YMCA of Greater Saint Louis

So here’s the thing
this place is awesome
Lina.Mike. Walter and everyone as staff are awesome
If you sign up during holiday season December through January the first week of you trying out the gym before signing up is a full 7 days of unlimited access
The rest of the year until they advise you only get 2 passes until you sign up. And if you still haven’t signed up after the two passes you pay $ 15 each time if you come with a friend
The water in the fountains to drink out of our ice cold parking is great and it’s in a safe area
Towels are always ready for you
There’s coffee and water if you are a guest at the very front just always bring a bottle or cup
They’re always filled with high school junior high school and retirees during the day and at night there filled with every age in the gym
As well as at night the whole pool is filled
This whole place is clean
It’s about 9 minutes from grand and Arsenal driving and 5 minutes from Kings Highway and Arsenal driving.
Keep burning the fat and lets have fun

I live close to the South City Y, which is the main reason I work out there. Since I had spine surgeries, I now work out everyday in the pool. When it is clean, which is not often enough; and when the temperature is around 85 (it fluctuates often to very warm – up to an unhealthful 90); and when they do not close down the pool because they did not hire enough lifeguards (this occurs too often); and when lifeguards are pleasant and behave as if they like their jobs, and appreciate the members (some of them exhibit nasty attitudes, forgetting that the members are the ONLY reason they have a job), this Y is excellent.
The chemicals used in the pool are so strong that they burn hair down to the follicles. Can this be healthful, especially for children? When we swim in an outdoor pool in the summer, the hair grows back, but when we return to the Y for the cooler months… Yet no one who works at the Y seems to care.
The YMCA is the most expensive place to work out in St. Louis. The indoor pool is why. Other, better equipped and maintained gyms cost only $ 10 a month, but the Y charges $ 35 because it has a pool.
If I did not enjoy or need water exercise so much, I do not think I would use the Y. The Y has some serious issues with meeting the needs of its members, and most of those focus on the indoor pool, the awkward and biased scheduling that irritates lap swimmers and water exercisers alike (the permeating attitude is that lap swimming is the most important activity – everyone else is there only to float and play – ridiculous, outdated thinking!). Consequently, swimmers who do not do only laps are afforded much less time and space than lap swimmers, who enjoy the entire pool for hours every weekday morning from 5:30−9!
Also, too much equipment is left in disrepair in the weight room, and that includes cardio machines. And trying to find an employee for help can be impossible. The building was built poorly so that the main exercise room is never well cooled or ventilated. Machines are often sticky with sweat and grime.
The front desk staff is usually terrific, friendly and very helpful. That is a plus. But the people who run the Y can be difficult and rude – and far too condescending. They smile as they listen to members’ complaints, but often turn around and behave as if nothing is wrong. They are not the most helpful on staff.

We haven’t been coming long, but I love this location. The staff is very friendly, the restrooms are always clean (which is a huge deal to me) and they are always attentive and anxious to help out in any way. The indoor pool is awesome for my little guy to exert any extra energy he has hidden away, even throughout the winter. I think next year I will try to secure a garden plot!

I am not a member, and I’ve actually only been in the building for 3 hours. But the community in this YMCA is incredible. Everyone, from the members to the guests to the staff, is extremely kind and welcoming. People smile and say hi. The kids laugh and play. I’m seriously inspired just having seen this place — it is a true testament to St. Louis and the wonderful people who live here.
Oh — and the building itself is clean and bright.

This month I changed my membership from 24 Hour Fitness in Kirkwood to the South City YMCA. The main reason was the travel time to Kirkwood (I work in Edwardsville and in live in the city near the Loop.) Switching gyms will save me an hour of travel time each trip, which is nice since my wife and I have full professional schedules. The cost is twice as much, however, although I have a family membership now instead of an individual one. For both gyms, my health insurance reimburses me if I visit 12 times each month, which is extra motivation.
Here’s the scoop: The YMCA has a large pool with a waterslide, a basketball court, a running track, free weights, weight machines, steam rooms in the locker rooms, towel service, treadmills/​elliptical machines, and a classroom for aerobics. These are many more services than 24 Hour Fitness. The staff is friendly and helpful too.
One downside is the weight machines are noticeably older and well used. Additionally, there are not an abundance of hand sanitizing dispensers, which is nice for a gym.
All in all, this gym is a great value and offers a lot to its clients. With a membership here, you also have access to the YMCA in Carondelet, which is terrific.

We love this gym. We will go together to use either the indoor or outdoor pool and I will go myself to use the training equipment inside. They have spinning classes which is a top priority for me when selecting a gym. We do not have children yet so i can’t talk about their family activities or child care but we took our friend’s son to the putdoor pool and he had a blast!

Friendly, clean, family environment… it’s the Y. It got two stars, not because it’s bad per se, but because I’m a single guy who is an avid workout enthusiast… and this is more I suppose for a family, enjoy kids running wild everywhere, random people playing ping pong, pool is nearly always too crowded to swim, etc… it’s really, really, annoying to workout at. If you have a family and need a functional environment, I guess this is your place.

The South City Y is a great gym. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The gym is always tidy and the machines always look sparkly clean. It’s never packed, although right after work between (5 – 8), it can be a little crowded. Each cardio machine has a tv with LOTS of cable channels. I don’t have cable at home, so I am finding that as my best motivation to get my butt to the gym!
I have taken a couple of their free classes and they have been great, but you are supposed to sign up for the class for the entire session (I think it’s 6 or 8 weeks). My schedule can be a little crazy, so I hate signing up because inevitably I can only go to half of the classes and then I feel bad that I took that spot from someone else. I wish they just had drop in classes.
You also have to sign up for the cardio machines, which can be a little confusing when it’s busy. A lot of times there will be no one actually using the machine, but there is someone is signed up for it. When 4 machines are like that and there are no other available machines, it is a annoying.
I have yet to use the pool, but it looks really nice. I have a feeling they probably keep it a little warmer than what I like to swim laps in, but I should try it out.

We have a family membership, and I come here to get some «me» time. I check-​in my kids to the nursery and my kids love coming here and the workers know us by name. The recent expansion expanded the cardio area. Our daughter has done tee-​ball and soccer and had a great time. It is a great atmosphere.

Great Gym, with a home-​like feel. The people at the front desk remember your name and always greet you with a smile. The child care teams are fantastic, they really treat our kids well. This is almost reason enough to join the YMCA-​free child care while you get a work-​out in. Call for hours of child care, they are not open the entire time the YMCA is open however. They recently revamped the child care area and made it bigger.
They also recently expanded the cardio area, adding a sizeable addition with about 10 – 20 more elliptical machines and treadmills. The equipment in the free-​weight area is a little older but was recently refurbished with new padding. Definitely does the job though.
Also, nice clean locker rooms with showers, plenty of locker space and a pool. There are free swim times for the kids and a water slide all within the indoor pool.
The YMCA also has great programs, like athletics for kids. Our daughter has done baseball and soccer here and has loved it. Great for learning the basics at a young age.

I’ve been a member of the South City Y for about two years. It’s a great gym.
For one, it’s plenty big — rare is the time when it’s too crowded to work out efficiently, whether you’re into cardio or weights. It appears to have lots of good classes (I don’t take them, but lots of people do and they seem quite popular). The pool, basketball court, indoor running track and all the kids’ stuff are excellent extras. It’s got a nice, and plentiful, staff. It’s not a meat market. The muscle-​head quotient is low. And it gets lots of families.
Basically, it’s a big, friendly welcoming place where people from all walks of south St. Louis life can do their thing. I like it.

Wow! I can’t believe I’m the first to review this YMCA, as they are the only public establishment in St. Louis to have a concrete skatepark! This is reason enough to go (that is, if you are a skater). My boyfriend was so excited when he read about it online. He’s been trekking over to Belleville, IL since we moved here to use their skatepark. This is a heck of a lot closer–
So I decided to investigate further to see about joining. Low and behold– they have a full fitness facility there. An indoor swimming pool with a water slide, cardio machines, group classes, steam room and sauna. The list goes on.
I wouldn’t describe this establishment as «spa-​like», but it is certainly very clean. I’ve always liked that the YMCA is a family type of environment and not a meat-​market, too. I’ve belonged to 24-​Hour Fitness and despise the feeling of knowing some creepy weight-​lifter dude is staring at your ass while you are on the treadmill.