Great equipment and friendly staff. Not too busy in the morning. Worth the day pass because it's for 24 hours and they let you use it passed 24 hours if you come early the next day. read more

I had gotten a pass for a limited time. I had wanted to try out the facility before making a commitment and spending my money on a gym to use. I was harassed by a few ladies there. One while in the locker room dressing and the other while trying to destress in the steam room. I was asked to have sex with this weird random girl there. Don't go here! I would recommend somewhere more safe and secure than this place. read more

Closes at noon, on a Saturday. Makes no sense. Can't sleep if this is the Y near you I guess.

Super clean. Employees are wonderful. Brianna is so knowledge about training on weight machines and exercise machines. Super helpful.

Multiple floors, stay is respectful and acknowledges you with a smile coming in and leaving equipment clean well spaced not too many people there around 5-6 and we'll priced. read more

This is the type of Y I used to envision when I was a kid. Very old school and urban. It's in an old downtown building and is 7 different stories, but still feels small and intimate. The weights and equipment all look brand new. The locker room has a dry sauna, a wet sauna and a hot tub (but it was closed this week.) The staff behind the desk is very friendly and helpful. They used to give out towels, which they no longer do. Other than the hot tub being closed and towel service no longer being offered, I have no complaints about this Y. read more

I've been a member since 2007 and wow has the customer service and amenities here plummeted in that time. First the cost is almost twice as much as other gyms, but without things like towel service, which they used to provide. Studios and back workout rooms are no longer available for guests to use, they are always locked. They have very limited hours compared to most gyms, but because the YMCA thinks they have more than enough hours, they will randomly close the building hours earlier than they are supposed to every few weeks. read more

So I'm this state senior pay 91.00 dollars a month for membership. So just come out and say we the seniors are not welcome at the YMCA. So many other options seniors, never go where they try to price you out. It's very sad. read more

Great gym. Large space, good equipment, friendly staff and professional trainers. For Y members who don't know what to do in a gym other than running on treadmill or elliptical machine, I strongly recommend the free trial private trainer session (one time) and free group exercise classes. I've been a member for 2 years. I go 3-5 times a week. June 2016, after doing half a year elliptical(really boring), I started going to the Total Body Conditioning classes in the morning. It was a very challenging class but brought so much benefit and fun to me. I didn't know how to do anything in the beginning (that's why I was only doing elliptical). With trainers and other members help, I was able to learn all kinds of workout movements. For a while, I was trying out all kinds of group exercises in the Y. TRX, HIIT, Insanity, turbo kick, yoga, zumba, boxing, all great classes, meet people's different needs. Many of these I did with trainer Kelly who's full of energy and love. We both are Seahawks fans so she often motivates me like "one more pushup for the Seahawks!" :) Oh I like Kelly so much. After doing total body conditioning class for more than a year, I developed interest in one sport more than others: power lifting. Downtown YMCA has a great trainer for this sport: Teagan. He's a very strong and professional trainer. He teaches the total body conditioning class in the evenings(highly recommend). I joined his 6 week sessions class Lifting Squad a while ago. This kind of series training sessions in the Y are always very reasonably priced and have very high value. This Lifting Squad class helped me in two big ways: 1. I learned the basic techniques of power lifting. 2. Before the class, I never walked into the free weights area because I felt it very intimidating. Many women share this common feeling. The class helped me overcome this fear. Now I'm able to go there to do stronglifts 5*5 training all by myself. People sometime just need a little help to start. That's why group exercises with trainers can be a good thing to try. Now when I look back at the 2 years work out experience in downtown YMCA, I found that fitness is not only about the will power. If I was just doing elliptical which I didn't really enjoy, it's very possible I already gave up long time ago. Having fun, seeing the improvement, learning new things, making friends, getting inspired , those are the things that motivate me to go work out consistently. Downtown YMCA offered me all of those. Thanks a lot to the Y! read more

Downtown Branch YMCA - Free weights area on the 5th floor - Gyms Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you're in the mood to deal with some blatant sexism, then this is the place for you! Every time I've tried to play BasketBall at this YMCA, I get to play for maybe 5 mins before a bunch of guys group up and decide to take over the whole court. Every time me(female) and my friend(male) are playing at one of the hoops, 8 to 10 men(all random players) always decide to group up and occupy the full court, pushing us off. There are never any YMCA employees there to make sure this kind of behavior doesn't happen either. Like I said, if you're in the mood to endure some hardcore sexism, then have fun!! read more

I decided to go in for a morning lift this morning at this location. (I have not much experience mind you and am pretty new to coming and lifting at the gym). There is a "trainers supervisors office" right in front of the dumbell rack with a large window. (I was the only person using the dumbells) i began to feel the individual that works in the office staring at me in a very condescending and judgmental manner. For the rest of that workout she continued to stare very awkwardly at me and in a very rude way . At this point i was super in my head about my workout , maybe i had been doing something wrong. Come to find out i was doing the lift wrong for the workout after doing some research. But the entire situation just killed my motivation and i didnt even feel comfortable finishing what else i had to do. I felt embarrassed. Maybe if shes a trainer instead of staring at me and judging me making me feel uncomfortable, maybe kindly letting me know i was not doing it right would have been fine. So i go and grab my things and as im leaving i report the situation to the front desk and i believe manager . Explaining the situation as i just did. THAT individual then completely dismissed my feelings and said "shes new and has a lot going on so thats probably just what it is , she wasnt looking at you in that manner i dont think so" saying that as if he was there when it was happening. I felt completely unvalidated and disrespected at that point and just walked out. Absolutely terrible customer service i experienced here . I will NOT be returning. And they also said their hot tub would be fixed in early august back in july ... its now the middle of September and still no aquatic center. Place is ran by arrogant young or middle aged adults . read more

Thanks for the reply 2 years later. The staff know they check the steam room every half hour. read more

The Y just raised its prices & frankly it's just not worth the $ for what you get. Staff runs the gamut from pleasant & engaging to rude & adversarial. The facilities are ok but again, nothing you can't find at gyms half the price. The locker room can be sketchy & a lot of the classes & activities are extra, adding to an already steep price. I have always tried to support the YMCA no matter where I live but I just can't justify the spend at the Seattle branch when my support is met with unsavory workout conditions as well as staff apathy & rudeness. read more

So great!!! Friendly staff, nice equipment that is so easy to use, tv's on every cardio machine, large CLEAN locker rooms, basket ball, racquetball, yoga, group fitness, etc. I'm so glad I checked it out. Just what I was looking for in a gym. Sauna, steam room, and whirlpool to boot! read more

I've been checking to see if their hours have ever improved since this is the most convenient location for me. I rlsee that they are now closed on weekends and not open for any hours during the where I'm available. What a joke. read more

What kind of gym is closed on the weekend? This is crazy. Makes no sense. They should change this.

I am definitely happy with my decision to move on to another gym. It's just a lot less cozy and less chaotic and there is a lot more personal space respected. I chose 24 hour fitness and I'm happy with my decision. read more

If you're not a low income earner to qualify for a reduced rate, this gym is pricey for what you get and have to tolerate. At first, I liked that this gym brought together people of all incomes, but this also meant very dirty people using the whirlpool as a bathtub at times and on a few occasions encountering a guy trying to sell alcohol in the locker room. These are not issues I've had at other gyms. I'm giving two stars because the staff are very friendly and they offer monthly locker rentals, which isn't the case at most Seattle gyms. The gym wasn't filthy, but could definitely have been kept cleaner. The quality of equipment could have been better and the gym became very crowded after work, much more so than other gyms of similar cost at the full member rate. It was ridiculous for the Y to change their policy to require clothes be worn in the sauna, steam room and whirlpool in men's locker room. Members should definitely use towels and preferably wrap with a towel, but having staff police members to ensure they are not naked under their towels is ridiculous and a huge personal invasion. The policy is also unsanitary as I witnessed on many occasions members wearing underwear or sweaty gym shorts in the whirlpool and steam room. Absolutely disgusting! I'd rather the staff spend their time ensuring individuals showered fully naked with soap before entering the whirlpool or steam rooms. Many other countries provide instructions in shower areas to explain to ignorant visitors on how to properly clean before entering a pool. This is basic hygiene. A better policy would be to require the use of a towel wrap. That said, not sure why being naked is such an issue. I was a member for 6 months before the "no naked policy" started and never felt uncomfortable. It's a gym locker room, and you're going to see nakedness. Individuals can choose where to look and anyone staring at naked guys are the ones with an issue, and kind of Pervy regardless of sexual orientation. I agree that the policy does come across as homophobic. I did witness on two occasions men with cell phones in the locker area acting suspicious. I was disappointed that staff seemed to care more about naked people than they did those situations when brought to their attention. Anyway, I'm back at my old gym. I miss having a steam room and whirlpool, but the gym is immaculately clean and no weird rules. read more

Been going to the ymca for over a year ..I love the equipment, the yoga and meditation classes, most of the ymca professional staff are stellar! Not 5 star because there have been been some rare circumstances of conflicts but mostly involving disgruntled guests going MAD...besides that great gym! read more

I have been a member of the downtown Y for 15 years. THE benefit of going there is that the whirlpool, steam room and sauna are in the locker rooms so I could relax au natural with no problems; very relaxing. The Y has just imposed a new rule requiring swim suits be worn in the whirlpool. I sent an email to a staff member responsible for the policy change objecting to the rule and asking they either reduce my monthly fee. revoke this arbitrary, unnecessary and Puritanical rule or I would need to find another gym. The response was basically, "sorry to see you go". These days I am using the pool at the Y and it appears there is no other gym with a pool that is any where near as cheap as the Y (and I thought it was expensive) in the downtown area, so I may be stuck with this situation. read more

I've joined other gyms in Seattle, and they either lacked basic hygiene or full amenities. I wanted a gym with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but I never considered the YMCA because, well, it's got the word Christian baked into its organization. But when the YMCA states everyone is welcome, believe. I get up early every morning and trek to the Y for a swim. The lifeguards and I are on a first-name basis, but then they are that way with everyone. The staff are friendly, even at 5:00 A.M. Towels are plentiful, and the steam room after swimming is a godsend. What I love most about the Y is its no-b.s. policies: no cell phones in the locker room area, and absolutely no funny business. If you've ever experienced these sorts of scenarios at your gym, you know what I mean when I say it's bloody wonderful to work out and not have to worry about what you might run into around a corner. read more

I used to love the YMCA downtown and was a member for over 20 years until the new policy of no nudity in the women's only jacuzzi went into effect. One of the nice things about the Y was the accepting atmosphere of everyone's inperfections. It had a nice spa like quality to it. Then new management came in and put this stupid rule into play. So - we're supposed to exercise hard enough to sweat, requiring a shower and then have to put a swimsuit on for the jacuzzi? Stupid..and puritanical. I wrote to the Executive Director to protest and she basically blew me off by telling me some cultures find nudity offensive (same sex nudity is probably only offensive to weird Americans - get over it). Why pay an extra $50 for a service I wasn't using any more so I joined the cheaper gym in my building. I'm sorry to have quit because of this because the staff was fabulous (although the management treats the staff as badly as their members). I hope the Y eventually goes back to the accepting ways of the past and fires their current management. If so - I'll be back. read more

I am a current downtown Seattle Y member but myself and a number of others are considering leaving. We are all recreational swimmers who joined for the pool. The problem is that the management of the Y is messed up and they schedule private lessons during free swim. That makes the swimming very very crowded. I am now swimming behind 3-80 year old Chinese ladies dogpaddling. Management needs to be more considerate of its members and the greater good or we will leave. (Also can be somewhat dirty and the elevators are so slow hamsters on wheels must be powering them) read more

Uh, yeah. This is my favorite gym, ever. For the amount of money you pay (I'm not about to disclose my meager annual salary, but let's say that I appreciate the way that they scale your fee according to where you fall within their income guidelines) it is superb. For one thing, I've belonged to 24 Hour Fitness and Bally's at a couple of locations in Washington and Southern California, and found that the Downtown YMCA has newer equipment and fewer obnoxious gym attendees. In addition, those afore-mentioned gyms required that you bring a towel (makes sense) to wipe up after your sweaty self, but this YMCA provides the freaking towels! They even have larger ones to use in their showers, which might be scratchy, but at least you're not lugging around a wet towel with you to work. That would be gross. read more

Please read this review before the downtown YMCA, or one of its proxies, "leans on" Yelp to have it removed. * * * * * People don't like hearing the truth. None of us do: The downtown Y once gave me hope. Then the Y took it away. * * * * * After having (1) watched last night "Spotlight" this year's Oscar winning "Best Picture," and (2) rejected on Monday the settlement offered, through the Better Business Bureau, by the downtown YMCA two days ago, I decided to go ahead and write this update. I understand better now its urgent desire to avoid a scandal even if it required a cover-up and a doctoring of the facts. An organization such as this does not want to live under the cloud of a looming scandal. But their solution was inept, mean...and unethical. I knew deep down the place was badly run...but like the people who "just love" the YMCA, I felt "loyal and liberal," overlooking the problems and hoping it wouldn't close its doors because of the problems...until they were staring at me in the face. I know I wasn't "supposed to" talk about bullying or racism at the Y. Or the egregious conduct of some staff. Or predators (and budding sado-psychopaths). I got indirect signals not to...obviously it didn't work. * * * * * Here is my response of February 28, 2016 to the proposed BBB settlement: The alleged facts in the documentation of the YMCA rests on the testimony of two people: (1) the person who assaulted me; (2) her subordinate. This testimony is not credible. To deny the assault, the actual facts were either invented or falsified in the protective self interest of the employee (and the business itself). I have provided my own detailed recollection of what happened. In lieu of a formal apology, the dismissal of the employee Cynthia Klever and my reinstatement would have sufficed for me to agree to the resolution of the problem. What the business is offering falls lamentably short of this. During my 13 years of swimming at the downtown YMCA I never once witnessed anyone else but myself (1) get yelled at by lifeguards for finishing a lap 15 seconds past the designated pool closing time or (2) get kicked so hard in the shins for accidentally swimming in the wrong direction by a swimmer so irate that he kicked me so hard that I had a deep bruise for a month afterwards. (Both the swimmer and lifeguard were Caucasian; I am not). I observed members still swimming minutes after I had already gotten out of the pool, and the lifeguard not say one word to them). The downtown YMCA did a terrible job of providing a safe environment for me. And when I repeatedly complained about the treatment I was receiving--which included behavior from one member who leered at and stalked me for several years--, I was assaulted verbally at the meeting on June 9, 2016 with Ms. Klever and her assistant, both Caucasians. Since joining another health club, I have not had these kinds of negative experiences. It is unfortunate that the judgment of fair-minded people at the YMCA did not prevail. In the end, the downtown Seattle YMCA did not think that the personal assault, bullying, and racism that I experienced warranted taking serious action to punish the perpetrator(s). I am sorry that the downtown YMCA did not and now cannot and will not live up to its own self-professed "core values of "respect," "caring," responsibility," and "honesty." * * * * * A separate complaint filed with the Washington State Attorney General's Office received no response whatsoever from the downtown Seattle YMCA. It's when you know and tell the truth about an organization such as the YMCA that they can neither deny nor [are willing or able to] fix--that you become a threat and must be dealt with as such. I was not supposed to say that I dealt with staff with anger management problems or members with psychopathic personalities? Or African-Americans who disliked other minorities like myself and without any hesitation showed it. How many other people besides myself were bullied, mistreated, or even abused there? Why did they remain silent instead of come forward with their stories? The downtown YMCA, although it doesn't trumpet them, has strong ties to and is propped up by the local political, civic, and corporate establishment. The termination of my membership AND the removal by Yelp itself of all of my previous reviews from 2006 to 2015, except for the one positively glowing review, demonstrates the extent to which the downtown YMCA felt it needed to silence me and expunge my story of 13 years as a member there. One call by Ron Sims to Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman could have sufficed. I had scrupulously documented in detail over the years my experiences, both good and bad. Maybe businesses can't pay Yelp to have reviews altered or removed, but they can certainly find other ways. * * * * * May my words and actions be of benefit to other victims of discrimination, scapegoating, and mistreatment. read more

This place is right by where I work, so I gave it a try. I got their trial pass online and went there without realizing that my wallet was left in the car along with my ID. Although they were able to pull me up in the system and I was able to provide a scan of my id on my phone, I still had to walk back to my car to retrieve my ID to get in, not really pleased about that. The weight floor, which is of 95% importance to me, is poorly designed. It's loop-shaped and feels cramped, it doesn't help that there aren't many equipments. And somehow it feels hot in there, better air circulation is needed. read more

I just joined the Y a week ago when the deal came out for 100% off the join fee. I'm not a fan of going to the gym and not a super active person so I wanted a gym that offered variety and options. I LOVE the Downtown Seattle YMCA! I got my membership on Friday and have been going everyday since. PROS: - HUGE - Not too busy - Really nice equipment - Cable TV on most cardio equipment - Free towel service!!! - sauna/steam room/whirlpool - Heated Indoor Pool - Full-size gym - Financial aid for low income members - Close to most bus stops & Seattle Public Library. CONS: - Closed on Sunday (this is probably the #1 downside to this gym). - Pool is somewhat small (3 lanes) so it can get crowded if you're a swimmer. - Membership is a bit pricy ($60-1 adult) ($93/2 adults). - Locker rental is expensive ($8/mo.) - Showers aren't very private (mens lockerroom, not sure about womens) - Lots of guys go in the whirlpool naked, which is a bit creepy and unsanitary IMO. - Pool hours are restricted to certain times. - Some classes cost money for members (Pilates Reformer) Honestly, the Pros outweight the cons for me personally, and I really like the fact that this gym has so much diversity instead of a bunch of meathead, steroid-crazed body builders. I'm definitely happy with the Y so far, I just wish they were open on Sunday too. read more

Sure, the downtown Y has a lot to offer - cardio equipment, weights, studios for yoga, pilates, and other stuff, fitness programs and trainers to help you stay on track, a pool, a basketball gym, a whirlpool, steam room, sauna, and the rest of standard gym fare. But what I love about the place is what they don't have. I have never caught a whiff of perfume or cologne as I've walked up to the elliptical trainers or treadmills. I have never seen pumped-up guys doing barbell curls in the squat rack. There is no juice bar to hang out at and avoid working out. I have never felt as if I'm underdressed in my torn t-shirt and gym shorts that double as grass cutting attire. In short, this is a regular gym for regular people. I like that. The staff are great, and they work hard to make the Y a place an inclusive, inviting place to be. I started working out here because of the accessibility - I work and park in the adjoining building - but have stayed and kept coming back because of the atmosphere. They could improve a few things. The pool is closed when not staffed by lifeguards (a liability issue, I guess, but other gyms I've been to seem to skirt around it with disclaimer signs) and is thus terribly crowded when open - I don't even try to swim at this location anymore, taking my trunks and goggles over to the East Madison facility instead. The remodel that moved the cardio equipment from the 7th floor to the 5th floor has packed it tightly together, so the whole area gets stuffy when most of the machines are in use in the mornings: they really need to improve air circulation. But on the whole, I like the downtown Y - it's the kind of place that keeps you coming back. read more

I've been coming to the Y about twice a week for two months now. I find the staff to be very friendly and the workout areas are always clean. The Y offers cardio and weight machines, a swimming pool, a basketball court, classes (including pilates reformers), and more. No need to bring a towel. They will provide them on every floor. My only complaint is that the Y is closed on Sundays. read more

The facility is good. The thing that leads to me to post this review is the quality of the staff. I guess one in particular. I acknowledge that most of them are very helpful and nice, though sometimes it only takes one person to ruin your experience. We signed up for a family YMCA membership. During our stay, our credit card is stolen (unrelated to YMCA). We went to the facility to update our payment info, and a guy helped us. Several weeks later, we went back, the same guy was there again, and we were told that our membership was canceled, because our payment was behind. We tried to explain the whole situation. He acted as he did not understand what we were saying, and dismissed us by saying, 'somebody did not do there job here, but you will still have to pay additional fee to reestablish the membership in addition to the membership fee'. Thank you for the insight! read more

This is by far the second best gym I've been a member of. It only falls short of the gym that was at my college... which is probably impossible to beat. I make good use of almost every floor at the Y which is awesome because I feel like I'm definitely getting my moneys worth. On Monday mornings I cycle in the very empty cycling room then run afterwards. On Tuesday mornings I swim with the Masters swim team. On Wednesday mornings I cycle with the cycling class. On Thursday mornings I swim with the Masters swim team. On Friday mornings I'm in yoga class. The pool is hardly ever full and if there's people already swimming they're always great about either splitting the lane or swimming circles with you. Just make sure you choose the lane that best reflects your swimming ability because if people need to wait for you they can get a little upset. Any morning that there isn't a cycling class the cycling room is essentially empty. It's nice to turn the fans on there and just ride for an hour or more. Even when the cycling classes are in session there's always room for more people. I am very pleased with the Y and will hopefully be a member for many years to come! read more

I really like working out here. It's the gym where "normal" people go to work out. People of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities. The facilities are clean, the staff friendly, and I've never had issues accessing the machines I needed. After our workouts my friend and I reward ourselves by taking a soak in the huge jacuzzi. Extra perk: the convenient location across from the library has helped keep us from getting as many late fees! read more

I absolutely love this facility and everything they stand for. The staff are extremely kind and welcoming. When I first went into the building, the staff immediately greet me with a big smile. They also offered to give me a tour around the facility. Pretty good first impression if you ask for my opinion. The tour was extremely informative, motivational, and heartwarming. The facility is extremely clean, their amenities are top notch, everyone is ridiculously friendly (including members-- this should be a crime!!), awesome programs/classes. I don't know, I got a membership immediately -- it's a great deal! Not only do I get to work on myself, I also get to help our community by being a member! Nothing feels better than being a part of a cause! read more

I live here. I generally use the racquetball courts and go to yoga class. I've been a member for ~5 years on and off. The facilities are great. This isn't a 24-Hour Fitness or young single person's gym. It's more old school. It also costs more than most non-boutique gyms. I pay around $65/mo. My only beef is that sometimes I wish I could use the sauna, hottub, and steam room. These are always packed midday with steamy, naked dudes that appear to be homeless. Many have not showered for extended periods of time, have skin conditions, etc. I get it, it's the Y, but still. Hazmat zone. Nakes dudes are sitting around everywhere with no towels; sitting on chairs that I need to sit on while getting dressed. Also the lockers aren't all that clean sometimes. EW! The staff is supreme, love them to death. Again, I'm always there, but there's no way the Y's getting 5 stars with the locker room sitch. read more

I used to have a fear of gyms --- but no longer! I love this place. I like that I can come here and just work out. No pretense, no nothing. No one bothers you if you don't want to be bothered, people mind their own business and there's no grunting or folks showing off. People legitimately come to here to work out. It's great! Staff are really nice -- in person, over the phone and over email (and yes, I have communicated with them via all these ways!). If you don't work a traditional M-F 9-5, the best times to go in are in the mornings after 9am and in the afternoon after 1pm. Lots of free machines and less traffic in the locker room during those periods. I avoid the weekends (well, Saturday, they're not open on Sunday). The lockers and locker room areas have been clean for the most part when I've gone in and remember to bring your own lock to use. Always eye the stools with caution, naked bottoms have graced them so the barrier towel is your friend. I took a tour of this gym before signing up -- a good idea because while the monthly pricing is comparable to other gyms (they even have a sliding scale based on your income!), the join fee is a buzz killer and I wish they would get rid of it. Other than that, this is a solid gym. read more

Pro Friendly staff, with a well maintained facility, nice program schedule. Con Pool hours are limited to a few hours a day, and with it being a small pool, not worth trying to swim You should know The shower/Sauna room has stools in it for people to cool when leaving the sauna. Most people use this as intended, however a few individuals use this as stadium seating to stare at people taking showers. My friend brought this to the staffs attention, but the stools remain. read more

This gym has gone downhill quite a lot over the last year or two. I was a member for 8 years before finally quitting recently. There are a few things I really miss like the open dance studio upstairs that I could often have to myself, but even that is now full of spin bikes. And they lock the sound system up so you can't play your own music anymore. Mainly though I just want to echo what other recent reviewers have said about the outrageous policy and practice of requiring men to wear swim trunks while in the men's locker room. It's not just inconvenient and uncomfortable, it's blatantly homophobic and very damaging to both individuals' sense of self-confidence and the community culture that used to thrive at this gym. It also violates basic principles of individual civil liberty. Trying to outlaw nudity in a space that is designed expressly for showering and changing clothes creates a culture where something that should be ordinary and everyday is now regarded as suspicious and shameful. The YMCA is so diverse--there used to be something quite beautiful about how all barriers were broken down and people learned to trust each other through the act of getting naked together. It really helps you learn to be comfortable in who you are, physically and mentally. That's gone now. Now the staff will publicly shame you for what would be normal behavior anywhere else. And even if you don't value any of that, it's still an objectively wrong policy in light of the fact that it is counter to how things are done at every other locker room in the world, and how they have always been done for all of human history! Perhaps the YMCA thinks they are leading the way in risk management or something, but what they are really doing is driving their members away to other less-oppressive gyms. read more

I really like the vibe at this YMCA. The pool is clean, it isn't too crowded, they have a scale of rates to make membership affordable for a larger group of people, and everybody seems to be there to actually exercise or relax rather than to preen around in their designer gym thongs. For convenience reasons only (I don't make it downtown very often now that the weather is cold, and another gym opened right in my neighborhood) I'm about to cancel my membership at the YMCA until summertime, but I wanted to give them a nice review first so that others will take my place. Yay YMCA! read more

Everyone is welcoming, kind and willing to help out at any way possible. The classes are fun, the instructors are really helpful and accommodating to new members of their classes, and clean towels are always at the ready. The facility is huge so it's not a problem finding either a spot on a machine or in a class even @5pm on a weekday. I also like that it's right across the street from the library if you want to cozy up in a comfy chair after a hard workout with a good book! read more

Full-throated recommendation for this awesome gym. I belonged to this gym when I lived here for a temp project back in '08 - -I'm back in Seattle thru the end of the year, and the first thing I did (even before I rented a furnished apartment) was to go back down here and sign up for a membership. This particular gym is enormous and has all the equipment I need. My exercise routine includes free weights, some machines, and a cardio routine. The weight room is gigantic with all the machines, cables and free weights you could possibly need. The cardio room on the 7th floor is also well-equipped. There's an Olympic-sized pool, racquetball courts, and a full sized basketball court. In the winter you just come here to hang all day, frankly. The Seattle rain depresses me but I found this place to be a huge relief for the winter blues. Here's the most important part (in my opinion). The memberships aren't oversold. The gym never feels overcrowded in the evenings and weekends. I love that. The locker rooms are huge which is an added bonus. I like changing clothes with plenty of space around me. Also, there's a jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and lots of showers (some with shower curtains). Bonus! read more