A welcoming, family friendly, affordable and safe space for children in Essex County for over 50…read moreyears. Field trips, swimming, lunch included. Ages 5-10.

I have a neurodivergent 5 year old who thrives on structure and gets nervous around new things and…read moreloud noises. Needless to say, we weren't sure if he was going to be able to handle camp, let alone Steve & Kate's. Turns out he had a fantastic summer. It's easy to pinpoint the reason too: Janelle, the camp director, and her incredible staff. We really weren't expecting any accommodations, but/and Jenelle and all the counselors quickly realized what my son needed, put some changes in place for him, and connected with him in an amazing way. My son was so happy and he learned that he can fun with less structure, be safe with new people, and make new friends. I'm gushing, I know, but this summer was super-special and I couldn't let it go unnoted.

In 3 weeks at the camp, a child called my child "brown", another child threw pizza at her after she…read moredefended herself from his verbal attacks, another child grabbed her by the wrist. Thank God my child has a strong sense of self and knows how to verbally and physically defend herself. With that being said, this is not how I want her to spend her summer. Summer camp should be a place where a child relaxes, and not where she develops defensive techniques from verbal and physical attacks. Stay AWAY!!! To the parents of these bullies, DO BETTER. These types of behavior are learned and fostered at home. Update: I met with the Director and Associate Director of the program and they informed me that 2/3 kids that were involved in the incidences were expelled. The last child was 4 year olds and not fully aware of what he was doing. I was happy that the administration did not dismiss what was going on and acted swiftly.

My daughter is attending a CSI agent training event through her GRO program. There were 4 stations…read moreto learn about fingerprints, blood, DNA and look at microorganisms under a microscope. Each station is run by a staff member, who explains the concept clearly and in a language appropriate for the age group. The kids assume the role of a secret agent as they learn about the skills of an investigator. At the same time the moderator is providing clues for a mystery they need to solve. At the end, they all get training certificates. They seem to enjoy it.

My daughter loves this place! From the moment we walked in to sign her up for classes and when we…read moreleft and she broke into tears because she wanted to do science stuff right away... so we went back in and asked if we could drop in or do something. The teacher asked if we wanted to make slime, and he took the time to work with her and show her how to make slime. She was elated. Ever since then, the one constant in my child's ever changing desires is going to science class. She is GIDDY about science camp this summer. The teachers' are great. Miss Sarah has been my daughter's primary teacher and she's wonderful. I can't say enough good things about MLC.

Nice YMCA with good staff. Staff is mostly young adults who need some more training. Upset they…read morethe children's bathrooms are now gender neutral.

I believe the name of the woman who handles the tours and enrollment is Justine. And the lady at…read morethe front desk that I just interacted with is Carol. Having lived in the neighborhood for a few years we were excited to explore the facility as a possible daycare option for our 5 month old. Even if it meant putting our names on the waitlist. Well, after submitting the online ELC interest form and calling a couple of times, with no response back, I decided to stroll down the block and inquire within. I didn't intend to tour right then but I was hoping to schedule a future tour, to be able to compare all my Essex county infant daycare picks & make an educated decision. I explained to Carol that I made many attempts to contact the Montclair YMCA Learning Center regarding their Infant program & never got a response. In my opinion, Carol was cold, and seemed uninterested in providing any information. She called Justine and informed her that I've not had anyone reach back out to me, then returned from the call to tell me that there's a wait list, that the wait is a year long and that unless it's close to the time for enrollment, I would not be allowed to tour. When I asked Carol about the weekly cost, she said she didn't know and didn't want to "bother" Justine and call again cause she's busy and has meetings. I think if I was a white woman Carol would have called her back immediately and would've been much more pleasant in her interaction with me. Whomever set up that process didn't think it through because now based on what Carol shared- I'd have to wait close to 1 year to view the facility, with zero clue as to how it looks or differentiates from other day care centers and with no concept of the cost. Why would I be interested in putting my name on a wait list when you've provided me zero info and you're saying that it'll take close to a year for you to share any info? Very poor experience here.

I can't thank One River, Erin and staff enough for everything their Portfolio Development Class…read moreprovided my daughter during her senior year. The personal attention towards Riley while creating her portfolio was exactly what she needed. Additionally, their attention to detail and assistance all throughout the process put my wife and I at ease. After going through this process, honestly, we shouldn't have waited until senior year. We plan on continuing classes at One River and certainly recommend the Portfolio Development Class for your aspiring art student! Definite game winning touchdown!

One River school of art is wonderful place to learn and create. The staff is helpful and…read moreknowledgeable as it relates to programs and activities that enhance artistic expression. In addition, the school offers a wide variety of themed summer camp options.

Love flipping out they work with you and it's very friendly the teacher are very nice . My daughter…read morecome out happy glowing from her work out and in a better mood. Great location and there is parking.

The staff has been so helpful from the moment we decided to join till now they have been nothing…read morebut great!!! My nine year old looks forward to coming here weekly, the teachers are so patient and are always willing to show the children what to do. The staff is very welcoming and they make you feel like they be known you for years. I am glad I choose this place would def recommend to everyone!!!!

I recently purchased Jazz shoes for my six year old son for Theater Camp. The SMAPA Dance Store was…read morethe closet store next to driving to the City to purchase dance shoes on a Sunday at that. Briana was so kind and wonderful on the phone. I called on a Sunday and she pulled the potential sizes ahead of time. Originally, I was not going to bring my son. Briana encouraged me to bring him in order to have him try them on in person. I am so glad I listened! My ETA was 12:01pm and the store was due to close at noon. Briana said no worries, she would stay in order for me to try the shoes on. WOW! By the time we found parking it was 12:05pm we scored a great spot a block away) and we called Briana to advise we were walking up now. She was so sweet; so personable and assured us that she would stay open for us to arrive. Turns out my son was a larger and wider size and Briana had just the size and width that we needed! She was absolutely lovely! We plan to enroll in a class because she is amazing and the school is wonderful too! Thank you Briana for your exceptional customer service!

Daughters are always eager to go to class. Teachers are very…read moretalented and take to emphasize on technique! A wonderful dance School, come to learn!

One of favorite place to spend a couple of hours in Montclair. The facilities have gone through…read moreseveral renovations through the past couple of years and you can tell lots of care is being put into running this historic building. My favorite things to do is bike, swim, and sauna. I've taken a few of the classes and appreciate that they are included in the monthly membership.

They let some guy play very loud music in the locker room for over a year and several staff members…read morehave witnessed this. An administrator hasn't been truthful with me about this.

My husband and I thought the music school itself was wonderful. The trial class was engaging, and…read moremy daughter really enjoyed the lesson. Our personal concern--and this may not matter to other parents--was that my daughter spoke less about the class itself and more about why some of the male instructors were dressed in ways that confused her at her age. Explaining to her why males were dressed as women was not what I wanted to do at this age. While I respect personal lifestyle choices, I personally prefer an environment where my young child's focus is fully on the class and music rather than these kinds of distractions. Overall, the teaching quality seemed good, but this particular aspect made me realize the school may not be the right fit for our family

OMG! This is the best place to learn music. I've been doing this for four years and it is the best…read more Staff is incredible and everyone is nice. The price is a little expensive but is worth it. 5 stars forever definitely would recommend.