Better hours than other Brookyln Y's. Decent gym and weight room. Swimming pool. Good rates. Goofy mix of hipsters and Polish teenagers.

Great neighborhood gym. Cardio room is clean and the equipment is relatively new and in good shape. Lots of families and normal folks, not a gym rat type of gym. Love that they provide classes for people of all ages. Not especially cheap, but I feel like I'm supporting a good organization, and I've never felt like I was getting ripped off or locked in like at some other corporate gyms. read more

I've been a member on and off for almost 5 years now. I am fond of you, Greenpoint YMCA. They are always constantly improving the facilities, and replace equipment every 2 years or so, and finally put in cable TV! Woo hoo! It does get very crowded at peak times (after work and on weekends), but there is an organized system of time limits so everyone can have a chance to use the cardio machines. I take advantage of the awesome classes they offer, and have even made "gym friends". I've tried NYSC, but got really skeeved because no one wiped the machines after using them. Ew. At least at the Y, everyone is courteous enough to give the equipment a wipe. Sure, the facilities are not as fancy as, say, Equinox, but it is always maintained. read more

last time I stayed there was years ago and I had like a pack of roomates with legs and antenas. like that and it was insane. I filmed it.i think they renovated it. read more

I'm a big fan of this Y. I am a Pilates convert thanks to Bethany and Max, who both teach awesome classes. The Y has a free 12 week personal fitness program, which gives you a fitness coach to cheer you on and help you meet your fitness goals. Thanks to my fitness coach, I have the motivation to go to the gym at least 3x a week to use the elliptical and weight machines, plus doing an hour of pilates 4 times a week. The machines are all new and in nice condition, although having to wait and sign up for machines can sometimes be annoying. The only thing I don't like about this gym is the super tiny locker room. read more

Great gym and programs. Cardio room is clean and the equipment is new and in good shape. family friendly and classes Love that they provide classes for people of all ages. read more

For $50/mo this place has been a great bang for the buck for years. Improvements are continually happening such as spiffing up the cardio room, upgrading the ellipticals and treadmills and TVs and adding quick small lockers to the cardio room if you don't want to deal with the main locker room downstairs. Old building with the latest machines. They're adding central air as we speak to improve ventilation. If they spiffed up the locker room, it wouldn't hurt, but it does the job. read more

I love the Greenpoint Y. It's no nonsense. The yoga classes are great. The work out machine room is open 24 hours. It's cheap. This is a comfortable solid place to work out where the young and old mix. If you like to be around pretty people in a shiny gym, this isn't the place for you. read more

This review is for the after-school program ONLY. For all the hipsters on here who complain about the gym, get a life and work out in Manhattan, where you most likely work and/or go to school. This is a neighborhood gym that has worked well for those of us who have lived here for decades. Sorry it lacks a sauna and Olympic-sized pool, like I said, get a membership at Golds or Crunch and pay the membership that goes with it. Anyway, if you're looking for a place to send your kid after school, the Greenpoint YMCA is good for kids who are in Kindergarten up until about the age of 8. The inner-city teens who work there are good with the kids, many are wonderful, in fact, for after school activities to keep them occupied. But if you're looking for more than that, forget it. They were useless in helping my Fifth Grade son with homework (unless I checked it, the answers were often wrong) and they have no patience with kids who may be ADD or typical Middle School kids who are relieved to be out of school but now have to conform to a new set of rules and restrictions at yet another facility until their work-weary parents can pick them up. The counselors were often abusive with my son, on several occasions baiting him into acting out, and they played favorites to certain kids and excluded those who may be inclined to give them a hard time. They are not trained to actively promote fairness and keep peace among the kids unless it includes endless time outs that often are not justified. When I questioned one counselor's obvious issue that he had with my son, the woman in charge, barely out of high school herself, just shrugged her shoulders and pretty much dismissed my complaint. It's an affordable place for children to be picked up after school locally, but they are forced to walk military-style to the Y and no talking is allowed. They keep them safe, but as I said, if they are compliant and docile little kids, things work out pretty well, if they are rowdy little kids who tend to act out now and then, less so. In the long run, it works for a while until children get a little older, then it's kind of like an after-school jail. That you pay for. For example, due to some city program that was forced into place called "Fit Kids," which was designed to address childhood obesity, the kids were forced to participate in phys ed programs without the option of not participating if they were tired, didn't want to, etc. My son is not obese, and was often tired after school, yet the counselor would yell at him and force him to participate against his will. I had to complain to the Management because he was at the point where he refused to go to the Y after school any more. That's when I pulled him out and he became a latch-key kid. read more

Open 24 hours with many diverse activities, friendly staff and good basketball court!

The staff is really friendly. Great classes, including dance, martial arts, and lots of yoga. I wish they didn't have gym music playing in the large weight room, but ...it's a gym, so what do you expect? But what do you Americans find so appealing about that tripe? Please help me to understand. Where I come from, music has intelligence, passion, love of life, not this angry robot materialism snuffing out every chakra. Very clean- excellent cleaning staff. read more

Great gym/classes, but STAY OUT OF THE POOL!

$40/m. Never crowded. Decent enough gear. Clean. And I got a sweet backpack for referring my friend!

Giving this place 5 stars because it has all the things I require at a gym. Lockers and treadmills. That's all I need. Staff is friendly and people watching is top notch. read more

I'll stick it out because it's close and has equipment, but this place is disgusting, hygienically. The locker room reeks, the showers are so outdated, the mildew is severe, there's no toilet facility in the locker room: the toilet with 1 stall and 2 urinals (I assume the dames have it worse) is dangerously remote. As a community organization, the Y gives kids a boiled chicken neck and tells them it's thanksgiving dinner. Get your act together or I'm going with the jews. read more

Regarding the gym portion only: Nothing fancy, but it's cheap, the fitness center is open 24 hours, and there's a pool, personal trainers and pilates/yoga classes (which are free to members). The front desk people are not excited to be there, but I wouldn't be either. On the weekends, the locker rooms are overrun with soaking children sitting on and touching everything, but that's no one's fault....I guess. Sometimes a few machines break down and stay that way for a couple weeks, there's really not enough space or mats for stretching out, and like any normal gym, it's pretty crowded after work. But there's treadmills, bikes, crosstrainers, stairstepper-type shite, plus free weights and weight machines. My membership is $45/month and I'm happy to support the YMCA. read more

Totally worked for a few years. Not ideal, and between the smell of the pool and the smell of decades of man sweat in the basement, there are some things you have to move past and ignore to do what you need and get the hell out, but that can be said for any such facility. The level of equipment expansion upstairs is nice and seems to be useful for new female membership, while mostly dudes stay downstairs to do the heavy lifting. It was a nice temporary stepping stone while there were no other gyms in the area. read more

I just became a member of the Greenpoint YMCA again after trying some other places that are closer. It's really come a long way in a short time-lots of new group exercise classes: spinning (my addiction-the bikes aren't high-tech, but they're good), mat Pilates, yoga, etc. They have upgraded the fitness room with new elliptical machines and other equipment. The weight room is small but it has all the basic necessities. It's also nice and cool and quiet-I haven't seen any grunting Schwarzenegger-types. During the summer, all YMCAs become a bit more of a kid-oriented place-I'm not into kids, but it's been fine-I haven't really noticed too many of the screaming little angels running around plotting a coup or anything. read more

Good security! Clean room and bathrooms! Employees were on point. I would totally stay again, however no elevators and the bathroom was on a totally different floor. read more

The unwritten rule in this place is that no one is allowed to participate in the Monday Night Volleyball class except members of a hand chosen clique by the instructor. They ignore complaints to management of childish behavior and the other participants make it well known that outsiders are not welcome through moronic intimidation tactics. They actually think the rules don't apply to them and that it is okay to ignore the principals of the YMCA. What a joke! At least there were free gym benefits to be earned because of stupidity. read more

My Kids have great time in here. Plenty of space and full size backetball gym and pool. Can get anything close to that in Greenpoint.

Don't stay in the Greenpoint YMCA. The place is remarkably dank, dirty, and ugly. The toilets don't work. They do not even provide you with clean sheets. The locks on the doors don't work half the time, the staff is surly and boorish, there are [literally!] no elevators, and, of course, no TVs. For those who do not know, New York YMCAs receive millions of dollars/year in grants and charitable contributions, but after five minutes looking around the lobby of this place, believe me when I tell you that you would never know it. Where does all that cash go? Mighty good question, actually. IMHO... read more

The Greenpoint Y (as of Nov 2010) open 5am-midnight EVERY DAY and costs $50/month (or $40 for students, $80 a couple). I'm sad that it's not open 24 hours a day anymore, but these hours are new. They tend to change their hours a lot, so if a lot of people request it, these new hours may be extended. The staff really is very friendly. As you know from other reviews, it's a Y with rented rooms, so the staff are used to greeting cheap-ass and clueless travelers who want a cheap room but hotel service. They are used to being nice to their customers. The Greenpoint Y has a decent pool for laps, an acceptable locker room (shower at home), decent weight training machines (more pleasant if you avoid the 7pm-9pm rush hour of meat heads), a selection of goofy, sometimes irritating cardio classes (Jump Rope like a Pirate? Cardio kickboxing that is way too easy?) but their best feature is the excellent new cardio machines. During the 7-9 rush hour, you are limited to (and have to sign up for) 30 minute slots, but every other time of day there is no wait or limit... most gyms that cost more are not open 5am-midnight on weekends. I feel like the Y meets all my needs. I think that you get a very good value for your money here and if you live nearby, you would be stupid to go anywhere else, or stupid (and haven't done your homework) to live in Greenpoint and expect to find an Equinox here. The Y is not a "destination" gym but one that you appreciate if you live nearby. Luxury gyms like Equinox, some NYSCs, and--stretching the definition, but mentioning because it's a 10-15 minute walk away--Maxim are further away, have more interesting cardio classes, have more modern locker rooms, and cost a hell of a lot more. If you want to spend the money and use any of these gyms before or after work near your office, go ahead. The only other gym nearby in Greenpoint, OTOM on Calyer, simply smells awful, has a very small female membership and has no pool. It does have classes, cardio, and a much better setup of weight training. If you primarily want a gym for weight training and never go into the bathroom or locker room, please go to OTOM and not the Y, otherwise the Y is the best neighborhood option. Before getting all high & mighty, critical and bitter when you can't lie in the sunshine and drink wine and feel fabulous and intellectually stimulated all day (stay on the other side of McCarren park, please) take your happy pills and remember that Greenpoint is an affordable family neighborhood with mom and pop businesses that cater to the daily lives of its residents who are everyday hard-working people. Except for the faraway, sleepy North Point, Greenpoint is a Polish neighborhood whose character is still very European. People here like to eat meat and potatoes, smoke, go to our beautiful church, shop at individual specialized little stores along the main street, drink beer and vodka, listen to music, stay close with and loyal to friends and family, and like to look good, but not in the "go to the gym" sense. If you wanted a luxury lifestyle with boutiquey Zagat restaurants and bars, chain stores and chain luxury gyms, you probably wouldn't live in Greenpoint anyway. Maybe in 10-15 years, when the East Riverfront gets developed (anticipating with dread but also a little excitement), but not now. The whole neighborhood has 1 chase ATM, for God's sake. For people who move into Greenpoint, know that you get what you pay for. read more

I have always chosen to go to YMCA gyms over chain gyms or boutique gyms because I don't like how crowded those types of gyms tend to get, and also how, even when they promise otherwise, there is usually weird gym hierarchy / intimidation vibes. Writing that down, it seems crazy, but I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about. The Y is always quiet, and even during peak hours it's not overwhelmed with people. Even when it is close to full, everyone minds their own business. The machines are great, relatively new, especially the treadmills which have a course mode with a high quality simulation visuals from around the world. Pretty cool, and it distracts me from how much I don't want to be running. The gym is always clean and so are the machines. The sauna in the women's locker room is great, and although I've only used the pool once, it was a good experience, and it's a great perk. The counter workers are very friendly and helpful. They also have some of the best hours for the price. They are open UNTIL MIDNIGHT Monday - Friday...amazing. read more

You can't beat the price and location (if you happen to live in Greenpoint). It is what it is. A place to work out for cheap. The staff is cool. read more

Do NOT sign up for this YMCA if you want to use the pool. The lifeguards come in whenever they feel like it. Early morning swimming is frequently cancelled because the lifeguards do not show up and no one seems to care. They have no back up plan and they just close the pool. You only find out about this when you get there to swim. They said they were training new lifeguards but nothing us changed yet. Really annoying to get there early and find out you can't swim. Bad bad management. read more

The Greenpoint YMCA is one of the best in all of YMCAs. The reason I think that is because they have a very nice staff and a very clean gym. I recommended almost to everyone how good this place is: to my dad, my teachers from my old school, and some of my friends. What I do is make myself a workout sheet and see how much I do on the treadmill, on the elliptical trainer, how much I weightlift and how many laps I swim altogether. The weight room and the room with the treadmills are excellent but the one with the pool is perfect. The reason for that is because when I get all sweaty from working out for a long time I would head to the locker room, put on my swim suit, cap, goggles, and towel on my hand and I'm off. The pool's height is on one side 4ft but the other side is like 5ft so it's not that bad. When I get in, on one side I swim the freestyle for about 5-10 laps. When that is done, I relax for 30 seconds, take a deep breath and swim underwater to the next lane to do the breastroke and backstroke depends how much energy I still have left. The lifeguards take care of the pool by putting so much chlorine so the smart way is to have your goggles on to make sure it doesn't get into your eyes. Overall, it is a good gym. The place that I have never tried is the basketball room. Someday I'll try to spend some time shooting more hoops and becoming a pro at basketball read more

I'm a fan of the Y. Sadly, one new development is really not working for me, and I think this could be a problem for other people who like to do cardio. The Y installed a new AC system last year and it blows cold air right on you as your are working out. A non-athlete may think this sounds great, but most people who work out really hate this. It just makes me feel like I'm going to get sick. Some days it's not a big issue, but it usually is. The last thing you want when your sweating is freezing AC blasting on you. It's a bummer. read more

This gym has definitely made a good turnaround. The weight rooms are decent and they've added a ton of great classes. Thanks YMCA.

Great local Y, everyone is very friendly. It doesn't have the all the amenities of a high end gym, but it's a great deal for the price. The pool can get crowded if you don't go at the right time. The TVs in the cardio room are a little small and hard to see, but who really cares. read more

Great price. Friendly staff. Fun classes. No pretension.

Having worked out twice while visiting the Big Apple (Brooklyn counts, right?) from TN, I was very pleased with the hospitality, the cardio equipment and all y'all are really friendly. The weight room was proper, the machines adequate, the pool a tad small but workable for laps. Thank you Greenpoint for welcoming this southern visitor. read more

I called to inquire about a small room and the guy told me the system was down to call back in a few hours when its up. I did so, and he said he had a small room available then. I said ok I would like to know if I can stay the max stay for a month, then he tells me there might be a few days in the small room but not for a month, then he proceeds to say there is a bigger room thats available. I said ok for how long, and he acts all quiet, barely even responded, and was just overal rude. He didnt give me any details, asked for all my information, my personal name, my address, my birthdate,, everything that I gave to him. I told him you you know what, I dont like your attitude right off the bat on the phone, I remember his name I beleive might have been John if I recall, and instead of reporting him to management at the YMCA, I just told him im not interested and was totally turned off by his attitude, now just picture how they must treat people who choose to stay in there rooms if this is how he is talking and treating me like this on the phone. It was so disrespectful, a turn off, rude, and just unprofessional at its best. ...and the funny thing is, is I was nothing but being understanding and polite when Asking and inquiring about the rooms and stuff that I did not deserve to recieve not one ounce of what this man showed towards me in terms of hositlity and rudeness. I will never stay at the Greenpoint YMCA and im glad I Never stepped foot into it after this phone call and the way this guy spoke to me. I feel bad I gave my information out and then he talked to me this way, but Its ok. I do not care either way. Just want to let everyone know this is how I got spoken to for no reason, and all i was doing was being polite and just inquring and then he was acting like Iwas being rude, accusing me and going Sir i told you earlier this that,etc it was just unbelievably rude and normally id report him to management but I do not care. I just hung up and said sorry your too rude for me im not interested no thank you. Just wanted to let everyone out there know this. Thanks again guys Anthony read more

After all the cutbacks and fee increases, I finally quit the Greenpoint YMCA after 10 years. First it started with their cutting back the 24 hour policy, then the new treadmills that--aside from one--won't go above 30 minutes. So even if you're there when no one else is, running for over 30 minutes, you have to stop your workout and reset the machine. Too jarring. But the clincher was paper towels. They got rid of paper towels and only provide drippy, nasty wet wipes. Ever blown your nose on a wet wipe? I've seen it. It's gross. You can't wipe yourself off, much less a machine that's been mopped up with a wet wipe. It's just disgusting--that and the way the YMCA treats its members. They raised prices, which is fine, except for all the cutbacks. 10 years at the Greenpoint Y. The dream is over. I am now a member at another cheaper, local gym with hour limits on their treadmills and paper towels. It's amazing the difference simple things can actually make for your workout. Plus, too many leg warmers for my taste at the Y. Mostly on the dudes. No thank you. read more