I received training from Alex for a few months before I moved out of my place a bit far from the Y…read more He tracked my progress, kept me pushing at a pace I could keep up with, and adapted exercises to my needs. I noticeably improved my strength at a steady pace, and I enjoyed my time there. I left with some sadness at missing a pal to talk with about movies and random stuff. Couldn't recommend him more!

This gym continues to improve---they've just recently upgraded all their Life Fitness cardio…read moremachines (treadmills, ellipticals, & stationary bikes) to the latest "Club Series+ SE4" version which come with beautiful 24" touchscreen monitors. These monitors feature something like two dozen different "virtual terrain" selections where you can choose different places in the world where someone runs or bikes while wearing a GoPro camera, providing you with their POV experience of moving through scenic urban areas (Paris, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, etc) as well as stunning natural landscapes (tropical island jungles, desert trails, volcanic beaches, etc). This pretty much takes care of the #1 problem with cardio machines: soul-crushing BOREDOM from being stuck indoors huffing and puffing while going nowhere...in this case, a somewhat claustrophobic-feeling, fluorescent-lit basement gym. But with New England weather being what it is, especially those long dark winters when the sun sets at 4pm on icy/slushy sidewalks, what are you gonna do? Coupled with 5 separate free weight areas, a boxing gym with lots of free hanging bags including two Thai bags, and the highest-temperature sauna I've ever set foot in, this remains the best Y in the greater Boston area. Yeah it's in an old old non-pristine building (the Celtics used to practice in the upstairs basketball court during the 1960s, I've been told) that could use some massive sprucing up, but to be honest I'd rather they just invest in the actual fitness gear like they just did with these $11K treadmills! 4 and 1/2 stars (Deducting 1/2 star only because they continue to refuse to restore their pre-pandemic hours, when they closed at 10pm weeknights and 6pm on weekends.) Wish list of further upgrades: matched pairs of 20/24/28kg kettlebells, a Perform Better Glute-Bridge-Roller, and NON-eco showerheads so we don't waste so much TIME waiting for the soap to wash off.

It is a university gym - so do not expect luxury gym. But they have everything one needs, for work…read moreand an especially great olympic sized pool. I love it - but then I hate luxury gyms and their overpriced offerings. Tons of classes as well and probably one of the best value for money gyms in the area!

I have been to MIT Recreational few times this year for competitive USA Swim meets. I am a fan in…read morethe stands. I can share it's a long walk to the parking lot. Lack of on street parking plus construction across the street currently doesn't help. The elevator is sometimes working. It's always clean and a lot of spectator seating but if they are running both pools during the competition you don't get a great vantage point of the rear pool. Very spacious.

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

The pool itself is beautiful and well-maintained. It's a great spot to relax and hang out during…read morethe day on weekends. It has a nice atmosphere, and when you can get there, it's definitely a pleasant experience. That said, the hours are a major disappointment. Closing at 7pm -- even in the height of summer when it stays light until 9pm makes the expensive membership feel like a complete waste. If you work a standard schedule, it's nearly impossible to enjoy the pool on weekdays, and even on weekends, the early closing cuts short what could be the best part of a summer evening. For the price they charge, it's frustrating and feels like a rip-off. This place could be amazing if they simply extended their hours to match the season. Until then, it's hard to justify the cost.

Amazing staff who are incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming. It's a very special place.read more

I've visited a few times, and although it's one of the smaller Central Rock locations in Boston,…read morethere are still enough climbs to spend several hours here. I appreciate I get to really hone in on each problem rather than trying so many climbs only once or twice at a larger gym. The staff are very nice, and the facilities are clean. Since they've switched to communal chalk bags which get moved around a lot rather than the giant containers, I've been bringing my own chalk.

Great gym, restroom needs work, but the people here are friendly and the climbs are greatread more

I was here on a Sunday evening using ClassPass. It was fairly easy to book. It was very hard to…read morefind the gym on brattle street, it's an apartment like building that does require a code to get in. As the ClassPass confirmation did not come with instructions, I had a wait until someone who had access could let me in. There is the option to ring the door bell, but no one responded despite pressing the bell many times. While I waited a couple of people gave up and left. Thankfully someone who has access let me through. You then have to go upstairs. As soon as you enter you're hit with humidity and stuffiness. The gym definitely requires better ventilation. It was very busy. There was no one at the front desk to check me in. This was my first time at this location, but I'd been to another branch before so I knew someone is supposed to check me in, sign waivers, get shoes. While I navigated to the shoe area, I finally found someone that worked there. Got my waiver cleared. I was not given any intro or orientation, thankfully I was climbing with someone who knew what they were doing. Overall, neat to have a climbing gym in Harvard square. However horrible customer service, especially the lack of instructions. They do have a lot more area to climb than I expected and have communal chalk, some weights and a few cardio machines. I also heard from another member that they offer yoga classes.

I'd climbed at another Central Rock location in the South US, and this space was much smaller which…read morewas expected given that it's Boston. The gym is basically a loop around a single wall in the middle that has a mix of overlooks and slap climbs. I didn't realize that you can only use one guest pass per month (half off day pass), and since I'd just climbed at another location in the same month, I had to pay the regular day pass rate of $34 which doesn't even include shoes ($5). Despite the cost, we had a fun experience and spent about 2 hours exploring all the climbs at our level. To enter the building you have to scan a QR code to get the link which will allow you to unlock the door or have someone send you the link. The gym is on the 2nd floor.

Timing is the key to being able to do whatever exercise you need when you come up here. If you come…read morehere around 4 or 5 when everyone from coop gets off work and when classes generally wrap up, you are gonna have a bad time. Water fountains here are not that great so bring your own before you actually come. I can't really complain too much since I usually come around 10:30 - 1 so it's not as crowded. 1st floor is ok for doing work but like everywhere else on campus, the school hasn't adequately addressed the influx of students with relations to spacing. All in all, a lil undersized but you can do whatever you need to do if you come here early. 1st floor = check-in, Wollastons, B Good, Tatte, tables, and the locker room 2nd floor = yoga studios, treadmills, basketball court/volleyball and a "lighter" weight set area 3rd floor = track, weight room, and various exercise machines

Like every other building on Northeastern's campus, Marino Center is too small for the student body…read moreat this school. Lately, we've been accepting too many, or too many people have been accepting us, and the facilities can't keep up. I've seen this happen with the library and the student centers too. Aside from that, Marino is a really great college facility. It's one of the newer buildings on our campus. The bottom floor has a large space with many tables to study and/or eat, and is connected to an Au Bon Pain, a Boloco, and a Wollaston's (Northeastern's "grocery store"). There's also a spin studio, but you have to be signed up for a class in order to use it. You need your student ID to swipe into the gym. No other ID will do. Once you get in, you exchange your ID for a lock in order to put your stuff in the locker room. If you try to go up to the gym with a bag of any sort, the staff will stop you and make you lock it up. I've always wondered why there isn't an in and out door for each locker room. There's only one door to enter and exit, which makes it difficult in the busy times of day. I'm constantly waiting for people to come out and holding the door, or hitting people who are coming in while I'm trying to get out. If they ever remodel, this would be the first thing I'd suggest. The actual locker rooms aren't bad. Lots of space, a sauna, showers, and a scale. Nothing too fancy. The second floor is home to cardio equipment, free weights, two classrooms for group fitness, and a large gym that is usually split into three sections for basketball, field hockey, and a free space. The third floor has a bit more cardio equipment, but it's mostly machines. There's a separate room for big buff people to use. There's also an elevated track for running, walking, or whatever you'd like. Each semester, I sign up for group fitness. It's $50 for the entire semester, and you can take up to one class a day, every single day. It's a really great deal. Recently, my roommate has become an instructor here, so I'm even more motivated to take classes. They offer a range, from beginner cardio and abs, to a more advanced HEAT (high energy athletic training). If you're a student at Northeastern, I suggest you check it out. The facility is nice, always clean, and staffed well. There are always clean, warm towels to grab on your way up and down, which is a nice touch. They have a nice array of machines, and the group fitness option is great. I just wish they would expand a bit, because finding a treadmill at 5:00pm on a weeknight is almost impossible.

Limited parking. I go every day after work and I can say that if you plan to workout between 4:30…read moreand 6:30pm, you will very likely have to wait in a line of cars all waiting for a spot to open up. If the parking lot was bigger, this would be a 5/5 review. It's a great facility, I just wish I was able to actually use it. I can't count the number of times I've shown up and waited in a line of cars for a very long time just to give up and go home.

We left an item at the Y in the locker room. When we came back the next morning to retrieve the…read moreitem the receptionist was not very helpful and told us it was probably thrown out. I reached out to the Directors via email and received no response. Terrible customer service.