We just had our first class today with my three-year-old I absolutely loved it. My son took three…read moremonths worth of classes at the British swim school in the Gold Coast. That was my one and only experience with swim lessons after going to goldfish it makes the British swim school look like a disorganized dump. Literally everything that goldfish does is the complete opposite of British swim school. Zola I think is her name was warm, kind and welcoming. The water is warm instead of freezing. The kids look like they were enjoying themselves immensely in the water. They have big huge changing rooms a play area parking and parent viewing area to look through the glass area around the pool is not slippery. You can walk on the cement , instead of worry that you're gonna slip and fall, my son had a blast It was so enjoyable and comfortable I wanted to cry.

Had our "little one" (child) here for almost a year. Was told they were doing great each time...a…read morebit unclear what they were doing great at, seeing as the teacher would tell them what to do, they'd do whatever they felt like, and then get a high five. The teachers seem nice, but it does not feel like there's a ton of concentration on teaching going on, mostly people going through the motions. What adds to this is the fact that each lesson ends 5 minutes before the half out, and then you are called in at 5 minutes past. I asked Claude, and it told me 30 - 5 - 5 = 20, which strikes me as inconsistent with paying for a 30 minute lesson. I personally want the teachers to get a break between lessons, and I understand changeover takes time, but that's the institution's problem to manage, not mine. So don't tell me it's a 30 minute lesson.

Updating my review because I need to give some love to our amazing teacher Crystal!! We took the…read morefall & winter season off from lessons since we would be out of town quite a bit and end up missing classes anyways. We started up with lessons again in the spring and needless to say we regressed quite a bit. Luckily for us, our new teacher has been so supportive and encouraging to our 2 year old. Our first lesson back was pretty rough with lots of tears, but Crystal encouraged us to keep at it and not give up. Over the last four weeks, our son has become so much more comfortable in the water. Crystal has cheered him on the whole time and always moved at a pace he is comfortable with, while slowly encouraging him to try new things. She has been so patient and encouraging, and he has grown to love swim again!! Thanks you Crystal for getting us comfortable in the water again!

They swim only like 5 yards for little kids, don't challenge them…read more They made the biggest progress when I took them for swim myself. Money wasting experience.

After seven years, we recently unenrolled our children from Goldfish Wicker Park after two and a…read morehalf years of repeated frustrations with communication, instructional accountability, and prolonged stagnation in swim levels. Most recently, our daughter spent approximately 13 months in one level at a cost of nearly $1,700, only to be told she still had not mastered skills that should have been intentionally addressed throughout the year. What was most disappointing was not simply the slow progression, but the lack of proactive communication and the repeated feeling that meaningful intervention only occurred after parent escalation. This has now happened multiple times across both of our children. Rather than acknowledging the pattern or engaging thoughtfully with our concerns, management became highly defensive and focused primarily on justifying staff actions through internal notes. We fully understand that children progress differently and that safety matters. However, families also deserve transparency, progress monitoring, and a collaborative approach when concerns are raised, especially at the price point of these lessons. There are many wonderful instructors there, and our frustration is not with individual young staff members. Our concern is with leadership, accountability structures, and how concerns are handled when families advocate for their children.

**Goldfish Swim School: A Thoughtfully Designed Experience for Young Swimmers**…read more We tried Goldfish for our 1.5-year-old's first swim class and are completely hooked! The facility is thoughtfully designed to support young kids learning to swim, with great amenities like ample parking, rows of seating for parents, a warm pool area, 90-degree water, spacious changing rooms, and even a swimsuit dryer. There's also an attentive staff member coordinating class times, making the whole experience smooth and welcoming. Be sure to get on the waitlist early; it took us four months to get off the 9 a.m. parent-tot slot. Our class is with Jessica, who's fantastic, but every aspect of the class feels like part of a well-oiled machine. The teacher welcomes kids playfully with toys and Elmo as they arrive, creating an environment that gently pushes comfort zones while allowing flexibility if kids need to pause. Each exercise builds naturally towards swimming skills and even water safety, like returning to the wall after jumping in. It's clear they've put a lot of thought into making every activity both fun and practical. The instructors stay attentive, encouraging kids through dips, underwater practice, and skills like climbing out on their own. I feel confident that my child will learn to swim here. Also, I appreciate that the spacious changing rooms make it possible to manage solo, though I do prefer to bring my partner when I can. **Comparison to Other Swim Options:** 1. **First Class Swim School:** We've done private sessions here, which offers excellent 1:1 attention since the instructor comes to your pool (for $70 per session vs. $31 at Goldfish). This convenience is amazing, but you need pool access. Additionally, Goldfish offers the benefit of social interaction with other kids, which I think helps reduce any intimidation about swimming. 2. **UIC Swim Classes:** We've also tried UIC's group lessons, which are more affordable ($22 per class). However, the experience is comparable but inferior in many small ways. While their instructors follow structured exercises, they vary in engagement, providing little feedback and few opportunities for underwater practice. Facilities-wise, UIC is less convenient: parking is paid, entry is restricted to exactly within 15 minutes of class, and changing areas are limited. For us, Goldfish offers better value with its focused, fun approach and kid-centered amenities. Overall, Goldfish Swim School has created a safe, fun, and highly effective environment for teaching kids to swim, and we couldn't be happier with our experience so far!

I have only walked the park. There is a hot dog stand outside that's pretty busy. Nice grounds.read more

Great place for family, tons of classes to offer, the pool is clean and enjoyable, staff is a…read morelittle uptight, except the person at the reception, he was amazing and very nice, but overall the place is awesome to spend time with family

Not a bad option for a gym in West Loop…read more Usually running a promo for free enrollment and a month or two free. If you're looking to become a member, watch for these deals as they are run pretty frequently. Nice staff. Good amenities. No B.S fees like many other gyms have. Very utilitarian. Happy with my membership.

I would STRONGLY caution anyone considering a membership here. Their customer service is some of…read morethe worst I've experienced at any gym. When you request to cancel or pause your membership, they'll continue to take your money but won't actually process the request properly. In my case, when I asked them to cancel my membership in advance (so I wouldn't be charged again), they canceled it early out of spite because I had complained about them not pausing my account when I was traveling for 3 months. Instead of showing remorse for canceling my membership, the manager tried to blame me, until I had email as proof. Even then, the manager, Darrell Szymanski was dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy or consideration. A gym is supposed to be a place where members feel valued and respected--not taken advantage of. Unfortunately, this club falls far short. They were so condescending, it's was insulting.

Looks like a solid gym, with decent amenities. I was here for a class, specifically BURN…read more 5 stations, 2 times through, approx 45 minutes. Good workout, great instructor -Kristin! Location is a little far for me, but again, the gym itself seems to have a ton of equipment and good layour.

I've been a member of this gym for the better part of a decade. Let me paint you a picture of a…read moretypical visit... You enter on Diversey Street through two sets of narrow double doors. Someone is always leaving at the exact moment you arrive, and the two of you engage in a polite yet awkward standoff over who will hold the door. One of you finally relents and slips through, and just like that, the first small irritation of the day has landed - forgettable on its own, but the first of many. By the time you leave, they'll have accumulated, and you'll walk out slightly worse off than when you arrived, unsure exactly why. Next comes the card scanner. There is a self-scan device on the counter, and you will try earnestly, hopefully, to get it to work. It rarely does. But not never, and that's the problem. If it never worked, they might be forced to fix it. But because it flickers to life just often enough, they don't. So you stand there, twisting your card around like an idiot, while the staff -who've watched this same futile ritual unfold thousands of times - eventually wheel their chair over and press a button on top. This, too, rarely works on the first try. You both fiddle . Smile nervously. You both pretend it isn't ridiculous. Finally, you're through. Next is the locker-room, which is carpeted- an ideal environment for mold, bacteria, and athletes foot fungus. To reach it, you'll navigate a cramped zigzag chute that I've come to think of as the "butt funnel" - a design that ensures those entering and those exiting will collide in the tightest possible space. Once inside, you're greeted not by open space but by a bench placed directly in the entryway, flanked by lockers. This leaves you weaving through a maze of naked limbs and gym bags just to get in. Then comes the locker hunt. There is no system - no visual indicator of a locker being unused, no light, no logic. You must walk the perimeter, trying each one in sequence. Locked. Locked. Locked. Locked. Locked. Open. By this time, much of your desire to workout, which you had just a brief time ago, has diminishd significantly. Upstairs, unless you've come during workday hours, you'll find the place packed. Not just busy - packed. Every machine is in use, often with someone standing nearby, waiting. You'll find people on the floor, doing pushups or crunches in the narrow spaces between equipment. There's no rhythm, no flow - just bodies everywhere. oh, and forget going late in the evening - they reduced their hours significantly after Covid and then never opened them back up (almost certainly because they realized it increased their profit margin to not have to pay the staff). And the atmosphere - this is harder to define, but you'll feel it. It's not unfriendly exactly, just... off. No one talks. No one makes eye contact. I'm not looking to make friends at the gym, but I can't shake the sense that something in the bones of this place is just wrong. It takes more than it gives and it's hard to put your finger on why. When your workout is over, you descend through the same gauntlet of hell on your way out, a staff member will mumble a required, monotone farewell in your direction without looking up - a forced practice that you know is equally as painful for them as it is you . You'll hold the door for the next person as they awkwardly try to hold it for you. And you'll step back out onto Diversey having completed your workout. Technically, you've gained something - but it won't feel that way. Why, you ask, do I continue to attend this godforsaken place? Because it the only gym in the neighborhood - and I, like so many others around here, don't have a car in Chicago. Therefore I will continue to attend - losing something every time I go. Something hard to name - a little wellbeing, a little peace. A little of myself.

Well having checked in now about 75 times, I think I can finally write a 5-star review for the Ray…read moreMeyer! I started going to the Ray 5 months ago on the recommendation of a colleague and I have not been disappointed. The staff at the front desk are very friendly - and with your membership you get a free locker and towel. The locker rooms are in good condition and the showers are well kept and gives you plenty of room. The pool is really nice - and there are quite a few classes you can join. I use their personal training services with Kizzie Mailander and she has truly changed my life! She's a great trainer, but she is funny, direct and pushes you in the most positive way. I couldn't recommend her enough. The most important thing about the Ray is that they have a great selection of equipment and the place is kept in great shape. My membership may cost more than some of the chain gyms - but I feel it's a great value for the money. Highly recommended!

For the love of god, please play better music. Nothing worse than unbearable radio pop blaring…read morethroughout the facility. The last thing I want to hear is "Honey, I'm Good" by Andy Grammer blasting my ears off at 96 decibels while I'm trying to workout. Other than that, the Ray is the best.

So I'm actually changing my review from 3 stars to 1 star. I was pretty unhappy with this…read moreparticular location, but as I said in my review, the people were actually very very nice and always professional. It's just a location due to the changing room and lack of space we spoke to a lovely manager the women I spoke with were Jennifer and Elizabeth who really encouraged my husband and I to stay with our child and we told her we had planned on moving and she said that would be better for us to try another location I told her we thought we would try another Goldfish Swim School but she really really insisted that we go to another location downtown. she said we should put my son in the seahorse class and try that I did try the Lakeview location which did not work for us and again she told us that the downtown location would be better for us once we moved. I told her we would give it a try next summer and she said yes please do so that's what I did. We finished up classes in September and her advice decided to come back in the summer. So when I emailed them do what was advised and encouraged the office manager replied that since I was unhappy with the Gold Coast location again, which was pretty obvious he said we were unwelcome to come back. I'm not exactly sure why you would insist on having a customer come back and try another location just to tell them that they are not seems pretty odd to me. I actually had a really good laugh when I read his email because it's so indicative of a disorganization and lack of communication within the swim staff and the Office I'm sure what happened is that they have a very high turnover of instructors and managers so I'm sure that manager is not even there anymore. She was a lovely young woman who had a long conversation with me and my husband and really encouraged and insisted that we give them another try at a different location since we were moving. Of course Darryl doesn't know that because of the lack of communication between office and on the ground swim staff Two of my friends go to the swim school. Their kids have been going here for two years. They're exactly the same age as my son they still cannot swim. My friends daughter goes every Tuesday and Saturday she can't even float, but there are very few pools downtown and I figured I could teach my son on my own and he could have classroom instruction with friends. I just enrolled him in Gold Fish Swim School we just had our first class today 100% worth it. Cheaper warm water they keep the water at 90° parent viewing area, huge cabana, changing rooms, a gift shop a snack area and a play area for the kids and someone greeted us and gave us a tour of the entire swimming pool. having never experienced another swim school besides British school honestly even though the instructors at the British school were nice goldfish makes them look like a disorganized mess. Goldfish actually owns their own pool British school rents pools at the FFC clubs. and they put tents inside of their swimming pools and then pop them down because they don't actually own any of the swimming pools that are used save yourself time and money and go to goldfish.

Kyle, Humberto, Sophie are exceptional instructors! I appreciate their patience, professionalism,…read moreand motivation to aid me in progressing to learn to swim. I know its their job but they do it very well to the degree on the days that I don't have lessons I'm comfortable going to the gym pool to practice alone. Thank you, S. Buchanan