels crowded. The cardio room is limited compared to most modern gyms. Plus, I don’t think I could find the lockers rooms if I tried.
This place is really close to home which is important to me, but I just couldn’t do it. If you just do cardio; work out at non-​peak times; and you live close, you may be able to justify it. Otherwise, I would go elsewhere until they blow this place up and build a new one.

If you can walk here and are a single adult, this is an A-​Ok gym. The hours are great — even on weekends — but it’s a bit pricey at $ 55/​mo for adult membership. However they have scholarships/​financial assistance reductions which are based on your previous year tax return. Also, you can check with management and/​or sign up for the email newsletter to learn of membership initiation fee discounts and waivers.
If you’re curious about what the gym offers, do the free tour. I did and that’s what convinced me to sign up.
I primarily use this gym’s upstairs workout room but there are also fitness rooms, basketball courts, pool, computer lab, day care, locker rooms and more. When I stray from the upstairs I definitely get annoyed by the little boys/​teenagers walking around to be seen. When I come to the gym, I come to work out and get out.
I’m not a swimmer by any means, but the pool here is unimpressive. It’s meant for laps. Also, the indoor track is super weak! To complete one mile, you must run over 20 laps. Talk about ridiculous.
Pluses of membership here:
1. If you qualify for financial assistance/​scholarship, you can get a reduced rate.
2. If you live nearby, you can walk here and avoid locker rooms and parking.
3. Pretty good hours — including open until 10 p.m. on weekdays
4. If you like cardio — ellipticals and treadmills — you shouldn’t have a problem getting on one, especially later at night. Additionally, the tvs are HD TVs. On Tuesdays I watch Teen Mom while I ellip. :)
5. You can use your pass here to go to any other YMCA nationwide
Minuses
1. It’s the Y and family-​orientated. Besides adults, there’s little kids and teenagers everywhere.
2. Price — So high, but still cheaper than other gyms in the area by about 50%/month.
3. Indoor track sucks.

Very very crowded & very very loud — always. Kids screaming and running around. Was like working out in Grand Central Station. Headphones a MUST but kids will still be running into you in the halls, etc.
If you CAN get on a cardio machine after work, you will be 4″ from someone sweating hard right next to you — thats WAY too close for me. Over all just NOT what I was looking for in a gym.
Parking is tricky also. If this were $ 20 a month, with no joining fee I would probably say «worth it». But our «special deal» was one year contract for $ 75/​mo for a couples membership PLUS $ 300 signup fee. WAY overpriced for what you get!
Only GOOD time to be here is when the doors open on Sunday morning about 10 or 11 am. It fills up FAST but at least you CAN get a cardio machine and it is not yet stunk up with sweat at that hour. Good luck with that!
Go to Oak Park Tennis and Fitness instead… friendly service, great CLEAN facility, not pushed up next to a sweaty stranger all the time in teh carido room, and not like working out in a playground. 4 stars to them.

I worked out here for a year, and I still walk by it a few days a week. This place is good, but not exceptional. I think for a YMCA the prices are kinda high, $ 60+/mth, which is comparable to a lot of gyms in the area. The main problem I had with it the number of cardio machines available (ellipticals and treadmills). It’s limited enough that after work most nights, there was always a wait and you would have to sign up and were limited to 30 minutes. It also just felt very crowded as the space was small and they did try to cram in as many machines as possible. They did offer scuba diving which I never took advantage of but looked pretty cool. I never had any problems with the staff.