This was my childhood YMCA and I was a member for a very, very long time. Just recently I've had the opportunity to hang out in Painesville for a bit, in between moves, and my revisits here are dripping with nostalgia!
First, I don't know how the heck I used to navigate around this place, but I must have been a savvy little girl. As an adult I get a little lost and I definitely didn't remember the cardio room being in the middle of an indoor track, separated from the weights, which are down in the basement. This was probably because I spent most of my time as a child in gymnastics in the gymnasium and in the swimming pool.
Let's start with the positives. The staff is very nice! Twice we've come in and since we're members at the Lakewood YMCA, we have to explain our situation. They've always let us in for free, which is super-nice. There are some great amenities here for families. There's an activity/adventure room, tumble room, steam rooms, pools, hot tubs and more. The building is an old mansion that was turned into the Y in the 50's, I believe. So, it's oozing with character and history, which is really neat! The only bad part is that it's like a maze in there--but if you've ever been to the Downtown branch, it's sort of similar. Oh--and kudos to whoever decided they needed a drink vending machine that takes credit! Can't every Y offer this?!
On to the not-so-great...
So, we've established that this place is older, but I swear not much has been updated since I stopped going here in my younger years. Although there are plenty of cardio machines set up, I find it strange that I have to look both ways before crossing a track to get to them. Additionally, they're all outdated, except for one line of treadmills that have TVs on them. I mean, I don't mind watching Netflix on my phone, but I'd much rather catch up on my garbage television (that I'm too ashamed to watch at home) on a larger screen on the elliptical. Sadface! You also have to walk through the gymnasium to get to the weight room in the basement, which is super inconvenient when there are kids activities going on. Unless there is another way to get down there that I'm unaware of--this could very well be the case. Many of the facilities have a strange odor, due to old floor pads that could use a replacement, although they all smell strongly of cleaners, too, so at least they're cleaning 'em! Lastly, the lockers outside of the cardio room are so strange... You need a quarter to operate them, and although you can ask the desk for the quarters, most of them are jammed, broken or just don't work. Then you have to carry around a tiny key throughout your workout. They'd be smarter to just replace those lockers with regular ones, then people could bring their own combo locks--like the Lakewood Y.
Over all, this is tremendous, family-oriented YMCA branch with lots of history, character, and perks. Just be aware it's not like the newer locations and could use some updates. And don't forget to check out the Perry Outdoor Y if you're in the area! read more