Winters in Portland can be really tough for me because of the cold, rain, and grey skies. I have…read morelong been the poster child for Seasonal Affective Disorder, however in 2025 I'm hoping to change that. To hell with new year resolutions, I'm just challenging myself to find activities that make me happy during the dark and stormy months. I've been doing macro nature photography, antiquing, and finding as many opportunities to play in the water as possible. I recently stumbled upon some photos and reviews from the East Portland Community Center pool and I was amazed to find out folks use lazy rivers in pools as walking tracks! Sure, dear reader, you may spend time in gyms and know this to be a "thing," but it's news to me! Well, I tried it out this week and it's quite possibly my new favorite activity! I get to spend time in the water, make new friends, and burn some calories while I'm at it. The community center is vibrant and bustling with all kinds of folks doing activities they love, which makes me really happy. I'm incredibly impressed with how much of a well-oiled machine Portland Parks and Rec is. They are able to get an astounding number of people in/out of this pool each week with swimming classes for beginners, baby and me classes, lap swim sessions, aqua aerobics, current channel walking, free swim, hot tub usage, and so much more! I love seeing my tax dollars being put to use so effectively. This week I've paid for three individual sessions because I wanted to make sure this new interest isn't a passing fancy, but after a few days as a regular at the pool I'd like to take this relationship to the next level. I'm getting a monthly pass tomorrow! So here's to new activities that make us happy in the new year. That's not a resolution, it's just a good way to live life.

I love it here and so do the children. We had a birthday party which was super fun and they were…read moresuper accommodating to my family

Great vibrant space for workshops, trainings, meetings and celebrations!read more

From the owner: Mission: "We connect and empower Rosewood neighbors to build a safe, prosperous, vibrant and…read moreinclusive community" The community center is available for rent in the evening and weekends. Come celebrate with your family!

I've been coming here for about six months. Usually, I leave feeling pretty good. That has changed…read morerecently. Some people are now using it. They violate the rules of use, but the staff is powerless to affect it. So we all suffer because of the unenforced rules. I will eventually have to find another place if it doesn't resolve fairly soon. I don't want to go there only to be unhappy during my workout. One person brings a dog into the room. One of the regulars has severe allergies and cannot even visit the space anymore. The dog lady not only doesn't care.l, she gets angry and belligerent if she thinks anybody is discussing her dog. The other case is occasionally people blast their cell phones on speaker. The parks staff says they cannot enforce their rules. I hope it changes soon before I move onto another gym. I don't particularly enjoy working out. So to have this stressor added to it is just not what I want in my life.

Matt Dishman supports an amazingly vibrant community. My…read morefavorite water classes in the country are here. Great teachers, rocking oldies, motown and rhythm & blues motivates the members (age 19-99 yrs of age) to boogaloo down broadway in the pool!

The teen Ohana Night has been a fantastic experience for my middle schooler who was looking for…read moreconnection after moving from the Eastside. We are homeschoolers, so this was great.

My organization has used Hidden Creek for several years now, and when we started working with them,…read morethey were adjustable and easy to work with. However, we had our annual event this year at Hidden Creek and the experience was extremely frustrating and unacceptable. First of all, they're very strict about anyone even entering the building before the time designated as the starting time. I don't expect them to open the doors of the banquet hall before the starting period that we paid for, but they wouldn't even let us in the building. They would not let us bring any of our materials into the building, and they told us we were not allowed to even unload our materials outside of the door so that once the door to the building opened, things would be unpacked and ready to set up. I was told it was a safety matter, but the materials we unpacked were not in front of the door, but well to the side of the entrance. They enforce those rules very strictly and in a manner that is not particularly friendly. Earlier this year, we held a different event at Hidden Creek, in other words different than the annual event I'm writing about, and they wouldn't even let us look into the room we had rented until the time began that we had paid for. They said that the room was down a hall we hadn't paid to enter, so we were not allowed to look in the room. The facility itself is beautiful, light, spacious, and well appointed. But that does not make up for their overly stringent regulations. For example, in the event I planned, we had to add some speakers to our program, so I asked if I could extend our time by half an hour so we could clean up in time. But they would not allow us to add time, even though I had made that request well before the day of the event. It was not a last-minute request, and, as indicated, I was aware there would an extra charge for an extra half-hour. So I thought we'll just clean up faster (which we did). But unfortunately, our caterers, who were P.F. Chang's, were very late in setting up the lunch, in fact, 45 minutes late, so we had to start our program late. But even with all of that, we worked very fast and managed to finish the cleanup by just half an hour after the time had expired for us to be there. They had no other event after us, and so we did not inconvenience them. Further, there is no indication on the papers that I signed before the event that there was a late fee if we exceeded the time we were in the room. All the paperwork says is that there's a $250 damage fee. But there was no damage to the hall. I'm not arguing that there should have been no fee for leaving the venue late, I just feel that when the total price for each hour is $150, and we reserved the hall for five hours, that it is exorbitant to charge $250. I requested a reduced fee, especially because our lateness was due to our caterer being so late, which PF Chang's recognized and compensated us for, but I got a solid No. They said the contract stipulates a late fee, but as indicated above, that is not true, it stipulates a damage fee. The director of events at Hidden Creek is lovely to work with. She has always done everything possible to make our experience a good one. And I do not hold her responsible for the stringency of the regulations. I am merely saying that the whole issue of charging so much money for being there 30 minutes extra to clean up, especially when the reason our event went late is because our cater was late, is unconscionable. I recommend selecting a different venue for your event unless you want to jump through numerous hoops only to be dissappointed, frustrated and overcharged in the end.

Family fun and worry/sunburnt-free!…read more These days I'm all about finding that perfect balance between work, spending time with loved ones, while enjoying activities. That's why I'm obsessed with this new find in the Southwest community! This neighborhood community center has cool activities like two indoor pools. One is designated for laps- 9 feet deep and the other includes a wading pool with slide, up to 4 ft and 6 inches at the deepest. I also love that there is a shower and lockers open for use so you can clean up before heading to the pool. The kids seem to absolutely love it - there are tons of other families with little ones. Open pool time is ~ 2-4pm, go early so you can get in. There's a capacity limit, our visit happened to be 75. If want to make it, BE THERE EARLY. Can not stress this enough. It is not the staff's fault if you can not get in. There are standards for a reason. You do not want to be cooped up in a space where it can not accommodate for more than what's expected. You also want to keep in mind that there are lifeguards to look out for everyone's safety and well being, so please be mindful of that as well! There are also other parts of the center to enjoy, such as an indoor basketball gym, rollerskating sessions, aqua aerobics, gym, and even dancing. It's the perfect blend of family-friendly fun and adult-approved relaxation. If you're looking for a place with a strong sense of community, stunning scenery, and a pool that's basically its own mini-vacation destination, then this is your spot! Totally recommend it! P.S. If you ever see me poolside with a noodle in hand, say hi! I'm learning how to swim - and it's fun to make some friends while we're at it!

Family friendly and cheap price for swimming. My son love this place. They have slides and shallow…read morewater for little kids too.

Staff was really helpful! Great gym! Gets a little crowded and you can't access the dance studio…read morewithout supervision. It would be nice to be able to go stretch or something after a workout but overall I really like coming here.

Great and friendly staff. The gym can get crowded around peak hours, but otherwise it is very…read morechill, plenty of machines and free weights. I also appreciate how clean it is, the gym gets cleaned from 1:30-2:30 M-F.

Woodstock community center is a small but comfortable place to gather. I do regular exercise…read moreclasses here. Although the room only fits 9 or 10 people, it never feels crowded. Will come back all the time.

Wonderful and affordable for families! We loved that a…read morefamily pass is $13 (or $15?) for an hour of swimming. Swimming pass only lasts 60 minutes - then they take 15 minutes brake time - so check the schedule if you don't want to wait for the next swim session! Great family locker rooms too - they have three large shower rooms (with toilet, bench, etc)

OK I may be judging the book by it's cover but this community center is located by apartments with…read morerun down cars. When we pulled into the parking lot, there was a homeless guy right outside the doors of the community center. The field next to it doesn't look that well-maintained and my kids refused to even leave the car because of how uninviting/sketchy the place and area looks.

The saying goes: 'It's always greener on the other side of the fence.'…read more I'm a customer crossing to the other side, to mingle with the community here and I tell you! If there's one in my neighborhood, I would give them a review, but none that I can see, nor want to join, as good as this center. Not anymore, since the pandemic, where I used to do business/volunteer/mingle with many people. This is the kind of center, that I would join, volunteer, and mingle with others, and do often, because it is the type that offers everything I NEED/WANT in a community. They know how to gather the community over for an afternoon 'delight'. The kids can stop by after school, the school bus stops right in both corners of the street, and they have many activities that both adults & children can participate. I've been visiting this center weekly, for a month, I've seen how the adults, teachers, staff and parents participated in activities in/out of the center, and of course there's food, music & shows. Inside, I can see piano and pool table, private music lessons too! I'd take that! Another plus, they have Thursday Market, from 4-8pm (new extended hour)! I'm trying to find 'weeds' to this garden, but none that I can 'pull'.

Great for gatherings. Fun community events during the week. Gym, dance studio, office space,…read moreoutdoor pavilion, kitchen all available to rent!