The Y has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember - playing in their pools as a child,…read morethen getting my very first job ever at a local Y by my high school - worked as a lifeguard for the last 2 years of school - and as an adult trying to get fit again lol!! I've had memberships here off and on over the past 6 years - definitely my fave Y in the SGV!! Their pool is enormous!! I love to swim here - especially now with their new reservation system. They have 4 swim lanes available with room for 2 swimmers in each lane - and you make timed reservations via their app. Super easy to use and you can block out 30 minute increments as available in each lane with no limit to how long you want to swim. Upon check in, you'll receive a wristband with your times and lane numbers - so helpful in avoiding conflicts! This is far superior to their pre-pandemic process where lap swim was a free-for-all and insanely crowded - I couldn't ever get a lane which was one reason I stopped going. But that's all fixed now - I LOVE their new system! They also have a huge basketball gym, extensive weight room with nautilus machines and free weights, a ballroom/classroom, and a treadmill room that includes bikes, ellipticals and a stair master. They have weekly classes you can also sign up for - also very easy to do in their app. They don't have as many class offerings as they used to though - but I think they're all still trying to get things back up and running again from the pandemic. This location doesn't offer personal trainers yet - but I was told they will soon if there's enough interest. But your membership includes access to all the area YMCA locations and they offer PT services at the nearby Sierra Madre & South Pas locations. They have 3 locker rooms - one for men only, one for women only, and one for "families with small children". The one for families is limited to children under a certain age and nudity is forbidden. The other two include rules for children over a certain age (I think it was 12-13 but I can't remember) and nudity is allowed (showers and changing etc). The staff are all just awesome here - so helpful and friendly! Prices are very reasonable- especially compared to all the other gyms in the area - I've been shopping around for general gym services with a pool and personal trainer for several months now and the prices here beat all the others. They have tons of parking.

Came to the SA YMCA for their winter basketball league for my kiddos…read more The league itself practices in Wilson Middle School in Pasadena. This YMCA is located in Monrovia. Weird name and location spread out. The league itself was decent. For our age group, we ref ourselves and they do not keep score. Jerseys cost $10. Decent starter league if you want your kids to try basketball.

Brought my (almost) three year old for a class and she loved it…read more The next week attempted to bring her back and she had an absolute tantrum. Instead of them understanding and allowing me to reschedule for the following week, they told me too bad. Emailed to try to get someone to understand that tantrums are unpredictable and again, they didn't care. Kept throwing their 24 hour reschedule policy at me. Next time, I'll ask my three year old 24 hours before If she plans to have a tantrum. Definitely not a place for kids younger than 5. Don't waste your money.

I take my grandson, who is only two, to gymnastics, and coach Leila is amazing with him! She cares…read moreso much for the toddlers and is super patient with them -- but with the needed discipline which is so much appreciated!

Chef Scott is AWESOME!!!! My twin 10 year old boys attended summer camp with Chef Scott and after…read more2 weeks they thought they could conquer anything in my kitchen. It's awesome, I have 2 mini chefs in my kitchen...all they want to do is cook! In fact, one of my boys is launching a cupcake business at www.mikeysminis.com in just a few weeks. I signed them up for winter camp and they couldn't wait to leave the house this morning. The minute they saw Chef Scott they lit up! Thank you Chef! You're the BEST!

From the owner: Our mission is to offer culinary classes for kids in a safe environment that encourages discovery…read moreand creativity. Each class builds on kitchen safety, food preparation and cooking fundamentals. This is a place where kids come to learn, have fun and cook together.

I will be forever grateful that my child got to experience the magic of Village Playgarden for two…read moreyears, and even five years later (he just turned 10!), he still wistfully recalls even the most minute details of the love and joy he felt there in the respectful, developmentally focused care of Ms. Kikanza and Papa Geoff. From feeding the goats to swinging high up in the sky amidst the oaks, he developed a reverence for nature, and a sense of wonder, learned how to be in community with others, and listened to stories that fed his soul. From hikes on the forest trails to collecting eggs from the chickens, from digging in the dirt to helping prepare the fresh vegan meals, to sewing pouches for treasures like acorns found along the way, it was childhood as it should be. Thank you, VPG! I should add that I know that the campus is in a new place now, but I also know that with Papa Geoff leading the way, the heart of the school, and the deep respect for children will always be there.

We cherish our time at Village. It's meant so much to our family. Yes, it was a terrific school for…read moreour little but it was really also a place for us as parents to grow and truly grasp what it means to BE parents in today's culture without sacrificing the values of the past that we hold dear. Ms. Molly's parenting classes, and all the community gatherings, where we could speak so openly and freely about the challenges of parenting were life changing. Our little one has such a foundation of love of community, kindness to all, generosity, love of nature, and brave and fiery spirit that was truly NURTURED & FOSTERED at Village. Best of all, this place has a sense of humor about it. We used to joke that it's Waldorf Light, or Waldorf but willing to crack a joke. Geoff and the whole crew are all super down to Earth, maybe the downest to earth in some ways. Always felt like we could come to them about anything, and we wouldn't be judged even if we were challenging the existing norms. We could truly bring ourselves, and they met us where we were, just like they say they're doing for the kids. Honestly, I wish I went to school here.

Went here for a work team building event and it was perfect from beginning to end…read more Chef Alex, our instructor for the day, was personable, funny, knowledgeable, and entertaining. It was very obvious that Chef Alex had conducted multiple corporate team building events as well as being a skilled/seasoned chef. We had 22 people for our team building event and there was plenty of space for us to each have our own cooking stations (teams of two) and there was ample seating for all of us to enjoy the fruits of our labors after the cooking was completed. We prepared thai food for our event and, WOW, was it amazing. I mean (literally), this was the best thai food that I'd ever had and this is coming from someone who's wife says "you eat way too much thai food!" The very tasty food is a testament to how well run this place is because we are just a bunch of accountants but we also apparently have an inner self that knows how to cook thai food. Overall, this place is clean, fun, there is ample parking and I would highly recommend. If this place wasn't so far from me, I'd definitely go back on a date night with my wife.

We recently brought our All-Star baseball team to Sauté for a team-building event we called…read more"Cooking with the Coaches," and it was such a great experience from start to finish. Chef Alex was absolutely amazing. He was incredibly accommodating, especially with our very last-minute booking request (less than a week's notice). Throughout the entire event, he was patient, kind, and engaging with the boys. He took the time to guide them at each cooking station, clearly explaining what to do and then letting them take over and experience it hands-on. He created a really fun, relaxed environment where the kids felt confident and involved. We all trusted the process, and the food turned out fantastic--but even more than that, the boys had a blast doing it. It was the perfect mix of learning, teamwork, and fun. I would highly recommend this experience for any team-building event, youth sports team, or even private parties like birthdays. It's interactive, memorable, and really well-run. Thank you again, Chef Alex, for an amazing afternoon! -- San Marino Little League All-Star Team

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.

I really like the weekly themes of the summer camps, and my kids had a great time at the summer…read morecamp. They are also really responsive via text and email. I take away one star for the reasons below. There is only one bathroom for 20 to 30 kids, which means a lot of waiting to wash hands. Also, while they charge $12 a day for lunch (which is quite steep for kids lunch), there is almost fried food daily with little to no fruits or veggies daily and most days there is no drink included. Friday lunch is 2 slices of papa John pizza and a capri sun for $12. Finally, the front desk staff is not friendly at all. No one greets you when you drop off or pick up your kids. If you ask a question, you get a one word response. I must say it's the most unfriendly staff I have encountered for a kids summer camp or kids activity.

My son was interested in robotics and we took a class to try it out. He's autistic so I wanted to…read moremake sure it was a good fit -- the class is wonderful so far. The teacher Plus is very helpful but also lets the kids explore building what they want. His second class assignment was to build a boat, but my son built a car instead and Plus was very encouraging towards my son. He looks forward to his robotics class every week.

Decided to take an intro class to wheel throwing and initially had my doubts due to previous…read moreexperiences in high school. Our instructor Kristen (and the blonde instructor -- forgot her name) were patient and encouraging throughout the entire class. Kristen's in depth explanation + demonstration was easy to follow as a beginner, but the instructors frequently made their rounds to work with everyone individually, giving advice and feedback. Despite the class session only being 2 hrs, I felt like I was able to focus on improving basic skills and learning new techniques. Even if you don't have any interest in pottery, I HIGHLY recommend taking a class regardless. The space is welcoming, and it was a great (and fun) way to release stress creatively :) looking forward to how my pieces come out!

Their one time workshops are great for trying out a new hobby without the commitment. I took the…read morematcha bowl and whisk holder making class. It was a full class and the instructor patiently explained each step. Before you sign up, make sure to read the description carefully. There are hand-building classes and wheel throwing classes. Hand-building is hand molding and you don't work with the wheel. My one-time matcha bowl and whisk holder making class was hand-building and we don't get to decorate or glaze it. Instead, you get to pick from a selection of paint colors and their team finish glazing and fire it for you. You also need to wait about 6 weeks for it to be ready for pick up, which is standard for community pottery places. I picked the white paint with specks which I regretted. The glaze came back with some uneven spots and a dark brown mark on the outside. Since the studio glazed it for us, I was a little disappointed with the final result. Pottery definitely tests your patience and perfectionism. Not sure if pottery is for me, but I might come back for their wheel throwing class.