Occasionally, I get emails from friends who are debating between Washington Sports Club, ClassPass, or VIDA. I refer all of them to the YMCA Anthony Bowen because it's the perfect compromise. AB is the most beautiful and modern YMCA branch in the DMV. The hours of operation are convenient, located on 14th St, excellent instructors (who often teach at other boutique/high-end gyms like Mint and VIDA), and well-maintained facilities. The locker rooms have lockers, and I'm willing to take a shower due to the saunas, steam rooms, and rainfall shower heads. It is a smaller, but well-designed gym. The gym clientele is a good, diverse mix too --Lulelemon, Nike and Old Navy kinda crowd. My favorite classes are forrest yoga by Darin Volwiler. Evening yoga on the roof deck gives you that I-can't-believe-I-am-lucky-to-live-here vibe. The swimming lap lane, rock climbing wall, cooking classes/kitchen, and childcare center are also great membership perks. * Caveat: I go to the gym during off-peak hours...followed by a stop at the neighboring Sweetgreen. read more

I was a member of this gym, and after months of trying a variety of classes, I found that they just weren't meeting my needs, so I decided to cancel. I followed their instructions and submitted my termination request in writing with more than the required notice, and asked for confirmation of my cancellation. The membership coordinator wrote me an email stating that my account had been terminated, and that last month's draft was the last one. And then, I was charged again the following month. When I called the gym, I was told that there was no cancellation in the system, and after a series of questions that tried to place blame on me, I was transferred to the coordinator's voicemail. When I did not hear back, I called again, and was once again transferred to her voicemail. I followed-up with an email, requesting that the cancellation be processed and a refund be issued. I asked for a call back and never received one. I did finally receive an email that had one sentence: "Please allow 3-6 business days for funds to appear." I did not receive an apology or explanation. Just a one sentence email that says funds should appear. I hardly think the gym would be okay with my not making a monthly payment and saying instead, you should receive it within 3-6 business days, without explanation. Well, it's been five business days and nothing has happened, but I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow before I invest yet even more time in following up to see what has happened, and learn if a refund is actually being processed. I find it ironic that an institution that purports a mission of social responsibility can behave so carelessly-- they clearly lack respect for my time and have no sense of responsibility for their actions. read more

I don't often write reviews on Yelp, but my experience with the YMCA Anthony Bowen was so obnoxious that I thought I should warn others! I've been a member at the YMCA Anthony Bowen for several months now. The facilities are pretty good, but the staff is TERRIBLE! My boyfriend and I went in recently to upgrade to a family membership. We had to wait over an HOUR while the incompetent front desk staffer fumbled around with the paperwork, joked around with coworkers, and swiped in other YMCA members. No apology for the ridiculous wait! The staff just sat around laughing and not getting any work done! After that fiasco, they messed up our billing details and charged us twice for two different kinds of memberships. When I tried to resolve the matter over the phone, the front desk staffer was incredibly rude and unhelpful. I was put on hold (phone placed on the desk) and could overhear her chatting with a friend. Needless to say, we are leaving YMCA Anthony Bowen for a gym with a more friendly, professional staff! With all the billing mixups, this place ended up costing us more than a REAL gym! So frustrating! read more

The gym is an easy place to hate ....but I love my gym . It's sparklingly clean and has almost a spa feel w the huge granite showers , steam room and sauna . They have tons of classes like spin , Zumba , yoga , body pump , kick boxing , barre, boot camp and more ! A few of the really unique classes are paid like aerial yoga and Krav Maga . It also feels like a community . I get half price for being a community member which means lower income . They also have free cooking classes and child care and frequent open houses where you can bring guests . Also five free guest passes a year and you get a few visits to ymcas throughout the U.S. With your membership . But wait ... There's more ! All the cardio machines have tvs and even Internet ! I run to YouTube music videos . You can also chose to run a special course so the treadmill displays a Norwegian forest or German mountain route that you are running through . Also free towels and the lockers have built in locks ! There's also usually parking on the block of the gym . There's a rock climbing wall , roof top terrace , kitchen . I hear from people who are into lifting that the weights options are somewhat limited ! But for someone whose into basic lifting, what they have works . If you have trouble getting to the gym , this one might just inspire you read more

Hosted an event here. Their terrace is absolutely amazing and perfect for events. Our event hosted over 150 people and they all had a great time and alot of space split between the terrace and other rooms. Above all this, the staff were EXTREMELY helpful about working with us through different issues that arose including weather. They were very accommodating and were more than happy to work with us. read more

PSA: IF YOU ARE A STUDENT, COME GET A MEMBERSHIP HERE. BEST INVESTMENT EVER It's only $39/month with financial assistance - meaning you don't even pay the $30 enrollment fee. You get all the benefits: the 30 min consultation/personal training session, a gym, a pool, a beautiful locker room with a sauna, friendly staff, and my favorite part: a wide variety of group exercise classes, including various types of yoga, kickboxing, barre, pilates, etc. I love that the yoga classes are out on the rooftop terrace during the summer. This Y branch is about a 10 minute walk from where I'm living so it's convenient, and it's also right near U Street so you can grab a bite to eat after you work out. Seriously a great deal. IS IT CHEAP? For what you get, YES read more

Really nice YMCA! I got my 3 day pass and really enjoyed this place!! I'll definitely join :)

I've thought a lot before writing this but I decided to act for the greater good. My fear was that if I let you all know about my favorite classes, then too many people would show up and the class would be packed. At the same time, I feel you should all know about some of the great teachers at the Y. Disclaimer: I haven't taken all the classes so if I don't mention someone it's not because they're not good. I just haven't taken their class. So hear we go: 1. Any class taught by Chris Torres. He is a fantastic teacher. You'll learn proper form and get a superb workout. He combines functional training with kickboxing intelligently, giving you one of the best movement therapies for your body. If you ever find yourself in a bar brawl, you'll know what to do ;-) 2. Aerial Yoga with Angela Meyer. Another fantastic teacher. Not only is the class a ton of fun, but you get the best decompression and lengthening of your life, using the hammocks and aerial moves. Best part, you get to be a kid again! 3. Yoga and Meditation with Andres. I wish he'd teach more classes! Right away you can tell Andres knows his stuff and has years of study. You come out of his class completely renewed and stronger. He'll show you proper technique so that you get into poses safely, intelligently and progressively. Until I took his class, I didn't know I was doing push ups completely wrong. He showed me how to access my core and engage key muscles. No more shoulder pain! The best part is the 30 mins meditation after the yoga class. Complete bliss! read more

I got a trial pass (3 days free and it's so easy to access) because I am looking to switch gyms when my membership runs out. I haven't been to any of the classes (but they have come highly recommended by friends--which is part of the reason I wanted to try out AB YMCA) and I also haven't used the weights but I did see the weight room and it looked just as up-to-date as everything else. I was so impressed with the space. First of all, my initial impression was this space is bright, clean, modern and actually kind of beautiful. It's as updated as (fancy) VIDA but without all the distractions. Love the space. Equipment is BRAND new and there are three levels. Tons of ellipticals, treadmills, spinning bikes etc. There's a huge roof deck which is beautiful and has an awesome view. They have everything you could want in the stretching area--foam rollers, therabands, resistance bands, steps etc. Pool is gorgeous and staff is friendly and helpful. There are plenty of windows and the locker rooms have towels, hair dryers, lockers etc--which is great considering the affordability. Definitely want to join! Recommended for sure! read more

I walked in one afternoon to inquire about membership. I was immediately met with harsh glares, pouts, and rolling of the eyes. I, too, work in customer service, and as such, am always quite flabbergasted when met with such resentment and lack of decorum. However, I chalked it up to, "this front desk woman must just be having a bad day." I introduced myself, and asked her kindly if I could tour the facility. She, again, grunted, rolled her eyes, and handed me a form. She barked at me to fill the forms out away from the counter. Not one for confrontation, I took the form and silently filled it out. When it came time for the tour, I had to watch 3 women argue over "whose turn it was" to give me a walk about. "It's not my turn!" "No it's NOT my turn" "I'm not doing it" was all I heard from the group. Geez...did I seem THAT bad that I had to witness these women arguing over giving a potential customer a brief tour? I've used the Y in other states before, but never before found such a disgruntled, uninterested bunch. This wasn't just one person having a bad day, it was an overall air of bad attitudes. Sad for such a lovely and aesthetically pleasing facility. If eye rolling and neck swerving counts as exercise, then definitely check out this workout group! read more

It's only a few blocks from my house, which I realize doesn't make much difference to you if you live in NE, but that's certainly a motivation for me to go. If I've got to run/walk/bike/metro to get to my workout, that doesn't make much sense to me. So closeness is key. Now I don't judge on outside looks, which is good in the case of this YMCA. It isn't the prettiest gym on the block. (Actually, I guess it is the prettiest gym on the block, but simply because it's the only gym on the block. I am the smartest man in my house because I am the only man in my house, but whatever.) There's only two stationary bikes, two cross trainers, and two treadmills, and about a dozen weight training machines. The good news is there's never more than four people using them at any time. I go to the gym, I put on my music and I sweat and grunt and generally don't pay much attention to the people around me. for a gym that only costs half of what the YMCA downtown costs and doesn't have the meat market atmosphere of many other DC gyms, this is the best option. If you're training for the Ultimate Fighting Championship or looking for Ms. Right (or even Ms. Right Now), this probably isn't the place for you. But on the upside, whenever you go to the YMCA, the Village People start automatically playing inside your head. read more

I've been wanting to take adult swimming classes for a while now and I was so glad when I started doing research where they were offered that this new facility was about to open. I'm already a member of a current gym so I didn't want to join as a member, but classes are offered to nonmembers as well for an additional fee and a later sign up date. Seeing the list of classes online and signing up was very easy to do. The facilities are VERY nice. The locker room looks like it is in a spa, not a gym. The lockers can be a bit tricky because you have to set your own combo and its easy to forget to do this and then you lock yourself out of your own locker! I only went once a week, but I saw this happen to at least 5 people (including myself!). There should really be some way of calling the front desk from the locker room when this happens but I didn't see any way, so luckily there was an employee walking around the locker area who I told. I have never used anything but the pool, but they have tons of cardio equipment which is a must in a busy urban area. Everything is obviously brand new. The pool is very nice, my only complaint is that it could be a little warmer, but once you are moving around it is not too bad. I really like this facility and I would definitely change my gym over to it but my current gym is closer to work so it doesn't make any sense for me. I will definitely continue to take classes here though if they fit in with my schedule! read more

Looks can be deceiving. Just because this brand new multimillion dollar facility has nice new equipment, a climbing wall, generous sized pool and a luxurious locker room with the highest quality workmanship (porcelain tiles with tight grout lines, solid teak benches, wooden lockers with combinations you can set, full towel service, etc.) doesn't make this an exclusive health club. No, they would have to throw in a few free razors and toiletries to justify competing with luxury fitness center which would charge an additional $100 more per month. Not only is this the most beautiful Y I've ever seen, it's one of the most beautiful health clubs I've ever been in. Too bad I'm just visiting from out of town because I never knew a Y could rise to such a standard. I went there for a sauna and steam and both were spa quality (hotter than standard ones and immaculately clean). I was told that the facility is only a few weeks old and everything is running very well. Friendly staff and good mixture of patrons regarding age, race, families, etc. I come from a builder family and am well trained to see how people cut corners in workmanship and materials. This Y is incredible and it appears that no expense was spared in building it. Beam it back to my home town! read more

I just moved from DC and really miss working out at this Y! The facilities are fantastic and so clean. It's a convenient location if you live around U/Columbia heights. Everyone that works there is friendly and excited to talk to you about your fitness journey. The best part are the classes. The spin studio and instructors give some of the better classes in DC. The boot camp class really kicks your ass and I've liked pretty much all of the other classes I've tried there. Also, there's a sweetgreen next door so basically it's a one stop shop for all your healthy living needs! My only gripe was that sometimes it would get so crowded you couldn't get on ANY cardio machine. I guess that's just testament to the great gym! I miss you, AB! read more

The facilities are just okay, but that will soon be irrelevant as the branch closes for an extended renovation (actually, redevelopment). My peeve is with how they operate, not with the facilities. I joined last winter (late 2007). Only after I had finished enrolling (including a joining fee) and my credit card was processed did they mention ("oh by the way") that the branch would be closing for an extended period and memberships would be transferred to, I believe, the National Capital Branch. I live very close the Anthony Bowen. I will not go the other branch. I would not have joined if they had been up front about their plans. This was deceptive and misleading. I note that the planned closing (and membership transfer) is STILL not mentioned on their webpage, which encourages people to join, despite what must now be an imminent closing. I remained a member through today (August 2008), despite infrequent use. I finally made the decision to cancel the membership, partly in coincidence with a job change. I called to cancel the membership, and I was informed that I had to cancel in person. I explained that I was not in the area to cancel in person for several days and asked if I could please cancel by phone or some other way. No, it has to be in person. Frankly, there is something a little bit slimy about organizations that make it hard for you to quit. That seem intent on wringing out one last (or several last) credit card charges. The community could use places with quality programs, but this Y needs to stop running itself half like a scam. Maybe they will turn over a new leaf when they open their new facility. But I won't be joining. read more

I Love the Y and Angela Meyer. Her Aerial yoga class is incredible. It alone is almost worth the membership but the facilities are awesome too from the climbing wall, swimming pool, beautiful dressing rooms, to the great self-defense classes, kickboxing and jujitsu, taught by professional fighter Chris Torres. It's is a really great place with awesome programs! read more

See all

This gym suits your needs if you like cardio and general exercise and maybe have kids. Not a great gym for hardcore people though. For example, the hours are awful, especially the weekend-- it closes at 7 on Saturday!! Wish it was open latter (until midnight) every night. ++++Pros+++++++ Community feeling / Nice people who work there Tons of free classes Financial aid for people with lower incomes Very clean! Towel service ------Cons--------- Hours! Small -- Weight room is tiny and trainers take up space with students. Huge room for kitchen that is rarely used. Internet drops out consistently ****Weird end of year fee = to membership cost that they didn't tell me about at signup read more

This is the best gym I have ever been a member of. Points of comparison: Georgetown Law gym, PSC in Philly, and West Philly YMCA. The facility isn't huge but it's beautiful and functional. It's the small things: built-in locks on the lockers, the two sizes of towels, plentiful shelving for shoes outside the yoga studio, the times that the front desk folks say "Enjoy your workout, Katie." For me, the real standouts though are the yoga classes. When I first joined in January, I primarily went to spin classes. They were okay but the room was way too warm and the room set-up was awkward. On a whim, I tried Chris P's Monday night power yoga class and before I knew it I was hooked. Started going to his Saturday class too. Then Lindsey on Wednesday and Eva on Friday. All are awesome instructors. Even though I'm fairly new to practice (about 4 months now), I seek out yoga studios wherever I travel and this Y is still my gold standard. I like my classes unheated yet challenging, with lots of hands-on adjustments. Since I only use my membership for yoga, I thought about switching to a dedicated studio but it's hard to give up being out on the rooftop on a summer evening, going into savasana as the sun sets. Just perfect. read more

I attended the open house today with my family. We participated is rock climbing, Asa! Class with Isa and a Paint 'n Sip. What a wonderful event. Thanks for hosting this for the community. read more

Just joined. Very happy. Facility is very nice. Layout is a little bit strange, in the sense that the heavy machines are spread out over 2 floors, but that is a small gripe. Overall the place is LEGIT. Tons of treadmills and bikes. Sauna and steam room. It appears the classes are also solid, but I have yet to participate. Most are included in your VERY AFFORDABLE membership price, some cost extra. Huge roof deck which is where I will spend the summer. It is not crowded yet, but I'm sure it will be soon once the word gets out. Um, there is also a brand new restaurant quality kitchen in the basement for cooking classes. For realz. read more

Brand new facility, tons of machines, very clean, good locker rooms and towel service. If all you want is machines, it's a terrific place. If you're a serious lifter--man or woman--you'll be disappointed with lack of space. Also, they have no proper, wall-hung pull-up bar. Yes they point to the bars on their cages, but these are all too thick or poorly spaced. All great body-builders and weight trainers affirm that the pull-up is simply the #1 upper body exercise known. Only Bethesda has a good, self-standing (i.e., wall hung) bar. The bar must be no thicker than an olympic bar, but this is something most of the so-called personal trainers don't even know about (all due respect to the several outstanding exceptions, like Gina at Silver Spring). I love the Y, but if I were still at an age to be training heavy, I'd go elsewhere, like Cross Fit maybe. read more

Clean. If you are into weight lifting go somewhere else. The equipment selection here is very sub par. If you want cardio or classes or swimming it's a good spot. read more

$78/ month unless you have roomie with membership where we pay 70$ per person family discount (not much of discount) 99$ sign up few was annoying but no contract. I really like this YMCA. Lockers are awesome and you don't have to bring your own lock, steam room and sauna are great, nice lap pool, rock climbing is fun, and despite having an incredibly small weight room in comparison to other gyms, I haven't had any problems. Like others have mentioned though, I do not like smelling the sweet green bacon in the gym, which is connected through lobby. Went to one yoga class and it was ok, it was outside on roof deck, but i couldn't hear instructor so that was annoying. Cool interior design also. read more

This gym is absolutely fabulous! The staff is wonderful, the membership fee is very reasonable and no contract needed, amenities are always clean and the newly renovated locker room can give a lot spa's a run for their money. There's a great selection of Yoga which I'm personally Happy about! Ivanna is also a wonderful trainer, I highly recommend her. Very much the Best gym I have ever been a member of! Total Gem in DC! read more

In May, I went in to inquire about hosting a book drive at the Anthony Bowen YMCA and the staff was very helpful with setting that up. With the help of staff members like Ms.Trenita Stokes and the members at the YMCA, I was able to collect over 100 Black-centered books to take to schools in Ghana to help build their school libraries. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone at the Anthony Bowen YMCA! You all are great. www.weare3gc.org read more

I've been a member for almost 2 years now. I'm currently debating on whether or not I should cancel my membership since I'm not going to the gym as much as I would like/should be going. I do like this gym. However, just as others have mentioned, they need more room. Especially since they closed down the other YMCA. The new weight area is a nice addition. Since the addition of the weight area, I haven't been to the gym during peak times. So I don't know if the additional space has alleviated some of the space issues. But it is nice to workout without feeling like someone is waiting for you to finish. I will say the classes are good. I especially like the Cycling class with Michael. Other instructors have been good too. But he's my favorite :) Side note: I do find it odd that there aren't very many, if any, cost friendly, non-boutique, and metro accessible gyms on the NE side of DC. It's an untapped area that is being rebuilt (aka gentrified) at an exponential rate. Cough Cough Hint Hint...YMCA NoMA, perhaps? "If you build it, we will come." But maybe I'm just being impatient. read more

3 stars for the state of the art experience, everything that your heart desires you will find here! -0 stars on the accessibility, price, and diversity (low income, minority, students, etc.) that the YMCA was first founded for. The only true YMCA spirit is in the name...Anthony Bowen; this YMCA is home to the first African American Chapter (learned during the tour and this is where the prices are quoted?!!!) but unfortunately you will be hard pressed to find persons of ANY color and or Socio-economic background. With the prices (most expensive Y I have ever come across) and accessibility I can see why. read more

One you get in you never get out. I was a member of this gym for over two years and really enjoyed it. However, despite cancelling my membership in mid June I was still charged the monthly membership fee for both June & July. After calling to cancel my membership (for the 2nd time!) I was assured that they would refund me for the incorrect charges. To date, I have still not been refunded despite repeated calls and assurances to the that they would 'take care of it.' read more

Poor service for how expensive it is. Front desk staff is extremely rude. Would recommend other gyms in the area over this one.

Yoga classes are held in a converted carriage house; nice little dedicated space with everything you need - mats, blocks, bands, towels, etc

Pretty new gym and they keep it relatively clean. Nice staff and reasonable pricing for DC. I'd say the best part is the amount and variety of classes read more

Friendly front desk staff but they're all about sales. They asked what I needed when I arrived, I said I was there for membership info and they in turn asked if I wanted a tour, to which I said, no, just rates. They asked me to wait while they finished up with a customer. I waited until it was my turn only to be pushed to sign up for a tour again. And once more I declined, saying I only wanted to know rates. The female staff member replied that they only give rates during tours and, "when would be a good time for you to come back for a tour? We have a lovely facility." You made me wait to tell me that? It's like I'm talking to a wall, or in this case a saleswoman with her own agenda. I don't need to know about all the wonderful equipment you have that I'm not going to use when all I want to know is how much it would cost me to use the pool. No thanks. read more

If you ever have the chance to take a class with Francella... do it. This beautiful person's spirit is infectious. She inspired me to become a fitness instructor myself. I've never had a fitness instructor care for me the way Francella does! She's truly an inspiration. The facility is beautiful, very new and clean. I have taken all kinds of classes there and have enjoyed all of them. PiYo, BodyPump and their cycling classes are all great! I wish that aerial yoga was included in your membership. The addition of the Carriage House is very nice. It would be cool to do yoga classes outside by the carriage house in the summer. I also would love to see PiYo moved to a larger room! It is always so packed. The first come first served policy is ok; it would be nice to have a sign-up of some sort. read more

First, this review is based on my experience when dealing with YMCA staff. I appreciate YMCA's general efforts towards community building. That being said, this branch sucks, big time. Following some wonderful reviews here, I decided to go have a look at this branch. Everything is obviously very new and the building itself is quite tasteful with the high ceilings. After a brief tour with a guide, who seemed very polite, I was suggested that, being a student, I should apply for financial assistance, as many students do so and are eligible for financial aid. So I did that and sent my documents to the person in charge. I was initially told by my guide that I would get a reply pretty much the next day. It has been 3 weeks since I sent my documents and have not heard back from them. If I wasn't eligible for financial aid, I expect them to at least tell me so. Perhaps people here are just new at their jobs, but that's just not the way to treat someone interested on joining your community. read more

This is the nicest Y I've ever been to. It's also the most expensive Y I've ever been to. Costs are nearly as much as what you'd pay at Vida, which is a fairly premium private club. There is a ton of cardio equipment here, decent classes, a nice pool and a smallish weight area. I do wish there were more space for free weights and open floor space for doing independent workouts (I sometimes use the studios if there's no class in session). Deducting a star because there is no cell signal and the wifi does not work. I like to stream Spotify when I work out and that's not an option without cell/wifi. Also, I usually go over lunch. I've noticed it can be quite crowded after work. read more

Yes, the facilities are nice. But the space just doesn't support the amount of people, particularly since closing the national capital branch. Whenever I'm there, I always feel like I'm bumping into people or am in other people's way. Also, there simply are not enough evening classes. They get PACKED! Not to mention the majority of the classes I would like to attend begin at 5:30. Those of us who get off of work at 5 aren't able to make it to those classes, which is super frustrating!! Specifically the Pilates class which is offered only twice a week and at that one time. Compare to any sort of yoga which is offered every day at varying times. I get it, it's the latest fitness craze but can we get some variety please??? I'm starting to look into other gym options. read more

I wanted to love this gym. I truly did. The location was incredibly convenient for me and met my basic needs. Although it doesn't come with the variety of machines I like, I was willing to make it work. I loved that this place had so much history and was community focused. That being said - The maintenance/cleaning staff was the most predatory experience I have had since moving to Washington DC. The gym is supposed to be a place of stress relief and escape and to be repeatedly followed around staff and very obviously objectified was not only disheartening and frustrating - it was completely obnoxious. This was main reason why I left the gym and would never recommend it to anyone I know. read more

The highest end YMCA I have ever seen ! Them kids from Boystown will NEVER get in here. Lol. read more

I really have enjoyed my gym membership thus far. The classes are awesome! The bootcamp and Grit classes are just like Insanity and if you can stay another hour for Bodypump you will really get a well-rounded workout. I also love the spinning classes - Michael and Francella are my favs. The equipment is top notch.. I typically go in the mornings but I've never had to wait for a machine. The ppl are nice and you often times see the same folks in classes so it can be become kinda like a family. I was hesitant about joining since this membership is twice the cost of my previous. But I now don't have to dish out $100+ dollars on top of my membership for a personal trainer or yoga studio classes because they have everything I need here. I'm a fan. read more

I've been a Y member for about 6-months, but it hasn't been until recently that I've had the opportunity to really utilize my membership on a regular basis. This location is very modern and all of their facilities and equipment are pretty new. I like to take the group classes here & I've really enjoyed them. They have a HUGE selection of classes compared to other gyms. If there's any class you've ever been curious about taking, chances are Y-Anthony Bowen has it. Now that I have more time to actually use my membership, I'm really looking forward to coming in to check out their classes more often. read more