Brand new treadmills upstairs at the YMCA! I like the layout of the Lakeview Y - lots of space and not too crowded. They have some great group fitness instructors. This YMCA also accepts nationwide, which is what I have! Only issue is parking, but there are usually some spots nearby. Nice sauna and usually empty! read more

In terms of the facilities, I enjoy the Y tremendously (minus the cold pool). Great weight room, lots of treadmills & cardio equipment, I play basketball there weekly with a group of great guys, I know they've got good classes in terms of Zumba or some of the other HIIT classes. What royally sucks is I've had 2 bikes stolen from this location (one locked with a strong steel U-lock, one with a strong Kryptonite lock), and one bike stolen from the elementary school just up the street. This area is a hotbed for criminals to come & steal things, even with very quality equipment to lock your things up. I've been in communication with the Y for over a year to ask for inside access to park bikes, no resolution. They have one of the perpetrators on video stealing my bike, but can't do anything about it. I emailed them politely to ask for 2 things from them: 1. Inside place to park our bikes 2. I don't expect any type of reimbursement for the bikes, but I asked if they'd take the hardship under consideration & comp a year of membership for our fam of 4 who is their weekly. Response I received from Elena Garcia, the community concierge director: Hi Kyle, Thank you for being a valued member of our Lake View Y community! I understand this is incredibly frustrating, especially this being the 3rd time. While the incident occurred in front of our hub, unfortunately the area is not our property, which limits what we are able to do directly. We are glad to hear you have already filed a police report, and we also encourage you to reach out to the alderperson's office, as they may be able to help advocate for additional safety measures in the area. We also appreciate your suggestion about indoor bike parking. At this time, we are unable to offer indoor bike storage due to limited space. Regarding your request for a complimentary year of membership, we truly understand why you asked. However, since the incident did not occur on our property and was outside of our control, we're not able to honor that request. If we can of further assistance at this time, please let us know. Not your property? You mean the bike racks, directly outside of your front door, on your sidewalk, that your staff tells us to park our bikes at, that is surveillanced by your cameras, isn't your property? Interesting. No offers of any type of resolution. No offers of any type of compensation. Just pass the buck to someone else. Deplorable display of leadership. read more

Awful!!! It's so HOT! All spring and summer no matter the weather it's hot and humid inside the workout rooms. It's too hot and unbearable just to be there, let alone actually exercise. I've complained so often but nothing changes. To explain: the air conditioning stays on for 20 minutes at a time and then it stays off for 40 minutes. So the place is constantly hot and humid. It is never a stable temperature or humidity. If there was a way to turn them into the city for an unhealthy and unsafe public space, I would. read more

This place is great for my needs. Obviously that will change person to person, but I was looking for a gym that had more than just a weight room. The YMCA has weight rooms, but also a basketball court, pool, different programs/classes etc. I'm also loving the Peleton access! I'm able to come during the work day and never have to wait for machines/weights etc. Facility is always clean and well maintained, staff is friendly. Really happy with my decision to join and think it's well worth the monthly cost! read more

Our family of four started coming to the Y a year ago. Our young kids love the kid zone and our daughter has the best time in swim class with Ms. Andy. Much better than those more expensive swim schools and she's progressing faster. The gym isn't fancy but it's a great value for the different equipment and rooms. Lastly, the folks working the front desk are always friendly. read more

The Lakeview YMCA has everything people need to get fit at affordable prices. The facilities are suited for those with specific workout criteria. The fitness classes are fun and the instructors are great at interacting with the class. The swimming pool are my personal favourite. I can swim for a period of time and the lifeguards are great at encouraging me. every part of the YMCA are top of the line. And I have made great friends along the way. read more

I would rather give them 0 star from this, I have been membership with the Y for 10 years, from regular membership to family membership. I have seen nothing improve but crumble down. They should train well of their stuff to have a heart of service, critical thinking and fast to solving problem. 10 years ago, I saw a lot of kids attended to swimming lesson at Y, Lakeview. Now I have my own child and want him to join a swimming lesson. I'm so disappointed with Rachel supervisor of aqua team. I wanna give my son a trail for a swimming lesson, it already start but still open to sign up! So, I sign up early October, cost $55 per month but it charge me $88. Why? I emailed and called and left voice to her, never get anything back! Carlos is very good manager, he performed excellent job, but he is from different department but he explained to me why? And I accepted it! Again this is not Carlos job. Later on, I decided to not continue with swimming class because I started to feel uncomfortable with the instructor (Rachel). In this point I never take my son to swimming lesson but i already paid $88. I was asking Carlos if I get a credit on it and I'll take swimming class another branch of YMCA! He said he will leave messages to Rachel in November,22 !!!!! 2 months later never get anything back from Racheal, just a couple day ago, on 23rd, 2023. She emailed me to let me know that, no body left any note to her about credit or refund process. So, now it's too late to refund! You all, how ridiculous is it! Honestly, more than money I care more about , how this people that call them selves " supervisor" handle my situation so careless!! Unprofessional and irresponsible!!! Like she said F*** You, get out of here! On my face. Definitely not recommended aqua team of Lake view YMCA to anyone. Rachel is a shame of YMCA if she doesn't like her job, she should looking for something else! My family end up to cancel YMCA membership. We lost trust from YMCA, and they never get it back from us. I read more

This review is updated from the one I posted two years ago. The "administration" of this facility has deteriorated from bad to unacceptable. The claim that the water aerobics classes are four days weekly is horrifically outdated. We're now relegated to T, Th and F. mornings. Friday classes are spottily attended because the beginning time is very inconvenient for most of us. Many of us feel whoever is in "charge" goes out of his/her way to make things difficult for us - despite members of this class are consistently present, pay our dues and aren't very demanding. One-half of a lane is take up by "storing" the lane markers on one side of the pool, because of the stress of rolling them up evidently puts stress on them (just three days weekly???) . The lifeguard does his best to place them on the side of the pool, but inevitably they slip off. So instead of having the entire width of the pool to work out, one-half of the lane is inaccessible. (I wonder how other indoor pools manage to store the markers ). We haven't had a regular acquatics director since the end of the pandemic, so there's no one to whom we can directly address our concerns. One of these managers hadn't ever been in a pool!!! We're told by our instructor our concerns should be written on comment cards, and that they are given top priority --- NOT! There's not been one issue that the "administration" either corrected or addressed with us. She hasn't bothered to answer several emails directed at her about some issues regarding one of our class members. She hasn't bothered to address the issue of some robberies in the women's locker room. Locks were broken and items stolen. Staff were forced to give complicated reasons for how it happened, and therefore put the onus on the injured party. We still have only one wasted container in the women's locker room. The water fountain finally was activated several months ago - we've been waiting since the end of the lockdown for that. It dispenses warm water - not the best to drink after any workout. I maintain my membership because the class is one of my social outlets. I also am a member of the Galter Life Fitness facility, which seriously considers members' needs. It's obvious to me the most important aspect of our water aerobics classes is our membership fee. read more

If you'd like to view my Mountain, then I'd like to see your Lake View. Maybe tonight? I really enjoyed my experience at this particular YMCA. They gave me parking tokens for their expensive parking lot. They had a lot of good equipment in several different old rooms, and I think it compares very favorably with the YMCA locations I've used in New York City, and also with other Chicago locations. Definitely my favourite so far from CHI, including having a lot of really awesome people working here, and the gym is never too busy where I didn't have anything to use or had to endure any kind of wait for anything. It does feel a little bit boxed in and old but that is a given considering the facilities. I'm still a big fan. And considering it's in the heart of the coolest part of Chicago, it scores 5. Then if you want to eat healthy afterwards, go to the Kale View YMCA. read more

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This place might be alright if you're going only to use a treadmill and are paying cash. They regularly make mistakes with charges to your card so never ever auto draft! this place is full of incompetent employees. Nothing is done correctly EVER. Take a lot of your time resolving issues. If you attend anything that's regularly scheduled be prepared for cancellations without notifications. You'll find out when you arrive there. And please please please for the love of god do not ever send your kid to summer camp here if your care about your child at all. There is no supervision whatsoever. I know this is not for profit but my goodness what a disaster this place is! read more

Found the YMCA difficult to work with especially member services which was suppose to assist with changes that the local YMCA could not help with. Classes schedules are lacking and few new and update classes are offered. Staff is nice and friendly. read more

This has really become a horrible location since COVID, unfortunately- both in terms of customer service and quality of the classes. My daughters take aquatic lessons there and it has been so difficult to just get them registered every term - there are a couple of staff members who are extremely helpful (Carlos Hernandez) but the director of the aquatics program is MIA - not a single email from her (Alex Werner) despite reaching out multiple times - not even when classes are canceled. I've talked to her personally and she has said she would respond and then it takes her weeks to get back. The teachers are mediocre at best and don't push the students or even monitor their progress the way they used to. Often they are not even paying attention to the students - my 3 year old almost drowned while there were 2 teachers AND a lifeguard who was on his phone while this was happening. It was only because I ran and screamed to her that they paid attention. I have been so frustrated and stuck with this program because it used to be much better, thinking it will change but we finally canceled our membership. It has been a disaster these last few years. It would help to hire competent staff. read more

Summer camps should be a place where your kids should be protected. Not here. Here, kids can make racists comments to other campers without any consequences. The staff is not educated enough to deal with racism and would rather dismiss it and hide behind they're three strikes and you're out policy. Your kid can be traumatized and the staff won't even address it with you. Their entire leadership needs to be overhauled. There are much better places that promote diversity and inclusion. Send your children elsewhere. read more

Lake View YMCA - Several hands hold a blackboard-style sign with the message "STOP RACISM" in white, textured letters, emphasizing a call for social justice. - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This location is great for working out. They have everything you need no matter if it's cardio, squat racks, benches, machines etc. My one complaint is that I wish it opened at 5am. A lot of people like to workout at 5 so they have time to get a workout in, shower, get ready for work and catch the 7am L. Pleaseeee I beg of the YMCA to open at 5am! :) read more

I've been coming here for the gym off an on for nearly a decade. I will say that in previous years there have been a much more extensive class offering with lots of variety in options and times of day. That aside, I absolutely love, love, love the zumba classes here. All of the instructors are so genuine, fun and inspiring. I tend to go on Friday mornings for Stacie's class - lots of regulars and newbies alike so it's not intimidating at all. Everyone is very welcoming and it's so great to just dance. You seriously don't even feel like you're working out. I highly recommend this class! The weight room and cardio rooms have all the machines I could ever want, there are a plethora of tvs, it's clean and never overly crowded. I send my kids to the Y Zone and they love it. Overall, for the price, it is incredibly reasonable. read more

Still the best value out there. Unemployed but still need to keep in shape? They'll work with your budget since they have a sliding scale. You fill out some paperwork and they'll let you know if you qualify for a discounted membership rate. ActivTrax. One of the best reasons to belong to the Y. Every gym in Chicago charges extra to use this system; the Y includes this as a regular member benefit. The Y doesn't charge for reevaluations or followups either. Diversity. This Y has them all: the bros who hang on the court and in the Hammer Strength room, the occasional Spa Barbie in a unitard with matching headband, the old dudes with their own peculiar workout habits, the young dudes who visit the water fountain 30 times while using the weight machines. It's like eye candy for Sociology majors. I love this place! read more

This place is NOT GREAT. My child has attended the YMCA summer camp, we've done lessons at the Y, and I've worked out here. Summer camp: two stars. My kid was bored out of their mind. It felt like school. Main benefit is that it's on the cheaper side. Facility: good and decent, but the labyrinthine hallways are such a pain to navigate. It's often rather empty. Some areas smell like smoke (because of the attached residential section). Employees: I hate to say this, but so many of them are just not good. There are some gems here and there, but many others often seem cranky and poorly trained. (I'm guessing they're not terribly well compensated?) The good, helpful, kind employees leave. There is a ton of attrition there. They are not responsive to concerns. Kid Zone: such limited availability. Closing without notice. Agree that a major overhaul is needed. YOU NEED TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE'S CONCERNS! This place is not thriving, even though I bet they could with the right approach. read more

I have been going to the Lakeview Y off and on for almost 40 years. It has been dramatically updated during those decades, and is now well positioned to compete with much more expensive chain "health clubs" (and extra bonus--some of the money actually does good, supporting the free/reduced price housing the Y provides). Really nice workout rooms--two rooms with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, two killing lateral machines (ouch), and a whole lot more, along with a good variety of weight machines. Almost never a wait. Also a free weight room, and several class spaces. Totally well kept up (the ellipticals were all replaced within the last few months), clean (wipes everywhere), well lit, and kept at a good temperature summer and winter. Locker rooms could use some updating--too many short half-lockers, which are really too small if you have a winter coat with you. Showers are good, clean, and never full. Nice sauna. Child care on premises. My only complaint is that the pool is way too small. It is short (20 yards, not the typical 25), and only four lanes, so most times it is crowded! Not sure they can do anything about this given the physical limitations of the space. But if they could make it into a six lane 25 yard pool, I would gladly give them SIX stars. read more

I would give this place a 0 if I could this place is good and all but when u are finished with the swimming pool u would like to come to a nice greasy family bathroom right? I was hopping for that but it disappointed me....... I went in one of the bathrooms and I see multiple cockroach's and if that was not enough I see pee everywhere and I thought it was something else but then the next time I went u won't believe what I seeen!!!!!! I seen a huge rat on the side of the toilet.... Now I'm very disappointed and hope they change this.... read more

I've been a member for over 25 years. During this time, I've always participated in the water aerobics classes. There used to be 4 per week, since COVID, the classes are now twice weekly. We've had to fuss about eliminating lap swim during the time we're allotted. Often, promised to do so have been broken. The administration is appallingly tone-deaf to members' requests. For instance, we've been asking for over a year for more than one waste can in the women's locker room.We've begged for an additional weekday class that would fit our facilitator's schedule. A third class was added on Sunday - at a time that is inconvenient for most of the participants. We told administration Sundays historically have been unsuccessful - people have religious, familial and personal obligations. The administration has yet to answer any of our emails detailing safety issues. We still haven't met the exec. director, the assistant director and the aquatics director still haven't introduced themselves. We consider this common courtesy especially since most of us have been participated in this class for 10 years or more! Two directors ago, we were told we were the backbone of the facility because of our loyalty (and our membership fees). It seems to me, with my years of marketing expertise, that this administration would do whatever is necessary to retain membership. Numbers keep falling. The membership services staff on the first floor are marvelous. The facility is clean. These are the reasons I've given a 2-star rating. read more

This place is so bad , there are so many gyms in Chicago , your better off going anywhere else or just working out at your home then here , was harassed by the meat heat weight room "manager" , the only reason I came here was for the basketball court and they Rent it out to non ymca members . Please don't waste your time here , also they don't have parking. But the target is cool next to them read more

This YMCA is a great value if you're not trying to spend a fortune at the gym. $27/month is one of the most affordable rates I've seen in the Chicagoland area. They have 2 decently stocked weight rooms with machines, an old school heavy weight lifting room, pool, basketball court, sauna, and racquetball court. The pool and basketball court are usually full due to classes and leagues, but the racquetball court is usually pretty easy to reserve. The only reason I'm giving this gym 4 stars instead of 5 is because they charge you $1 each time you want to use a towel. You can add "towel service" onto your membership, but that runs an extra $10/month. In all my years of going to the gym, I've never been charged for a towel and definitely think that should just come with a standard membership. The other negative is they removed simple access to both weight rooms upstairs so instead of easily going from room to room, you have to go back into the locker room and walk through the basketball court "which is usually in use" to get to one room. Then if you want to go to the other one, you have to literally backtrack and go the opposite way to get there (instead of just taking 10 steps to go from room to room). They told me they did this to "decrease traffic" upstairs, but by removing an option of how to get to the weight room, this will simply relocate and increase the traffic in one spot. read more

Love this Y. Have to take a star away because of the amount of times I have gone there to swim and pool has not been open (during scheduled open swim/lap hours). Things are tough though, especially with maintaining/finding lifeguards. I get it. Love the sauna and equipment is decent. Haven't used the basketball court yet but it looks fun and floor looks neat. Chill energy at this Y, everybody for themselves with each other. Don't compare this pool to McCormick Y's pool(s) read more

Can not stress how terrible this location is run. The pool is constantly closed "unexpectedly." You literally have to call before going here to make sure whatever facility you want to use is working. Is the gym open? Is the basketball court open? Are classes scheduled still happening? It's ridiculous. Worst of all, Elena Garcia is a huge source of unhappiness for members and staff. Want to talk to her? Good luck, she doesn't answer the phone, return voicemails, or respond to emails. I am shocked she is still allowed to work here. read more

I am not going to this way in a while. I was very impressed with the unisex locker room. It was clean, and it allows for social distancing. The staff was very helpful in getting me re-oriented. Thank you very much. read more

My previous review was as honest as I could get - and some of what I said still holds true. However, they specifically improved a few things I noted negatively, and that deserves an update: - They took out the "bicep curls area" and replaced it with a Dropbox for deadlifts, cleans, etc. HUGE upgrade for the limited space. You no longer feel like you're in the way. - They constantly have an employee roaming the weight areas to make sure people are putting weights away and wiping down benches/machines after they are finished. Compared to other gyms, this is above and beyond and extremely appreciated. You can't force members to clean up after themselves, but, hopefully, they notice this is happening and catch on. I've even noticed them re-organizing how people put weights away - bravo. - For whatever reason, peak high traffic times haven't been nearly as busy as before. Part of that is due to slight shifts in the layout. Whatever it is, I'm no longer waiting 5-10 minutes to stuff to open up. Again, this place isn't perfect, but for the price, it's a solid deal. I personally really appreciate these changes. Each visit has been a vastly improved experience. read more

Oh man. This place is a good price for what is offered but the man running the deal tonight was very rude to me. I came in as a guest, was told, by this man, to go to the other desk. Got everything sorted out, was told to go through the locker room and I would get to the gym. Walked past this man again and he just looked at me with a very judgmental look at asked "can I help you" I said "I was told to go through the locker room to get to the gym" and he just looked at me and said "name?" I gave him my name and, without looking at his computer, told me I can go ahead in...not sure why that interaction had to be the way it was but, some people are just salty. Anyway... Got inside he locker room, couldn't find the exit to the gym, finally found the exit and then spent 10 minutes in the Labyrinth that is the Lakeview YMCA until finally a very nice women showed me where I need to go. But like, seriously, this place is so confusing and the people that work the front desk aren't very helpful. But they have a lot of stuff and it's pretty cheap. C'est la vie. read more

There are people who will love the Lakeview Y for its simplicity, value, and character and there are those who will think its a complete dump and turn their nose up at it. Let me break it down: Do NOT join Lakeview YMCA if: 1. You wear coordinating name-brand workout outfits 2. You use the words "gym" and "spa" synonymously 4. You go to the gym to mingle with the opposite sex DO join Lakeview YMCA if: 1. You like deals ($35 month) 2. You are good at mazes (this place used to be a hotel) 3. You are OK with seeing naked old men in the locker room Take your juice bars and futuristic post -1995 workout equipment elsewhere because the Lakeview Y doesn't care about that kind of BS. You come here to workout. read more

In early March, I registered my son for the upcoming summer camp. Due to a change in unforeseen circumstances, I am forced cancel my son's summer camp registration. I emailed the camp associate and the Director to explain my situation and even offered to pay a 10% penalty of the $475 registration fee to withdraw my son from the summer camp sessions. The Director responded there was nothing she could to do help and REPEATEDLY kept asking me which session I was going to drop. Her attitude was rude and unprofessional. I've contacted the VP of Operations and she said she would start the refund process. One week later, I received a phone call from the Director who agreed to refund the registration fee only AFTER the class registration was full. I recently checked the website and the 7 summer camp sessions I registered for were full. I emailed her to let her know about the class status and she wrote back saying that in order for me to get a refund, there must be someone on the waiting list. She did not PREVIOUSLY mention this refund requirement. I find this response VERY misleading! This is disappointing, unacceptable and unreasonable! I do not have the access to the YMCA's data system, so I have no way of verifying if there is a waiting list or not. I feel as if they want to keep my registration money and have no intention of giving me a refund. Please be aware of the YMCA's pricing for their summer camp registration fee. Some is $15 and the Lake View is $50 per week. I am not sure what the difference is but I always thought the YMCA was a non-profit organization. The whole thing seems very FISHY to me! Parents, please go look for another location or facility for your children's camp. This one is BAD all around!! read more

Children enrolled in the Lakeview YMCA Kiddie Kollege have received very poor treatment, as a consequence of the immediate and unexplained dismissal of their teacher, Ms. Suzen. An underqualified, although very nice and responsible, replacement was subsequently hired. YMCA Executive Director, Brian Page, met with the parents in an attempt to assuage our anger and fear. He AGREED with the us that. Suzen's replacement was underqualified. He asked us to give him a few days to inquire if a new qualified person could be found. He also mentioned that reinstating Ms. Suzen into Kiddie Kollege was impossible. Days later, we never heard from him as promised. My son loves Ms. Suzen like family. He has a very bright spirit and a very big heart. Every night he prays and asks God to bless Ms. Suzen and each of his classmates. He never got to say goodbye to Ms. Suzen. The YMCA never gave him or her a chance. Since her firing, most of his classmates have left the class. Before meeting Ms. Suzen, my son was shy, afraid to try new things in front of strangers, wary of strangers, etc... I'd serious doubts about enrolling him at Kiddie Kollege because he'd hated all his other classes at Old Town, Gymboree, Little Gym, etc... But, my nephews and nieces all had great experiences with Ms. Suzen, so I gave her a try - hoping for the best, expecting the worst. From the moment he stepped into the classroom, he felt at ease with her and didn't fuss at all when I told him I was leaving for a few hours. Since then, every Monday and Thursday, my son woke up (at o'dark early) and rushed to get ready so that he could get to Kiddie Kollege to see "his other family". This is my family's first experience at the YMCA. We only joined the Y for Kiddie Kollege. Save for this situation, our experience has been favorable. As a Catholic family, we enjoy supporting a Christian non profit group and seeing scripture quoted on posters in the halls. The YMCA has flexible hours for us, is for the most part, family friendly and for a family like mine, that survives (somehow) on one income, it's also relatively affordable. But this sad, juvenile, soap opera has really unsettled us. The Y has put all of us parents in a tough situation - most of us will be unable to find an alternative preschool considering the time of year - most preschools are already full. Unfortunately, I am earnestly contemplating transferring my son out of the class entirely and cancelling our membership. Since experiencing the aftermath of YMCA Lakeview's hasty, thoughtless actions, I haven't been able to overcome the feeling that it doesn't really care about it's members. We're just faceless $ signs that come in and out of the silding doors. I just can't see myself supporting a group that treats its staff and members with utter indifference and disrespect. YMCA rewarded the faithful, dependable, child centered/community driven work that Ms. Suzen had accomplished in 9 years she had been there by firing her and refusing her access to retrive the items that she purchased and brought to the YMCA. read more

I'm going to echo a lot of what has already been said here. The Lakeview YMCA is fantastic for the following reasons: -cost. $47/month for an individual membership. they also offer a sliding scale if you don't make a lot of money/can't afford the $47/month. i've heard of it going down to as little as $25/month for some folks. call me a socialist, but i think "membership for all" is a pretty awesome philosophy. -friendly staff: i'm on a first-name basis with a couple of the staffers here, mostly because i'm one of the few crazy people who come in at 530am to work out before work. -no-frills/nonsense: i dont feel like i should put on a crapload of makeup before i go in to work out. there's no unspoken understanding that by going in and getting sweaty, i leave myself open to being hit on by gross dudes. while that may still happen, it's not expected. -convenient: located closest to the currently closed paulina brown line station, it is also within walking distance of the southport and addison stops. close to the #9 ashland bus as well. there's lot parking, and if you buy tokens from the membership desk ($5 for 10 tokens or $10 for 20 tokens), parking comes out to 50cents per time! wowza! there's also metered street parking on marshfield south of roscoe, and free regular street parking on marshfield north of roscoe. the hours are pretty accommodating as well (530-11 m-f; 7a-9p saturday; 7a-7p sunday). one last little anecdote: they have recently opened a new fitness room, which houses a bunch of treadmills, ellipticals, 2 rowing machines, and a variety of weight machines. one day after work i was doing my thing on an elliptical, and i noticed something smelled horrifically stanky. i don't know if it was the result of poor personal hygiene or possibly just flatulence, but whatever it was, it was really bad and distracting. after a few minutes, one of the housekeeping staff people walked through with some deodorizing spray, and it smelled like COOKIES! it was amazing. working out never smelled so delicious. it went from smelling really bad to really awesome in a matter of seconds... read more

How could I not be a fan? I mean, here are the list of reasons why this Korean chick is a big fan so far: 1. This gym is only 1 mile away from my downtown apartment in Chicago. 2. There are lots of equipments and weights and a swimming pool and etc. to choose from! 3. They take security very seriously at this downtown location (in order to get access to the workout facuilty or locker room, the attendant must buzz you in)! 4. Everyone is very friendly (even on early Saturdays and Sundays at 7:00am when I go to workout)! 5. I go for free since I am a Saint Louis all metro member which means you get free access to any YMCA across the nation. That is pretty sweet! and therefore, no cons for me at this gym! read more

I've been working out here for almost five months now and it is been the best gym experience I've ever had. Before I get in too deep I need to say this: I don't know who this "Esedria S." Person is, and I think they might just have been sent from the competition to leave a nonsensical bad review, because each and every one of the three workout rooms has at least two stations with tissue-style sanitary wipe dispensing and a built-in trash can. If you don't believe me, check the place out yourself. Shame, Esedria, shame! The staff is friendly and helpful-they clearly like their jobs-they're appropriately conversational and informative. The equipment is always clean and accessible. It's only rarely that I'll have to request to work in between sets with another patron. That brings me to the patrons. Everyone here seems to be at ease and polite. Sure there are muscular peeps, (I'm trying to get there myself) but I'd never call them meatheads. The combination of well-maintained equipment, sanitation, and friendliness makes for a great workout experience every time. Never again Xsport! read more

I started coming here because the McCormick Tribune YMCA doesn't have a pool and this place does. The workout areas are really nice and clean, but it's lacking in some of the more basic equipment. I'm not even asking for a thing to do GHD sit ups on, or a rope to climb. I'll even let slide the lack of a dedicated area to perform Olympic lifts (the McCormick Tribune YMCA doesn't have any of these either). However, the Lakeview YMCA doesn't even have a dip station or back extension bench, and those are pretty standard. The pool is nice but small. It's only 20 yards instead of the typical 25 yards or meters, and it's only four lanes wide, with three of them closed off 80% of the time for swim lessons and such. Not ideal, but the YMCA is in a great location and at least there is a pool, so it works okay. Staff and people who come here are all very friendly and helpful. I've been lost inside here a few times (the place is really big and winding. There are a lot of stairs and landings and doors and it can be kinda confusing the first few times you're here) and they always point me in the right direction. read more

This gym gets 5 stars for service. The people who work here are beyond friendly, helpful, and all-around pleasant. The facility itself gets 5 stars for just how much it offers: gymnasium, weight room, treadmill room, miscellaneous cardio room, fitness classes, pool. Probably more. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's a labyrinth. David Bowie will straight up snatch your baby brother and the next thing you know: goblins everywhere. It can be overwhelming at first, but the staff is so helpful and more than happy to guide you around. I do like that the rooms are separated based on interest. Membership is straightforward, no contract, $51/month for adults (with a $51 joining fee that can often be circumnavigated). I'm giving the equipment 3 stars. While I was excited to see the Precor AMT - my favorite elliptical because it's the only one that doesn't make me feel like a hamster on a wheel - I was disappointed to find it in moderate disrepair. Nothing a little grease and tightening up couldn't fix, I'd imagine, but I found this to be the case with each of the of the machines I used. Just lots of creaks and squeaks. But if you're listening to a Diplo-produced Beyonce track, you can't hear a thing. I hung out in the sauna, too, which was small but sufficient. The locker room is a little "vintage" looking, but try not to be a princess about it, okay? read more

I've belonged to this gym for a little over 2 years and I've been a member of 6/7 total gyms in my life. This is a great gym if you want to go to a gym not a 'fitness club'. The facility is a bit like a labyrinth, but you'll learn the layout. It is pretty cool to see some of the architecture in the old building. It's first purpose wasn't a gym so it is cool (and sustainable) to see how they transformed it. The treadmills, ellipticals, bikes are all new, they have replaced all of the old ones since I've been a member. They also have a nice new Life Fitness machines in the 'new' room and high quality TechnoGym machines in the 'old' room. The only spots I feel are lacking are the free weight room (it could use some updating) and the locker rooms are a bit dirty, but there isn't mold growing on the walls like people claim. They recently started offering towel service (for a per use or monthly fee). They also don't have contracts which gyms like World Gym (on Montrose) have. Also unlike XSport, World Gym, & FFC they aren't constantly trying to sell their members something. Also, while I've never had a trainer here, they all seem friendly and willing to socialize with you even if you don't pay for sessions anymore. If you want to workout without frills, this is the gym for you. If you want to work out around normal people who won't make you feel to self conscience, this is the gym for you. If you enjoy tanning beds at your gym, this is not the gym for you. If you come to the gym for a spa like experience this isn't the gym for you. If you think you'll find your future soul mate at the gym I have a girlfriend, sorry. read more

Wow, I'm not sure what all the kvetching is about here....the Lake View Y offers great bang for your buck: gym for basketball etc., cardio, free weights, weight machines, awesome spinning classes, and all the other fitness classes your heart could desire (yoga, pilates, abs, step, just to name a few). I admit that the pool is less than perfect, but guess what? A membership at Lake View means you are able to access ALL the Ys that are a part of the metro Chicago Y system. And there are other Ys in the city with better pools!!!! One thing I definitely love about this place is that it's not a meat market--the variety of ages and abilities that I see here is great, and they offer programs that support members who might be trying to lose weight, be healthy, etc. As for customer service, I have found the staff to be pleasant and responsive 95% of the time (hey, nobody's perfect) throughout the 4 years I've been a member here. Also during that time period, they've upgraded the equipment and added more cardio options to meet demand. I can't comment on the parking complaints, except to say that isn't parking anywhere in this city a total pain in the arse? That's why public transit is the way to go to get to Lake View--Ashland bus, Lincoln bus, Belmont bus, brown line (Addison for now, until Paulina reopens). Sorry to hear that y'all insist on a perfect, spotless gym--have fun paying twice (or three times) as much! I'll stick with the Y. read more

This isn't a review...but more of a plea for common sense. ----Attention MEAT HEADS AND WANNA BE MEAT HEADS in the free weight room---- Never in my life have I seen so many grown men in a gym not put their weights away when finished. Why is this? I notice alot of you chodes finish your reps and walk out the room like its all good....no sir, take those weights off the bar and put them back in the right spot. How hard is that? [/rant] Other than that the place is like any other Y you will go to...little kids running around on the weekend, and old men in the locker room walking around naked. The cirlce of life. Im a fan. read more

I'm going to repeat what others have said-- for the price, there really isn't a better deal on a gym. Your membership gets you weights, cardio machines, access to basketball courts, a track, lots of classes, and a pool-- and you can visit all Chicagoland YMCAs just by joining one! I'm not going to tell you it's the coolest gym around. Most of the machines don't have individual tv's and you might be forced into watching the food network for an hour while you kill yourself on the treadmill, trying to forget about food, but they do have a lot of new machines and it's never so busy that people are lining up for them. Unlike other YMCA's I rarely find myself tripping over kids on my way to a workout, which is a relief. Anyway, if you're looking for an affordable gym with all the basics and none of the she-she frills, this is totally your place. read more

If XSport is Globo Gym, the Lakeview Y is Average Joe's. XSport has the latest, state of the art equipment, the people are gorgeous, and they're open...well, they never really close. The Lakeview Y doesn't have the equipment, hours, or looks (not meant to be this sexual, really) to match up with XSport, but it's a mighty fine workout locale in its own right. If you're new to the Y, the first thing you notice walking around is that you're constantly shifting from room to room. Locker room, basketball court, free weight room, cardio/Nautilus room. There's a door about every 30/40 feet. It'll seem cramped for some, but after you've become a regular, it feels like you're in your own mansion of a house and just moving about from room to room to get your workout in. This location boasts racquetball courts, a basketball court, and even a swimming pool, all amenities that the neighboring Globo Gym can't counter. Not bad for a little place that's been around 80+ years. Meatheads may have some gripes about the relatively small free weight area, but this section is very crowded for all of about an hour per day (roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m). If you can swing any other time, you'll be fine, but even then, it's not suffocating. There are enough treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals elsewhere so that you won't have to wait too long to start your cardio. It's not a 21st century gym, but you're helping the community in a place that's been around since damn near the 19th century. I don't need a TV on my treadmill, so this is more than sufficient. read more