We have been swimming with Freedom for 5 years now. Previously we swam with the YMCA on Broadway in…read moreStaten Island. But we found the classes to be overcrowded (12 students) and the kids were not learning to swim because they just didn't have enough water time or quality instructors. So we searched out a few programs and settled on Freedom. We have for the most part been pleased with the program especially their progress. They have worked on technique throughout the years including attending summer swim clinics. Although there may be one or two questionable instructors at Freedom, they have done a great job bringing in skilled coaches for their learn to swim program. These coaches are fabulous and really seem to know each student. Classes are held up n various locations depending on your level. These classes are held in Brooklyn Poly Prep, Brooklyn Sports club, Staten Island South Shore YMCA, RBYMCA (Raritan Bay NJ) and CLL aquatics Center in NJ. We really like the program and our only issue is their communication. It is consistently poor and we can't figure out why they don't get that part of their business together. For example: 1. They should have someone you can contact by phone at all times 2. Text messages are always incomplete and sends you to your mail for the remainder of the message which is often times a date. 3. The website is poorly constructed 4. The includes antiquated information as far back as 2020 5. The website is difficult to navigate and overloaded for no good reason 6. Clarity of material ordering and timeline for ordering is unclear 7. Overall their communication is really, really poor and needs a great deal of support. Having said all of this, it is a good program but could be a great program with some restructuring of their communication, website and parent outreach. The program is expensive , so you would think that the directors or the coaches would take time to meet with families at various levels at least at the beginning of each season to let them know what kids will be learning, competition information, and what parents can do to support their child. There's just important things missing that the directors need to figure out. Communication is definitely on top of the list!!!!!! I would still recommend the program as a means to getting kids on the road to becoming good swimmers.

Great place to go if you want your kid to learn to swim. Freedom Aquatics are the best. Staff are…read morevery nice and they know what they are doing.

Both my daughters are taking lessons at British Swim School at the Forest Ave LA Fitness. We have…read moreonly been twice so far, but I have already cancelled. During our once a week, half hour lessons, each of the 4 kids sit on the edge of the pool for most of the time, and are slowly brought into the pool one by one to do an exercise and then slowly returned to the side of the pool. This means we are paying for less than 10 minutes of actual instruction. So far I find it absolutely not worth the cost, even though the cost is affordable.

The instructors were great, the facility and overall management of this program is not…read more The first few weeks were okay. Instructors were very friendly, although it became apparent fast that it would take sometime to learn with 3-5 kids per instructor in a 30-minute or so lesson. A few weeks in, cancellations within 30 minutes to 1 hour of class started. We thought some kid had an accident, but then almost every lesson -- many even while we were on our way to class and even once or twice, told when we arrived -- class was cancelled for the day. We once even began telling other parents while they were arriving at the parking lot after finding out just as we arrived. One parent said they were sent over from the Richmond to Forest location due to cancellations there. After we acknowledged there was a VERY CLEAR issue besides "one offs" they simply offered make-up lessons with NO REFUND whatsoever. Weeks and weeks of learning were already lost just before spring/summer time. We were on standby for a while thinking we may return, but it was clear they didn't have it together and felt risky going back to a place that was masking issues related to pool water servicing children... The even less appealing part of it all (besides having a "swimmer" back at square one) was a marketing email sent saying they were open for lessons "unlike" other places...who are they kidding?!

Best swim teacher I've ever seen. My 4yo son used to be scared of the water and in just 2 lessons…read morehe's already getting very confident. He looks forward to sessions with Mr Al and enjoys every minute of it. Mr. Fischer makes it fun and exciting and my son feels like it's all a game. Can't wait to see what my son is able to do by the end of the season after 20 lessons!

Al is the best! He teaches my 3 year old and 6 year old, and they have both made so much progress…read more He is kind and reliable and professional while making swimming lessons fun for any age.

First the good: The gym is big, lots of equipment, and the pool and facilities are always clean and…read moreinviting. I signed up for training sessions and Justin is fantastic, just the right balance of encouraging and normal. If I walked in and said push me to the limit, he would. If I say here are my physical limitations, he respects them. A+ for him. Now the bad: They have made it difficult to book training sessions directly through the trainer, and getting through to anyone who can help on the phone is impossible. They also did a lot of double-talking when I signed up for the package; I was clear that I go back and forth between my home here and in another city so I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be stuck paying for sessions I couldn't use. I was assured I could use the sessions at any time. Well technically that was true -- as long as I kept paying the very steep monthly training package fee. I had let them know I had suffered a back injury and could not do any exercise for a month as per my doctor, and they said no problem. Yeah no problem then they kept billing me. So now my choice is to continue paying $300 a month or lose 13 training sessions. I will use them up fast then stop the sessions which is too bad because I enjoy working with Justin. BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU AGREE TO HERE.

Gym is always super crowded during peak hours (and even off peak), not enough equipment, free…read moreweights all over the place (good luck trying to find a pair of dumbbells). And for those who enjoy indoor cycling/spin classes, there's one, yes ONE single class from Mon to Fri which is on Thursday and for the past 2 weeks the class was cancelled. Has LA Fitness ever heard of substitute instructors? When I joined this gym there used to be over 10 classes on weekdays in addition to the weekend classes.

We have been British Swim School regulars at Bayonne and fans especially of the staff! My husband…read moreand I graduated from Adult level 1 today. We could not have learnt to swim like we do without Noah, he is an excellent coach, very patient, skilled and attentive. His feedback was key in helping us understand the techniques and get comfortable in the pool. Rebecca, Shai and Joshua also helped with make up classes and tips that helped with our confidence. This is one of the best investments we have made and looking forward to starting our journey with level 2 classes! Highly recommend to anyone looking for skilled trainers that are extremely helpful and make the experience enjoyable.

Alina is the best! She's thorough, firm and explains everything so easily. I have no swimming…read moreexperience and I've been to 4 classes so far and can front crawl, float and tread(this one only a little lol). She makes you feel safe and challenges you to not overthink and just swim! I highly recommend!

October 2017- my 3 yr old refused to step in to the water. Freaked out if her feet got wet…read more Fast forward a year later- my daughter floats on her back like a butterfly. We play how long she can hold her breath under water. Nuff said- thank you British swim school. Thank you to th best instructor mr.Hiram. Thank you to Iris, angel, and all the admin staff. Thank you Ps16 for being a good host. Thank you British Swim School!

I am writing this review as someone who is very familiar with swimming. Several members of my…read morefamily were competitive swimmers for many years, so I understand the importance of consistency, proper technique, and quality instruction. When we first enrolled with British Swim School, we were extremely pleased. The instructors were knowledgeable, patient, and consistent, and our child progressed quickly. We had complete confidence in the program and would have gladly given it a five-star review. Unfortunately, our experience has changed dramatically. The pool where we attended lessons experienced ongoing issues that resulted in most classes being canceled throughout December. While this was frustrating, we understood that it was beyond British Swim School's control. We remained loyal customers because we believed in the program and were very happy with the instructors. Since then, however, there has been an almost complete turnover of instructors. Nearly every time we attend a lesson, there is someone new teaching the class. The consistency that is so critical to learning proper swimming technique has disappeared. Instead of continuing to improve, my child has actually regressed. Skills that had been developed through months of quality instruction have deteriorated because each instructor teaches differently and there has been no continuity. Rather than reinforcing good technique and building on previous lessons, the constant changes have undermined the progress she had already made. What is most disappointing is that I reached out to British Swim School multiple times to discuss these concerns and requested a call from a member of the management team. Unfortunately, I never received any follow-up. Our experience went from a program that I would have enthusiastically recommended to one that I can no longer recommend. It's disappointing to see what was once an excellent program decline so significantly in just a few months.

My daughter's taekwon-do class. It's weekly and they definitely teach you to be more disciplined…read more You can definitely see the confidence grow in the children in the class over time. My daughter really enjoys her class.

The staff is not kind at all and they barely acknowledge you or your child when you come through…read morethe door. For swimming lessons, it is nearly impossible to get a makeup class and the instructors are more interested in talking to one another than actually teaching. The facilities are outdated and something always seem to be broken. For parents, it is extremely uncomfortable to be able to watch your kids during swimming class. You will be sitting very close to the pool and most likely will get splashed. Do not recommend.

I joined recently because my insurance allows me to sign up for any gym in the area…read more The Rahway Branch of the YMCA was a nice surprise. It is walking distance from my apartment. It has nice equipment-- a row machine, an elliptical machine, a stationary bike and several treadmills. The pool is well maintained at a good temperature. The staff is warm and welcoming.

One advice: train the receptionists better and make sure they have the same AND right information…read more When you're new to the YMCA and want to sign in for a membership, depending on who I was seeing, they had different versions about the costs and the methods of payment. Being nice and patient when you're receptionist should be a basic requirement. I strongly suggest they allow drop-in class for the group classes, in order you can try them, at least once. And add more fitness classes (like yoga, zumba, pilates, etc.) after workday. On another note, yoga teachers (Jenniera and JoAnn) are good!

For what it costs, it's fine. Nothing special to write home about. The dumbbells being all over the…read moreplace bugs me though

I visited LA Fitness on Forest Ave (Staten Island) for the first time today and was pleased with my…read moreexperience. The reason for my visit was because I wanted to take the 9:30am cycling class with Michelle and the class was great. The instructor is nice and energetic and the music selection was also good. I was surprised by how many people showed up. Class was packed! The gym seems to be decent with lots of equipment and a clean locker room. There's also a pool but it's currently under maintenance so I'm not sure when they'll reopen it. The staff members I dealt with were also friendly. There's a huge free parking lot shared by other stores so parking shouldn't be an issue. I wish they also offered a bike rack/storage but that's not the case. I'll be back to take other classes and will update my review at that time.