YMCA of Greater Boston

This is one of the nicer YMCAs I have visited in Boston, and it is definitely a marked improvement since its renovation. It has:
* a swimming pool (if you like to paddle)
* large basketball courts (if you like to dribble)
* two dance studios (if you like to jump around)
* lots of treadmills, and ellipticals (if you like to run in place)
* two racket ball courts (if you like to run around a box, although one is really hard to find)
* free weights (if you lift things up, and put them down)
I however typically come for the free weights. I am huge fan of the fact that the YMCA consistently maintains free weights rather than fixed weight training stations. There is a lot to be said about gravity enforcing proper form on lifters, so the YMCA gets a lot of credit over some purple, and yellow fakers in the industry.
The weights area is bigger than I have seen at the Chinatown, Somerville, and Central YMCAs, although it still manages to fill up with lifters. It is rarely ever so full that you can not find a station, so you just need to be flexible about the order of your routine, and you are set.

Really screwed up the $ 40 million renovation. Very small free weights section. Always too crowded with students. They didn’t get a fitness pro to help choose equipment obviously

Phew! First day yesterday 6÷6÷16 that it didn’t smell like B.O. the minute I walk in the upstairs floor. You know that smell. Well they must have done a cleaning! I’m glad: D

the good:
–decently clean gym
–most equipment works (except a lot of the TVs on the ellipticals)
–convenient location
–free large towels
–lots of group fitness classes
cons:
–Poor ventilation– gets super hot in the cardio area– (i think this building used to be an office buildling that was converted in to a gym)
–some of front desk staff seem to care less about their job (they’re not rude– they just don’t seem to care about customers)
–limited weight lifting equipment, might have to wait for machines
–some of the classes don’t start on time, so i purposely come 10 minutes late. i know if i arrive on time, we will be waiting for the late instructor to arrive.

It’s a YMCA and is in a cool historic looking building. What’s not to like. Staff are friendly which is cool.

Hidden gem for sure and the best Y in the area. I’ve been to several and this one is by far the best. Great variety and quality of equipment and classes. They also have a pool, steam room and sauna. They give you towels at the front desk which sounds like a small thing but is actually one less thing to lug to the gym!

This is a great Y. I’m a member at a different location but come here for some of the classes and also because it’s not as busy as Oak Square. You can get a treadmill here at 5:30 — no waiting! The locker room is really nice with lots of lockers and showers. I’ve only taken the Tabata class so far and the quality of class depends on who is teaching. There’s not a ton of space for stretching but there are lots of cardio machines and a pretty good sized weight room.

love this gym, i get free membership here from my school. it’s clean, awesome, 3 stories with a full b-​ball court and swimming pool. has all your machines — ellipiticals, treadmills stairmasters you name it! plus the biking machines have biking games you can play and race each other.
for the guys full bench press although my boyfriend had trouble getting access to it at peak hours.
they also have biking, yoga, pilates zumba etc classes included with membership i believe, and it’s 50 $/​month rate

I got charged twice the amount for my membership. Turned up to be that you have to renew every year. I received no notification about that. That charge almost put my account in overdraw. I contacted membership office by email — no answer. I contacted corporate HQ who share the same building with GYM and spoke with Kevin. He was rude and keep saying about moving forward — I don’t understand what that means. He promised to reimburse me but money haven’t come in yet. Next day I followed up and spoke with assistant director of membership Hieu who never answered my original email. He spoke with Kevin and reassured me that I will get reimbursed.
Go YMCA way to treat people with disabilities.
Update: I just went to GYM to bring paperwork for renewal and find out why refund has not come yet and was told that refund was issued on the 5^th of this month. Kevin whom I spoke with on the phone previously was rude as always and told me that refund was issued and send me to the bank to provide statement. My bank is quiet a distance away but I went. Transaction statement showed that overcharge was done on the 6^th — how could they issue refund on the 5^th (by the way no refund showed on statements). Another lye. Makes me confident that they make me jump through the loops because I challenged them. Kevin took my debit card and few minutes later came back to tell me again about 3 to 5 days for refund. I already filled complain with consumer protection office decision of attorney general office

This place is a gem. I used to workout at Marino Center down the street but got tired of the poor behavior of the students who don’t respect the facilities. The Y has everythingarino has and so much more. Complete set of kettlebells, TRX, bands, steps, and more cardio equipment than anyone could ask for. The trainers are great and well worth the price. The Y has a wide of classes and the community is terrific. Five star all the way.

My No1 place to be. No issues, except for recent fire alarm testing or maybe fake bomb threats, not sure, however it happened couple of time in last 3 – 4 weeks. Highly recommend, great atmosphere.

This Y gets mixed reviews from me, for these reasons:
— The space is very nice, and recently renovated.
— Swimming class for adults was great and very useful, and the cost reasonable — I’ll most likely take it again.
— Pool is chlorinated — please convert to salt water or something less harsh!
— Steam room is burning hot — literally, I happened to be standing near the steam outlet when it turned on, and my feet just barely escaped 1^st degree burns. My adjustment request was ignored.
— Sauna is usually only mildly hot, but nice, except for the cases where people will come in there in full gym clothing with shoes on and trample on the benches.
— Kids — there are definitely plenty of them, but not too annoying for the most part. They stay out of the lap lanes.
— Yoga classes: I went to two. Both had substitutes teaching, who did not follow the style of yoga the class was supposed to be. It was your generic, athletically focused gym yoga. I’m sticking to my local yoga studio.
— Hold on to your wallet… literally. I didn’t check my lock twice before going to the bathroom. Upon my return, I saw a woman standing in front of my locker WITH MY MONEY IN HER HAND. She left my stuff and ran out a back door — why would you have an unlocked basement door if you have theft problems? The security was supposed to follow up with me to look at the videos, and they didn’t. A male friend of a friend had his stuff stolen from there the same week. Clearly, this is not a priority for them. I would expect a community email whenever theft is reported so that everyone is aware.
I will most likely stay there for the pool and classes. $ 50 is pretty cheap for a gym, and it’s only $ 75 for two.

Normally, I go to the Roxbury YMCA which is about 5 minutes away from where I live, but now I’ll drive 5 minutes extra and spend another 5 minutes looking for parking to come to the Huntington Ave YMCA.
Visually, it looks like a wonderfully updated gym and has pretty much everything you need. Two squat/​power racks vs one at the Roxbury Y (+the one guy always doing bicep curls), 3 flat benches vs 1 at the Roxbury Y, 1 incline (same at Roxbury), a larger selection of dumbbells, plenty of cables, a nice hack squat machine, 2 dedicated areas for deadlifting, possibly some bumper plates for olympic lifting?, lots of cardio machines, lots of area for stretching with yoga mats and fitness balls, a nice basketball court, and a nice pool.
I could see that during peak hours this place could get a little packed, but I personally think its worth it. They have really good hours as well (5 – 11 weekdays, 5 – 9 friday, 7 – 7 weekends). You also can’t beak the price of the Y, so forget those expensive «sports clubs» and just come here.

I’ve been a member of this Y since 2007 — I stuck with it through the massive construction project, and the resulting facilities are fantastic. Sure there are things here and there which could have used more attention (such as having a separate steam and sauna for men and women, rather than a co-​ed), but overall it really suits my needs. There are a lot of great classes throughout the day. The «lunchtime» sessions are amazing, and a great way to squeeze in a workout during a lunch break. My real passion for this gym is the community: I know a lot of the «regulars», and the trainers are all super friendly. It can get pretty crowded, so the later (or earlier) you can go the better.

The one thing that I love about this YMCA is the fact that we can use the machines such as the treadmill and the elliptical for an entire hour. I been to the YMCA in Roxbury and I can only use the machine for 30 minutes at a time. I hate getting off a machine right when I am getting into the workout. I also notice this gym is hardly ever busy when I go for a work out I leave work around 6:00pm and when I arrive to this YMCA I am always surprised at the amount of people who are there. Then again this place is big and offers so many great places for various workouts. This is by far the best YMCA in Boston.

I joined the YMCA begrudgingly because it was the most reasonably priced gym near our new apartment. I couldn’t justify the $ 100 month plus joining fees at Boston Sports Club or any other boutique fitness shops.
I am so glad I did. I am really starting to enjoy the Huntington Ave Y. I usually stumble in on weekends only but have never had issues finding a treadmill. There are a lot of weights and machines that I never use but lots of other people seem to use them. My main complaint is the lack of water fountains. There is one downstairs by the spin studio. There is one near the weight machines 2 floors above. Why is there not one by the locker room? I do like the fountains they have (water bottle refiller built in) but they need more.
I have taken spin with Leoni a couple of times. She is FANTASTIC. Not only are the classes included in the membership fee, you sign up online to reserve your space in advance — which is great in that you’re guaranteed a spot.

The Huntington Ave YMCA is both a historic and modern gym with a wealth of workout options and space.
Most YMCA members probably are aware but don’t actually choose to participate in classes. While certainly a good thing for those like me who go to spin class, there are a ton of missed opportunities. From great masters swimming to yoga to spin there are really great trainers working here.
There definitely is an great community mix of locals and young college students. While it is Boston and you get a good young crowd, this YMCA also has regulars of all ages and races. I love the diverse community of other people all joining together to get healthier.
The updates with the recent renovation really make this gym a fun modern location with a juxtaposition against the old wood fixtures and architecture that also emphasize the place in history this YMCA plays.
I would say the only reason this places isn’t five stars is the lack of particular finishes and amenities that would elevate this gym. Nicer locker soaps and other items would be nice. Better air circulation and humidity control would also be great.

Love going to this particular Y!
The renovations have surely improved the quality of this facility. There’s more machines, and space, and plenty of other things to do like swimming, basketball, classes, etc.
They have a steam room and sauna, which are both co-​ed

Affordable. Friendly. Clean. 2 racquetball courts. Basketball. Pool. Yoga. Group exercise. Cycling studio. Modern cardio machines. Decent free weights. Tons of nautilus machines. Endless lockers. Friendly staff/​members. Half the cost of other gyms. Free access to every other Y in all New England. Free child care (if you got em). Group exercise classes so intense you pass out 15m in. And an actual positive social mission that helps those in greatest need within the community.
I’m with Shaun, this place is the best kept secret in town. But please, stay home, don’t come here, eat more cake, pay more for gyms patrolled by dudes with ripped shirts and awkward facial ticks. I’ll keep my amazing, centrally located, insider secret Y.

Fantastic gym after renovations! Lots of machines and the bikes and treadmills (probably others as well) have screens so you can pick your TV channel and go. You can also view a trail and pretend you’re running in New Zealand or Germany if you’re into that. The classes are currently held in a tiny side room, but I think that’s changing soon. The instructors have been great so far — I love the Wednesday night Kick n Sculpt class; it kicks my butt every time. The Sunday morning yoga class is also a good one. I definitely recommend it! The location is okay. I’m a red liner so having to get on green is a bit of a drag, but it’s definitely worth it for the variety of classes and new equipment!

Not sure if I want to write this review… I mean do I really want to tell others about the best gym in the Boston area? Should I tell you that the prices are half that of Boston sports club yet I think this place is better? The staff is awesome. Phase two of construction just finished, this is the place to be. I’m not telling you about the real hidden gem, no not the sauna, not the steam room, not that everything is brand new, and definitely not that the free wifi is ridiculously fast. Agh! I blew it.
Yeah, I’m not posting pictures.

If you want your locker broken into, then this is the gym for you. Seriously, I stopped going to this gym after my locker was broken into once in the summer and decided to stop in today since it was closer to where I was located. I shit you not, the person took my sweater, my bank cards, and my fucking BRA. It’s sad to think that it’s a member of the gym as well. So disgusted. Never ever returning to this gym again. sad to say that I can go to the Wang Y and leave valuables in there WITHOUT a lock and expect to return to everything being in my locker but I can’t even trust my stuff locked up at huntington … please don’t even risk coming here.

I love coming to the gym — especially after the renovations there’s just more room and more equipment. The reno’s look good so far so it makes it enjoyable to go to the gym. There’s more renovations going on and I can’t wait to see what it looks like. The updated gym has a ball court and a swimming pool which is great cause I love to swim. I’m not sure how pricing works because my membership is affiliated with my school but there’s always promo emails being sent to us so it’s easy to find a good deal.

This gym is cheap! I just joined last week on a student membership which is $ 40 a month and was able to waive the joining fee due to a current promotion. On joining they provide you 3 free sessions with a trainer to get you started on what to do.
They just opened up the renovated portion of the gym and locker rooms this past Saturday with completely new equipment. Plenty of cardio machines. Pool and basketball court to open Monday 2 June 2014.
I personally shower at home cause I love close and would rather the luxury of having my own space but the new lockerrooms do look pretty spacious. Towels are provided.
The staff here are all friendly and due to the pricing of the gym there’s a large range of types of people who work out here.
Probably the cheapest decent gym around this area.

Y — Yearning for a larger space
M — Missing cleaner locker facilities
C — Complete renovation to look forward to!
A — Always waiting for machines and equipment
By Pearl T.