This is far from the best kept, nicest, newest Y -- nonetheless, this is by far the *best* Y I've ever been to. The parking is terrible, and there's some pretty strange patrons, but the employees are amazing, it's quiet, never overcrowded, and doesn't stink, which is say a lot for a Y. read more

UPDATED REVIEW: After a month of coming here, I can say that the weight room is dangerous. Let me elaborate: the weights are not racked in order; there's heavier weights on the top shelf and all the dumbbells are scattered miscellaneously. I've p racked BOTH weight racks three times now and truly it's disappointing to have the community not re rack it correctly. The first time I re racked it was because I noticed a child, elementary school I'm assuming, was trying to grab the 40lb on the TOP rack. ... yes ofc I brought this up to the front desk and even prefaced it with this case. No, I didn't want to be THAT person who pointed it out but it really is dangerous. They responded saying they'll keep an eye for it but can't help it bc members are the ones who mess it up. &that they'll ask the director to put up a sign...we'll see if that happens or not.. To the teenagers who were throwing and kicking the weights, please don't. It was such a scary Thursday since I was pretty close to them. Even though there are signs with phone courtesy etiquette, it's still ignored by grown men who blast their music. Overall, avoid the weight room. If it wasn't for the monthly price and proximity I would not come. read more

This location is older than other locations I've been to. But honestly it has all the machines and workout options I need. The weight room is kind of small and the rare times I go when it's busy hours, it can get crowded. But overall I do like that it's smaller and cozier. So far it hasn't felt overwhelmingly crowded. Haven't tried a class yet. Maybe one day. Lots more to explore. They close at an insanely early hour on the weekend read more

Needed a gym to workout at while visiting my parents, and found this gem. The facility is a bit older, but there's plenty of equipment for cardio and strength training. However, I opted for the group classes and had a great week taking Zumba, Body Combat and Pilates classes. Definitely will go again and the pay per day rate is not unreasonable. read more

The Y is right down the street from me. I enjoy my senior stretch classes. Mon wed and Fri all different teachers. I meet alot of new ppl.

This is a wonderful place. The building is old - think of it retro. The will be building a state of the art center next to the new Senior Center adjacent to Red Morten Park. The thing that makes this place so special is the swimming pool where fat women feel welcome. We swim, take classes, play volleyball... Slim, young people are always welcome! It's just that lots of us don't feel comfortable at most gyms or pools. read more

Very small facility. No security. I just walked in. That would not happen at Grants Pass YMCA. You have to sign in with your card on a machine and if card doesn't register or you bypass the machine you are stopped by personal. read more

Messy, small, and poorly designed. Weightlifting room was "updated" from a bench press, incline bench press, and a squat rack to a single squat rack. Lots of rusting equipment and bathrooms are fairly dirty. read more

Front desk employees are super rude. Great facility just don't bother the front desk. Their too busy with their phones and the manager is a complete no show. read more

I went to this facility a few times as a guest and tried the Zumba class. There is a nice pool and the facility is very clean. I'll be joining soon! read more

Nice little YMCA. But, signed my 3 year old up for swimming lessons. I was told beforehand I'd go in with him which to me was good because he doesn't know how to swim quite yet. Once there we were not allowed to go in with my kiddo.... ok bummed but was giving it a shot. More kiddos arrived and for one instructor to try and teach around 7 little ones was irresponsible on there part. Unfortunately, my kiddo was one of the ones not being payed attention to and he fell over in the pool and well let's say he drank a lot of pool water before we had to jump in and grab him. Traumatizing to my little one. I was returned the money for the classes I paid for without actually asking for it so thank you YMCA. Note to consider: The pool water is dirty or somethings in it my kiddo is still extremely sick from his Thursday afternoon swim. He came home tired of obviously from being in the water but woke up to some insane bug in his system. So if youve ever had a bug you know how that goes. read more

I like this gym, I can walk to it, they have so many classes that I enjoy. I love this private little gym that u can work out by ur self. It is family orientated. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. It's very clean. read more

The facility is pretty old, but most YMCAs are. For the gym, there are a lot of cardio machines but there aren't very many weight machines. Sure, they have everything that oyu need, but it's still not that many. As for the weight room, it's TINY! So small! Once again, it has the essentials, but that's it. The bball gym is pretty large so I imagine they have a lot of children activities in there. The childrens day care looks pretty nice, but I don't have children so I haven't encountered any of their staff. The other staff, membership, are... 1/2 really nice and 1/2 kinda stand off ish. I come from a YMCA thats filled with really nice warm staff and to come in not knowing which membership you'll be encountering... isn't the greatest. But It is what it is! They do have a lot of classes here and it's nice beacuse they have a lot of different classrooms for all their classes. Even TRX! Bad thing is that if you're a workaholic like me... the times don't really work for you. read more

See all

Pool - 3 Indoor basketball court - 4 cardio - 4 weights - 4 Staff - 4 locker room - 3 towels - 4 read more

I wanted to warn people NOT to go here for swim lessons for your small children. My son went there for 11 months and could not swim. After making a big deal after 10 months in a level 1 class, they finally moved him to a level 2. But he still could not swim. That is alot of time, effort, 2 times a week, as well as money to waste on swim classes that are absolutely not effective. After 6 months, they should have come to me and said, what can we do to help him move on. His progress reports were inconsistent and sometimes said he had mastered concepts and sometimes not. There is a lack of communication at this swim school. You cannot request a teacher for a class unless you get private lessons, which is at least twice as expensive. They don't decide who is teaching the class until the day the classes start. And they keep switching around the teacher for the class, so there is no continuity. And again, no communication between teachers from month to month, nothing kept on record. Learn from my mistakes. Don't go here. Go somewhere else. Anywhere else. We are now going to La Petite Baleen. With each session there, I see progress, more progress in once a week lessons than the twice a week lessons at this Y. The facilities there are lackluster, so is the daycare area for kids. Although clean, I wouldn't want to go there for a gym. It just isn't "nice." read more

Sigh. I want to like my gym. They've spent a lot of money renovating, but it's still kind of sad and tired ... and crowded if you go during pre- or post-work hours. For swimmers, there are very few times during day when the pool is actually open for lap swimming: early in the morning or late and night are your only choices; the rest of the time, it's for the kids or for special-needs classes. And though the clientele is mostly either retirees, kids, or pudgy middle-agers -- a very refreshing change from most gyms -- it's depressingly small. God forbid you should try to get a cardio machine during after-work hours on a weekday; and during times when there are classes, the parking lot fills up fast. Also, there are a lot of poorly supervised youth groups running around this place -- keep an eye on your valuables. read more

Best gym ever! The staff is super friendly and professional! Shout out to Adrian, Jasper, Francisco, and Xavier for great front desk service! read more

I like this place. I initially joined for the pool, which is awesome, by the way, but I like the feel of it, too. Now, some may complain about the pool being warmer than others but I love it. I swim in the early morning before work and having to waste time getting acclimated with a cold pool sucks...I love how I just come here, take a quick shower, and then go right into the pool, no problem. The pool goes from 3.5 to 10 feet. There are designated lanes at various times throughout the day for lap swim and a section for waders. They also have water classes, so be sure to check the schedule before you come by. I have gone to the weight room with the bosu ball and bosu balancer and I like the selection of weights and such. It's also a nice place to stretch and such. Not to be gender-biased here, but upon observation, it seems to be the women's area as the main weight room seems to be more for the men and other hardcore lifters. As for classes, I have gone to one Pilates class and it was def not for someone who wants to be challenged with eccentric poses and hard work; it was too easy. So I think I'll come here to lift, and swim, but when it comes to yoga and Pilates, I'll stick to going to my go-to studio. I would be curious to try the spin and bootcamp classes, so I'll be sure to try and update this review soon! The people at the front desk are so nice and so are the life guards. They seem to remember who comes there, so it really is like a "mom and pop" community feel. I've seen people of all ages and such here, so it feels welcoming. Location is great! I don't ever feel like I need to dress a certain way or whatever when I come here. Everyone comes, does their own thing, chit-chats if they want, and then head home. Not this is an issue for me, but if you're coming to park, good luck during peak times...it tends to get crazy. read more

I joined YMCA at the Page Mill location, which has since closed. That place was awesome and had awesome hours, much better than this location. They had toiletries and racquetball there too, which this place does not have. LOTS of kids in the afternoon and early evening taking swimming classes. The women's locker room can get a little crazy during this time. The locker room here is definitely not as nice as Page Mill was. Parents here definitely take advantage of the childcare available here. When I am running on the treadmill, the little kids like to look at me through the windows. This might bother some people but I like kids. :) Biggest complaint: parking during peak hours is very difficult. I am grateful that they have towel service here, but they are seriously the hardest, thinnest, scratchiest towels I have ever touched. Before the towel gets wet, it's almost like rubbing your face with sand paper. Maybe a little fabric softener wouldn't hurt? Most of the time they don't do this, but I hate when some of the staff starts shutting everything down prior to the actual closing time. They also close early on Fridays (8:30p), Saturdays (6pm) and Sundays (5pm), which I find almost unacceptably early. The unisex restroom near the front (for use mid-workout versus having to go all the way back to the locker room) always has urine dripping around the toilet from men with poor aim. I wished they wiped that up more often (like frequently) as it's just gross. This facility's layout is a bit funky and disjointed (like maybe they kept adding on to the original building?) For the longest time, I didn't even know that some of the workout rooms existed. I like that they have Purell hand sanitizer everywhere. Yay. read more

This is a very nice facility with a full complement of services. The trainers are very good and provide good services for the clientele. The greatest part of the YMCA is the pool. It is an indoor pool that is heated to 88 degrees. It is most enjoyable on chili days. It is never overcrowded. The exercise equipment is state of the art and well maintained. I highly recommend the Y without reservation. You can't beat the price! read more

I used to work out here because my parents had a family membership. The staff were VERY friendly and the facility was always quite clean. I was happy using the locker room and showers too. You could get as many towels as you wanted as well in different sizes which is always a perk. The magazine selection was also great and the personal tv's were nice too. It was almost always possible to get a cardio machine and not too busy. The pool was satisfactory though nothing amazing. I also tried a bunch of the classes especially yoga classes and really enjoyed them. Parking can be a bit tough because they don't really have enough parking but otherwise a great gym! read more

Great place! Young and old are here and the old talk about what killer hip hop they brought to the gym for the old timers work-out hour or whatever. Friendly front desk staff with no attitude and just real people all about. It's a neighborhood Y and it's clean and funky and not quiet and people talk to each other here and notice each other here and make eye contact and remember faces and names after just a few days of showing up. It's real. The machines are clean and there's so far been excellent access. Parking is tricky, but I prefer to ride my bike, to the gym, it's a gym. Free front row bike parking all day long. The real reason I go here is Cassandra's tantalizing Yoga classes. I'm no Joe-Yoga, but the chemistry in her classes just does it and I leave feeling refreshed and alive all day. Sore too and hot and sweaty. Her Vinyassa flow is challenging and soothing, without being repetitive or too much focused on breathing in unison. There's a lot of freedom to do as you wish here, not group ballet on a matt. Led by a soothing voice and a spicy personality, the class faces towards the large windows and this adds to the uplifting let-the-light-in mood of the hour. And her Restorative class is actually amazing. I've never felt so good after basically sitting for an hour. Better than going to a chiropractor in my opinion. Great hypnotizing music and a refreshing spray if you want it. I look forward to each class with joy. It could change your life, if you let it. Breathe luxuriously... read more

Since joining the Y last Spring this place has become part of my daily ritual...yes, daily. Mind you, not everything is perfect, but that's life. I love the pool and the exercise machines room. The heated pool is rather warm for lap swimming, although most people can manage to do 1/2 hr of laps without getting overheated. It's the pool classes that are the best, particularly most evenings and Saturday morning. Yes, the pool and dressing rooms get very busy with kids taking lessons during the summer, but it's easy enough to work around those hours. The exercise room is great, holding a wide variety of stationary bikes, cross trainers, and resistance machines. Morning, afternoon, or evening I have not seen anybody having to wait to use machines here, as I understand is commonplace in other gyms. I find the staff, overall, very friendly and supportive. The only "minus", in my opinion, is that instructors are not accurately listed in the monthly schedule of classes and I wish they would fix that. Almost all instructors are very good, but I would rather avoid one or two, something that is impossible to do unless their role were properly advertised. read more

I love the Sequoia Y. It's sorta like Cheers, but without the alcohol. Everybody knows your name, and if you're name-impaired like me, you at least know everybody's face. I don't even have kids, and I like that it's very community oriented and family friendly. You can tell that people know each other, and the staff know the members. It's not as glamorous as other gyms I've been to, but that's one of the things I've always liked about the Y. If you enjoy a low-pressure, uncrowded place to work-out, the Y is perfect. Also, the classes are fantastic. I especially like the Zumba, with Nora on Tuesday nights, and the kickboxing boot camp class (an awesome interval-style work-out with real martial arts elements) on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with Joseph. Also, parking is easy! read more

The Redwood City YMCA has new strength training equipment and I like it! Hoist Roc-It Equipment. This equipment rocks because it takes the pressure off of your joints and puts the work where it belongs-in the muscle. Maybe I'll try bulking up again. Never mind the vague wording in the newsletter....useless marketing speak! "The Hoist strength equipment was chosen to enhance your strength training experience. It comes with superior bio-mechanics and glass smooth movement along with improved user interface." read more

Edit- June 07, down to 3 stars... if you like group classes and you're in reasonable shape... they've just been cutting all of the more challenging evening classes. BOO HISS I would probably give fewer stars if I went during peak hours but I'm usually there in off hours when there are plenty of machines to go around. Everything is kept very clean and at a nice temperature. I appreciate the towel service. If you're looking to take any of the classes, be careful of which ones you go to and make sure to realize they vary a lot in level. Lots of them are targeted to seniors but if you go to the evening ones you should get a good workout. read more

Been a member here since 2008. The staff is awesome, I don't have to worry about it being too packed although lately it seems as if it's outgrowing it's current site. Tip: If you value the ability to grab a treadmill without waiting...go after 7:30pm on the weekdays! read more

A plug for our local Y! I have been a member for 13 years now and I continue to be very satisfied and pleased with the variety of classes offered and the exercise equipment. The staff is consistently very helpful and friendly. I also enjoy the other members whom are friendly, down-to-earth and community-minded. I started there to use the pool as a huge pregnant lady and then moved on to spinning class as soon as my baby daughter was old enough for the childcare service. I've tried a variety of offerings over the years and we have participated in the social activities. Lately with the TRX and spinning classes plus outdoor riding, I am excited to be attempting a 4 day, 250 mile cycling event next week! Come in for a tour and some free trial workouts and see what I'm talking about! ...Jane read more

I joined the Y from the free trial in April and am so glad I did! I've lived in walking distance for almost two years and pass it all the time. Offer me a free month and I'll check it out! Another reviewer stated she had to give a credit card for the trial and left a bad review. I never gave my financial info until I joined, so one of us apparently worked with an inexperienced staff member. ;) In that time I attended lots if classes to make sure I would get good use from joining. The instructors are all great and I absolutely love the laid back community environment. I used to belong to Crunch, while it was a great gym--- it is nice to be away from the meatheads in the weight areas. Even more so, I never have to get to spin 20 minutes early to secure a bike! I haven't tried out the pool, but I will soon. Now that I live so close and work out many days a week, I might just want to get in a bathing suit. The only downside is the expensive guest pass. My husband is too busy to justify the family membership, buy I'd love to bring him every now and then. $15 a pop seems a bit much. read more

This is a disappointing Y. Very cramped and old. The pool was too crowded and unappealing. Was really considering joining, but no thanks.

The atmosphere here was just very run down. I mostly wanted to go swimming but there are no lap swim times while child care is open. Also, at the time, the pool was very warm and I could not swim in it like that, even if I could get my husband to watch the kids. The new weight training machines they have are nice because they remember your range of motion and the weight you used last time etc. It kept me honest but between it being crowded and my not enjoying working out indoors and my kids not being fond of the childcare, I eventually gave up on it. read more

Fat Women Welcome! Love this place. It's a bit funky - but I'll miss it when the new facility is built. Very friendly staff. One place big women can enjoy water exercise. read more

I was a member here and transferred from another Y. I was injured recently and cancelled my membership. When I called to join again, I was told that I would have to pay a joining fee. It's not worth it. The building is in poor condition, parking has always been difficult and tight here, and it is missing a good amount of the equipment that I like to use (that has been available at other Y's). The employee on the phone was also rude. read more

*****ATTENTION PARENTS!!! YOU MUST READ MY MESSAGE IF YOU PLAN TO PUT YOUR CHILDREN IN THEIR CHILD CARE FACILITY***** My 2 year old son CHOKED on beads that were laying on the floor. A room that has babies a young as six months had beads rolling around the floor for children to pick up and put in their mouths. I happen to be in the room getting ready to leave when I saw him put something in his mouth. When I tried to get it out he VOMITED 6 BEADS!!! I was furious! I grabbed my kids and marched over to the front desk demanding to speak to the manager, only to find some kid tell me he was the "manager". He took my information down and assured me that I would be contacted by the general manager first thing in the morning. Low and behold, NO phone call. I called at Noon still fuming from the night before and got a hold of Nora. Turns out, the message was never passed on to begin with. What horrible training. I have a SERIOUS complaint that is a legitimate law suit and I can't even get taken seriously by the evening manager? Nora, the manager working, was actually very nice and did her research. She found out there were a few holes in their process (1) there were more kids than the 1 to 10 ratio - and the child care instructor didn't call for help. Either there is no protocol for backup or it is not used. Problem for parents of young children. (2) There were beads on the floor from arts and crafts by the big kids earlier that day - CHOKING HAZARD (3) There was no message passed on to management from the night time manager - Poor customer service. (4) When she took me for a second tour to show me that there were no more beads and to assure me everything was safe. All in all - most of the child care sitters are actually pretty nice, especially Brianna. I do think they care about the kids, I just think there is no emphasis on children's safety or proper training for the busy times in the evening. There is a serious lack of communication between the management and the day care, which makes me worry about the safety of my children if something serious happened (as it did for me). I would like to mention that the YMCA did follow up as promised and returned my money to me within a timely manner. Also - I would love to give the spinning and Pilates classes 5 stars. They are awesome - all the instructors and the people that attended them regularly - it was a lot of fun to be there! read more

Exteme disappointment. What I thought would be a great experience went badly quickly. I have 2 children age 3 and 6. The age 3 child can not swim yet, and I wanted to use the child watch service, while I take my older boy to the pool. The child watch service is good, but the pool scheduling is asinine. We (parent +6yr old) got to the pool during the 10-11am "lap time" and were not allowed in. Then some aquatic yoga lady started saying that in 15mins, the quiet aquatic yoga would begin anyway - Sunday 11am. Then, I determined that young children could only swim with their parents during "rec time" Guess what? The only overlap between "rec time" and child watch is Friday night at 6-8pm. Which by the way is bedtime for our kids. The lifeguard on duty could careless about accomodating anyone but the old people doing laps and yoga . We are getting our money back and they will never see me again. I definetly do not recommend this ymca for families juggling different age children and those needing pool flexibility. I will give the san mateo YMCA a chance now. San mateo seems to have lots of "rec time" pool that overlaps with day care read more

There's nothing young about this place. The facility is old, the pool is old, the clientele is old. There are 2 weight rooms, one with ancient equipment (mostly free weights) that no-one really uses and a smaller one with all the cardio and the weight machines. The cardio is ok but the rest of the place is decrepit. Pros Front desk people are mostly friendly. The sunday morning zumba class is great! Cons Old equipment Weird, old, crotechy crowd. They don't like sharing machines and god forbid you use one the cardio machines they want to use! The pool is small and is kept so warm (for the old water walkers) that it's not possible to lap swim. The locker room is old and they don't fix the broken showers. Depressing nursing home atmosphere. read more

The Sequoia YMCA is the friendliest YMCA on the mid-peninsula. This is why I like it. The facilities are adequate but not as grand as the other YMCA in the area. But the staff and the members are very friendly. read more

Ok. I am a YMCA fan. I have been a member of several Bay Area YMCA's since 1987! I like the Sequoia Y. The reason why I really like the Sequoia Y is because of Joel & Andi. Hands down-- they are the best spin instructors. I am now addicted to spin classes. I'd give it 5 stars but the building is old and it needs updates. The swimming pool is a bit gross and the locker room really needs some help (cleanliness.) See you at a spin class! read more

Pros: -Great selection of classes -Good central location -Fairly clean -tolerable in the summer -friendly staff Cons: -I wish the gym area was bigger, always feels a bit cramped -parking fills up pretty early -showers have no water pressure (is it really too much to ask for to be able to wash off shampoo/soap?) -pool is kinda ghetto read more

This place is not good. They hire the worst people to manage the phones and they tell you the wrong information. I joined for the basketball court and I always call in to make sure it is open. When I get an ok by one of the employees I get in my car and go. But when I get there it turns out the employee got the information wrong and the court is closed. The facility itself is very good, however the employees need much better training to in order to do there jobs. read more