The pools have been beautifully renovated, and entrance now costs a dollar. There is an adult pool…read morethat's about 10ft deep in one end and 3.5' deep in the other, and a very nice toddler pool that is 1' at the shallowest and 3' at the deep end. The crowd is mostly parents with kids, and teenagers. Families bring rings, kickboards, and other water toys in. It's a very relaxed local vibe. You can come in with a stroller. No shade in the middle of the day, but there is reasonable shade in the later afternoon. Capacity is capped at 100. Adults need proof of Cambridge residency (license, water bill, etc.). Kids do not need an ID.

This is how citified and vulgar I am: Screw the beach. Screw Cape Cod. Give me a municipal outdoor…read morepool, staffed by indifferent teenagers in sun-bleached red swimsuits, surrounded by shadeless concrete, overly chlorinated, possibly contaminated with toddler pee, and overrun with screaming tweens plus that one kid who goes swimming in cut-off jeans. Charge me seventy-five cents to get in, and make me bring my own deck chair and snacks. I'll love you for it, because I'm easy, and not just because you're like a mile from my apartment. Today was 90-plus degrees and sunny. Some people retreated indoors, camping out in movie theaters or hiding in their homes to do sexual things with ice cubes. I disdain such shrinking violets, and prefer to embrace the swelter with a book, a big bottle of water, shades, tunes, and a swimming pool five steps away. Get wet, take a few laps, and be cool for half an hour of reading, easy. Rinse, repeat. Pause occasionally to take in the scene, and take note of potential cannonballers who'll splash water all over your reading material. There's shade against the locker rooms if you are fish-belly white (like me) and a little set of sprinklers over by the shallow end. Remember your sunscreen!

So good but needs details when it's open. It is an amazing place for all people and has no flaws…read morebut the time like honestly it sometimes says open while closed at least they make the water wormer then other pools that would make it freezing cold so thanks for that. If you were planning to go to a pool this would be the place. FIVE STARS

This is a great pool! Free, shade and picnic tables, grass for your towel or bring a chair. A…read morewading pool for the littles (a real one, not a splash pad) and a pool that goes no deeper than 4'6" for the bigs. The lifeguards are very nice and the pool is surprisingly uncrowded. The only negative is it's not open very long during the year - I assume because they hire students for lifeguards.

A neat park and playground, this spot has a good sized jungle gym, some basketball courts and even…read morea sharply painted hopscotch grid. On a weeknight, there were quite a few parents here with their kids. There is plenty of shade but no visitor parking.

The Paris Street Pool is amazing! I have been swimming here for a few months, during the adult lap…read moreswim allotted time. The facility is immaculate, the staff super friendly and professional. The locker rooms are cleaned multiple times a day. The pool itself is crystal clear and perfect temperature for exercising. I haven't had time to try the aquacise class yet, but I can't wait to.

Not well maintained and equipment is old with a stationary bike not working sometimes. But good…read morevalue.

Cheap small bare bone gym with friendly staff! Rough neighborhood though and older equipment.read more

Clean 25 yd pool that wasn't too crowded. I went after work and didn't have to share with more…read morethan one person. Also, there's a very large diving well and separate kiddy pool so the lanes don't get full of aqua-joggers or families. Compared to some other local (non-university) pools, it's not quite as over-chlorinated or quite as warm, and definitely cleaner. Cheap entry by day, multiple-session card (I did the 10 entries for $40 which I think is budget-friendly) or gym membership - although I haven't checked out the gym yet. Only complaint is limited hours of lap availability and no AM lap swim during the winter session.

I am trying out several different masters swim programs in the Boston area and this is my second…read moreone I've tried. (See my other review for Quincy masters). So, I have to say, this one is just okay. You get a decent workout, but it's not HARD. And the reason why is not because of the workout itself, but it's because there are no SEND OFF times. Basically, the workout is, you do X amount of sets, but resting wise, you just do 10 or 20 second rests after each set. And so personally I'm not motivated to swim faster because I'm not trying to do anything on a specific time constraint. I find myself a little less focused to go faster without sendoffs. Also, the workout is pretty much the same each time- you start with a warmup, then 2 underwaters, and then the main set, and then an IM set, and the same kind of sprints where you try and do each 25 with zero breath or one, or whatever it is. It's not a bad workout, but I'm incredibly bored because I know it's the same each time. The main set changes each time, of course, but the sameness of structure makes it kinda boring. We get a decent amount of yardage in- anywhere between 2400-3200 per hour and 15 minute workout time. Practices are twice a week. As for the coach, Elyssa, she is a lovely woman. However, she doesn't quite have the enthusiasm I'm personally looking for. I want somebody to yell at me and give me critique. However, in her defense, she does have to coach 6 lanes of people so I understand it's not easy to give personal attention, so I don't blame her. But personality wise, I like a little more spunk in my coach. But everyone is there for different reasons so it's hard for a coach to be everything. The one thing that really bugs me is the staff that works there at the front desk- they are SO unfriendly, rude, impatient and clearly underpaid. They are CRANKY and they are the first people I see when I walk into that building so it makes me want to not be there. The pool is about a 10 minute walk to Harvard T stop (cut off across Harvard campus will save you ample time), so it's not terrible in terms of location. Oh, the pool itself really sucks. First of all, there are bulk heads that's separating the different sections of the pool so there's nothing to GRAB onto when you're doing two hand touches; it's completely awkward and irritating. Imagine finishing and doing two hand touches on a wall. Also, when you get into the pool, they have these blocks that are covered by orange covers that sorta get in the way and make it hard for you to get in- not to mention it is IMPOSSIBLE to get out because of the depth. You have to swim to the ladder to get out of the pool, because there is no way you can get out from the pool otherwise. It's kinda ridiculous. Cost wise, it's $105 for 20 sessions, so that's $5.25 per session, which is pretty cheap. I've looked into many other programs and this is probably the cheapest one. So pros: -Pretty good location if you're in Cambridge -Decent yardage of workout -Nice coach -Inexpensive Cons: -Sucky pool -Unfriendly front desk staff -No real send off times, just go at your own pace (which can be a pro if that's what you are looking for) - A bit dull (atmosphere, people, some of the workouts) If you are in Cambridge and are looking for twice a week workout for fitness, this is probably a good option for you.

I'd say this is the cleanest gym of all the Harvard gyms near the Yard. The facility is well…read moremaintained, and the women's shower area is super nice. Unfortunately, the weight areas are still under renovation. Hopefully the floors will be done by the end of September.

This is probably the worst gym I've used, in part because of poor maintenance practices and in part…read morebecause Harvard community members / gym users take such poor care of the facility. Cleanliness: It's pretty terrible. - In every other civilian or military gym I've used, members regularly use disinfectant wipes on benches and machines after use. That's not the case here, so I'm mindful of wiping surfaces down before use. - Most nights, the bathroom trash cans are overflowing with used paper towels. A nice, older gentleman cleans the gym near closing hours, but it doesn't seem like the student staff at the front desk do so during the day. - This is the first gym I've used in which I regularly see used towels left on the locker room floor. I've even seen a towel left next to a toilet. This reflects not only the inadequate cleaning schedule, but also Harvard gym members' lack of care. Rules: - There are rules posted prohibiting Olympic lifting, lifting without shoes, etc., but they're infrequently enforced. - I regularly see gym members doing Olympic lifts (cleans, snatches) that put other members at risk in such a small space. Gym trainers have witnessed Olympic lifts and have said nothing. - I've been told to put my shoes back on while deadlifting, but I regularly see gym members lifting without shoes and sometimes squatting **without socks** (which doesn't even make sense). If you're going to enforce the rules, have systems in place to enforce them regularly / consistently. The gym is fine enough, as the membership fee comes out of my tuition, but Harvard University and its community should do a better job in taking care of its community spaces.

Lovely swimming pool, had so many fun afternoons at this pool. Beautiful because it's on the waterread more

For a free, public pool, this place is great. Bring your own towels/ chairs and plop yourself down…read moreanywhere around the pool. I found the water to be very clean and the area to be sanitary; however, I did not check the restrooms. They do not allow food, but there are picnic tables inside the attached building for eating. All ages there - young to old and everywhere in between! Pool depths range from 4-5 feet. Most people are wading, but I saw one person swim laps. There are no lap lanes.

This is a very beautiful pool. I wish it were available more often, but the building is, after…read moreall, a public school. It's worth adjusting one's schedule for at least one or two visits, especially during summer heat waves. The showers offered privacy, but -- during my visits during heat waves -- no hot water. The Cambridge YMCA on Mass Ave. also offers cold showers only. My issue is with another post here that the pool at Somerville YMCA on Highland Street is inferior. I've been swimming there since the 1980s. Compared to many local pools, it's Buckingham Palace. The building dates back to 1904, which is an automatic turn-off for many people, even though Somerville YMCA is kept clean & orderly and offers everything you need to stay fit and toned. I love the beautiful old tiles that line the pool room walls and the peaceful atmosphere for lap swimming without someone else's music blasting away -- as at the MIT pool, to "keep the lifeguards awake." If the windows were unsealed to admit natural light, it would be perfect. To swim a mile, you must do 44 laps. Some experienced swimmers find this confining, but it's just right for beginning/moderate swimmers. The showers are excellent; for a little extra money, there's the women's and men's health club rooms, which offer secure lockers, curtained private showers, towels, and a small gym with plenty of equipment. Ginny Smith offers kick boards, but not fins. You must carry in all your gear and take it with you when you leave. The separate shallow pool is a perfect place to do shallow-water aquatics or physical therapy workouts. Lifeguards friendly & helpful. Desk staff -- during my few visits -- seemed inexperienced and inadequately trained. Perhaps there's too much staff turnover: my guess. A must-visit pool.

I actually had a very pleasant swim during the senior lap swim session. The pool was a nice…read moretemperature and not too crowded. When I went to take a shower post swim, I discovered that many of the showers don't work. With the help of other patrons, I found one that was OK. Kind of a bummer that most don't work. On the way out, I met the director of the pool and mentioned the showers. She was the snippiest and rudest admin person I've come across in a long time. Full of herself and with a big time attitude ... "I'm not a plumber!" she told me. Oh my gosh - who hired her?! Not a person you would want representing such an important and promising facility.