Carondelet Park Rec Complex

The maintainence of this facility has really gone down since the new director has taken over –about a year ago. The women’s showers are not cleaned as prior to this and out of order signs are up for extended periods of time. People (staff) walk into the pool area with street shoes and the concrete area to the the showers are black. Wear shoes intended to pool area only. We used to get notifications (emails) that the indoor pool was closed down– not any more.
On the up side the people are friendly. The trainers are helpful and adjust workout to your individual needs. I have also made many friends through the classes I have attended and meet outside the Y.

No outdoor adult pool? Seriously? All that space and you only use it for 2 huge 2 foot deep kiddie wading pools, a splash fountain, and a lazy river that I can’t swim in? Unless I want to do laps or go down a slide, the designer of this park was clearly not thinking of adult leisure.
Waste of time unless you have children. NOT a POOL

The Carondelet YMCA, as a whole, is a nice facility. The gym is ok, but small. (Machines are sometimes down and out of commission for weeks). The basketball court is very nice, too. It’s the most used area in the entire complex. What I’m partial to is the track that sits above the court on the second floor. Great overview of the lowel level and suits all cardio needs.
The indoor and outdoor pool settings are great! The kids really enjoy it. Such a great additive for those sweltering, Summer days.
But the customer service, though!!! Oh, no ma’am. The front desk is atrocious, so is the morale. First of all, why are there so many workers stationed at the front desk, yet none of them are barely paying attention. Furthermore, they all act like they have no clue what they’re doing? Listen, I don’t understand.
Another gripe I have is unruly children running around, swinging off gym equipment. I know part of the problem is the parents not stepping in. HOWEVER, there needs to be more workers, in all areas, enforcing rules about those matters. There’s about 50 – 11 workers at the desk, folding towels… how many YMCA workers does it take to fold linen? Management should really check on that. It doesn’t look good walking in and people in YMCA staff t-​shirts all clustered together, doing nothing.
The complex gives a safe and fun place for kids to fellowship and to stay out the streets. But in the customer service department, some changes need to happen.

Very large gym with lots of good equipment and machines, but they are always broken! That would be fine since there are usually multiple other machines to use instead, but those aren’t working either. I normally have to try about 3 or 4 treadmills before I can find one that is working properly. Needless to say, that is very frustrating especially bc you let the staff know about the issue, but the equipment is rarely, if ever, repaired. Also, they have a nice pool area, but that is unfortunately closed for weeks at a time and the other features in the pool area are also unavailable, such as the steam room and sauna yet there is no discount on the expensive monthly membership bill.
Lastly, they close at 6 on the weekends which is very early and inconvenient if you have to work weekend days like I do.

My goddaughters and I love to go swimming in the summer and we made sure to hit the YMCA outdoor pool before they start school again. Not only is the pool and surrounding area always clean but, the employees here are always so kind and friendly. One of the girls slipped and cut her knee after leaving the restroom and before I could even get to her one of the life guards made sure she was okay and gave her a band aid to put on. This pool has an amazing slide that is fun for all ages (yes, even me) and offers something for everyone including babies and toddlers. It’s money well spent on good, clean family time. Everyone left tired with big smiles.

Facility newer. Nice pool however makes own hours on inside slide. Says open tuesdays at 5 for slide but not turned on. No specific reason just make own hours on it. Specifically went tuesday at 5 since staff says slide open tuesdays 5 and was told not turning on today but no real reason why.

Willing to work with members very nice facility

I love our YMCA, but the shower stall in the Ladies changing area are absolutely disgusting and slimy. I brought it to their attention and it still hasn’t changed. They said they spray it with a solution, but SERIOUSLY that’s not how you clean. The stalls smell of feet and fungus. There is more often than not giant clumps of human hair stuck to the walls and the floors… UGH. There are 2 stalls completely out of order. One with peelng paint over it. The promised that they will be fixed by January 2015, it’s Mid March still isn’t done. Broken hand dryers, broken water fountains, peeling floor paint in the kids pool, and who knows whats happening in the mens room. The place is in need of repair. I just want a workout facility with a pool, I resent that I’m stuck with one that clearly doesn’t care about cleanliness.

Carondelet YMCA is the best Y in St. Louis! The relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff are motivating.

Absolutely love this YMCA. My family has been a member of ymca in several states and we love the classes, machines, staff, etc. The staff at this Y is very helpful and always willing to answer questions. The instructors of the group classes are knowledgeable, encouraging, and fun! I just added the outdoor pool membership and I am obsessed. The outdoor pool is incredible. It is huge! Tons of chairs to lay out in and lots for the kids to do. If you don’t have kids, there is plenty of room to lay out without being bothered by kids. The outdoor café is also a great addition! Love this place :)

Great place! I never considered the idea of joining a Y, instead of a gym; it was all the boyfriend’s idea. Turns out that the cost is comparable for a couple, especially considering they have a pool and an actual gym, you know, like with basketball hoops. (Also, my boyfriend’s daughter gets to go, so that’s awesome.)
It opens at some God forsaken early hour and is open late enough on weekdays, but I am sad that it closes at 6 on the weekends. While there are definitely busy times, I’ve never seen all of the cardio machines be in use at once. They have tons of free adult exercise classes at a range of times. The pool area also has a sauna and a steam room for anyone who can tolerate/​likes that amount of heat. There is a family locker room for anyone who brings a child of the opposite gender.
The staff are nice and helpful. At the front desk, you can also leave keys/​an ID/​etc. to borrow a basketball or a lock for a locker. They also have the clean towels, no valuables required.
Pros: service, value
Neutral: can be crowded
Cons: N/​A

Wow! What a fantastic facility.
I went there to workout and was totally impressed with the equipment. There is plenty of it and it is all brand new and state of the art.
While I did not swim, the pools both looked amazing. I was kind of disappointed that I did to bring my suit, because the indoor pool looked so cool
The staff was super friendly and the exercise area was spotless, cool and smelled clean.
I love this gym.

I really love this YMCA. The location is off the beaten path but can be seen from highway 55. We stop by at least two times per week to get our treadmill on. I can’t say that I have ever been in, when there wasn’t an elliptical/​cross trainer free to use.
Everything is clean for the volume of traffic, especially the restrooms. My only complaint in that area is the towel situation. Bring your own towel. They dump so much bleach in the laundry that upon wiping sweat off of my face, I immediately broke out into hives and began itching uncontrollably. YIKES.
Child care is convenient and free. I love the ladies that work in the toddler room. They are super funny and sweet.
Classes are inexpensive or FREE. Our daughter is in the Little Fishes swimming class and she had really improved in the past few weeks. She also stops by the gym afterwards for free playtime in which they pull out some gymnastics stuff and let the little ones bounce around. So cute.
I can’t wait for summer so we can check out the outdoor pool. The indoor pool is nice but generally crowded. The pool nazis are always in full force to make sure you don’t use any of their noodles (unless you are in the swim class). There is a fun whirl pool, a lazy river and a hot tub big enough to fit 30 sweaty senior citizens.

This post is about the pool.
I’m so excited to have a pool pass for the first time in 10 years! I went today and had a blast with my friends who were not members but ok with paying $ 10 to get in. We hit up the waterside at least 6 times, lapped the lazy river dozen times, raced in the lap pool, chilled in the beach pool, and ate some snacks! It was a great time. The only downside is that the pool only gets to be 3 feet deep (except for the lap pool which is 12 ft). None of us were really bothered with it though, we still had a blast. Another odd rule is that there are not inflatables allowed. Not sure why but many guests had noodles with them… although I didn’t see a noodle in the pool… hmmm. The other thing that bugged me just a little was that I was expecting to see healthier snacks at the snack bar for 2 reasons. 1. It’s a YMCA and they are all about being healthy and 2. the company that sells the snacks, Urban Eats, is all about healthy. They did have a salad and fruit offerings as well as a smoothie. Besides that there were the usual pool snacks: nachos, pizza, pretzels, candy bars, ice cream, and soda. All in all, I had a great time and plan to utilize my pool time this summer!

I hate to do this but… now that some time has past and I have spent more time here, I have to delete a star or two.
I enjoy working out but often something or other is broken or not working for some reason. Often the hot tub is closed or the steam room is not in use. Really makes me mad that things like that will be broke down for weeks.
I liked the swimming class but the instructor is a social butterfly and talks WAY to much, so you end up standing there waiting for her to SHUT UP so we can move on. I finally dropped out of the class and will go to the one on Sublet to swim.
It’s been disappointing, I had such great hope for this place.

I really do love this Y, it’s not your old school Y with a couple of lap lanes and a rec room. No this is the Y combined with a water park… inside and outside! I am excited and I don’t even have kids! As a swimmer I love having the option to take my lap work out outside and mix it up a bit. The outside pool has plenty of seating for sun worship and lazing if laps are not your thing. Also mention the great gym, tons of TV’s on the wall and on your cardio equipment piece of choice. Nice size free weight section and nautilus machines for those afraid to go it alone with the weights. Towel service is great addition too. OOOO did I mention the hot tub, steam room or sauna… yeah they got that as well. Love this Y, favorite place to act like a kid and get rid of some stress :)

GYM: 5 Stars
Indoor Pool: 4 Stars
Outdoor Pool: 3 stars
This YMCA was recently updated and has beautiful new weight equipment. I would definitely come to this YMCA over the south city location on Sublette if the Sublette location wasn’t closer to my house.
The indoor pool is very nice, and is similar if not better than the Sublette location as well.
As far as the outdoor pool goes, I was a bit disappointed. First, despite being a member of the YMCA you must pay an additional fee. Second, the «lazy river» is a small circle of flowing water, much smaller than other lazy rivers at say the Kirkwood pool, and they don’t have any rafts for you to ride on so you can’t really be «lazy.» Third, they will not allow any inflatable device in the pool, so our little one year old child couldn’t get in his inflatable turtle floatie that had a sunshade for him. We had to hold him the entire time. Lastly, the concrete used on the bottom of the pools has a lot of texture to it, obviously to prevent slipping, but it is so rough you may even want your kids to wear swimming shoes. Don’t let your kids fall to their knees because they will definitely scrape them up. Overall pretty disappointed. That being said, there is not much better option for city of St. Louis residents. Summer time is one time when I wish I lived in Webster or Kirkwood and could get into their nice community pools.

Love working out here! The facility is always clean, and the staff is friendly. I’ve been all different times during the day, and it’s never once been so crowded that I couldn’t use the equipment that I wanted to use. I love running on the track, but I also enjoy using the elliptical and the weights. Definitely one of the better YMCAs I’ve been to — not just in St. Louis but across the mid-​west.

This is by far the best ‘gym’ I have ever been to! I love love love this place but honestly, you have to see & experience it to believe it. 1^st of all, to call it a gym is misleading because it is so much more than just a gym. They have a swimming pool, day care, and rooms that can be used for arts and crafts, card games etc.

Love. Love. Love this gym. Every time I enter or leave I’m greeted with a friendly hello. I guess when gym-​goers scan they’re membership card as they walk in the Y has all this information that pops up because I went in after work on my b-​day and got a happy birthday greeting from the woman working the front desk. I like those little niceties.
Not only is the staff super friendly but the gym is really nice, new and clean too. Nearly all the aerobic machines have tv screens attached to them so I can watch my favorite guilty pleasure shows like Jerseylicious or Bad Girls while I work out. I feel like if I’m working out I deserve to watch some trash tv too.
The weight area is really well equipped as well with new machines and free weights that will help you sculpt and tone. If the machines are overwhelming and you don’t know what you’re doing the staff is more than willing to teach you how to use them.
The number of classes they have can be overwhelming, but it’s great that they have so many options. I’ve taken a few aerobic ones and my favorite so far is Zumba with Jeli. She makes it so fun! She also makes it look super easy. My only complaint is that it’s becoming too popular and the class size is getting a little out of hand.
They also offer classes that will help you in your daily lives. I took a women’s self defense class with Joel and after only 3 intense sessions the class is complete and I feel so much better prepared to defend myself if I had to. My hope is that they offer more classes like this.
They have a nice pool area as well. The inside pool is part of the Y membership, but unfortunately the outside pool is an additional fee. It’s great for the kiddies though and laying out.
If you’re looking for a large gym where the staff is friendly this is the place to go.

This review is for the pool only at the YMCA Carondelet Park Rec Plex… like Abby S, I’m a huge fan!
My sis and I brought her two young children here for a reprieve from the blistering heat. There’s plenty of lounge chairs if you wish to soak up the sun (some shaded by umbrellas), as well as a brand-​new, modern pool with all the stops: a water slide, lazy river and even a fun area with various misters for the kiddies to run through.
There’s a concession stand with soft drinks and light snacks, but I also noticed a few people set up shop at patio tables with what appeared to be BYO lunches.
My only gripe: my sister has a family pass but for me to come in as a guest, I had to pay $ 10. That’s somewhat hefty for a St. Louis city pool in my opinion! But, it is rather difficult to get pool privileges in the city vs. the county so maybe the price is fair if you factor in supply and demand. Still, it’s a beautiful pool and I know I’ll return with my family.

I’m officially a fan of the brand new pool at the Carondelet Rec Plex! It’s been too damn hot to visit up until a few days ago… but now that it’s not 99 degrees with 100% humidity, I had to go check it out!
First of all, the membership here is CHEAP! As a member of the Rec Plex, the summer pass for the pool was only $ 50! That’s right, only 50 bones. For the entire summer.
And you must know that this pool is new. Brand new. State of the art, with a huge water slide, lazy river, misters, etc. Love it! And they also have nice lounge chairs for members to use, as well as umbrellas for us old ladies who can’t sit in the sun for a long time.
Brought my laptop here on Tuesday afternoon and actually got some work done in the sun. The glare was a little intense, but it was still nicer than being cooped up in the house. Looking forward to going back this afternoon. Bring a towel and some sunscreen and join me!

The YMCA at Carondelet Park is a great gym. A recent renovation that was completed in November really steps up the amenities. The gym consists of a large cardio room (tread mills, elipticals, stationary bikes, etc), free weights, basketball/​volleyball courts exercise/​dance room, and two pools (1 indoor and 1 outdoor). The cardio room has plenty of machines. I have never had to wait for a machine. The indoor pool has 3 lap lanes, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi. There is also a giant waterslide for the kids that is open at certain times. The outdoor pool requires an additional membership.
Rates are very reasonable $ 46/​mo. You can save money if you sign up as a family which is about $ 65/​mo. Rates are different if you are not a city resident. Check to see if you get a discount from your employer.
By far the best part of the gym is the staff. They are super friendly. There are no employees who sit there with disapproving looks if your BMI is over 2%. They are always wonderfully helpful. I also like the fact that the YMCA has a stated mission to help the community. Profits are reinvested back into the community, not into some dude’s pockets. If you are a St Louis resident you should at least check it out.

I could go on and on about why I love this place, but I’ll just give you the headlines (ie why you should care)
It’s brand-​spankin’ new. Everything’s still shiny and clean, and when things are broken (it’s a gym; machines break. Even new ones.) they fix ‘em. Maybe that’s a normal thing, and I’ve just gone to cruddy gyms in the past (probably. cheap often = cruddy) but wow. Flat-​screen TVs in the cardio area, PLUS TVs on all the machines. Sweet!
Oh, and though I haven’t used it, the pool’s pretty darn swanky. Even waterslides and a lazy river for the kiddos. It’s a shame there aren’t more laps for swimming, though. DH sometimes has to split a lane if he goes during peak hours (and the lanes sometimes are occupied by various classes.)
It’s relatively inexpensive. While I wish they had a «couples» price, since the hubs and I pay the same price as we would if we had a handful of kids, it’s still a good deal. A good amount of the classes are included. WIsh the outside pool was included (it’s not open yet; they’re still working on it) but we’ll see how that shakes out. Seems like it’s going to be a pricey add-​on, and I wonder if the price will get lowered for members.
It’s plenty big. Even when it’s crowded, there’s plenty of available machines. I wish there were more small-​weight freeweights (Since, really, who’s lifting those super-​giant ones anyway?) but even that’s not a hugely big deal. The track gets crowded at times, though, so you sometimes have to navigate your way around the crowds of walkers if you’re running. No biggie (but wish they’d enforce the walk in the red lane, run in the gray lane rule a bit more)
The people who work there are nice, welcoming and helpful. It’s a Y, so no pushy sales people.
No contracts.
I see all kinds of people there. Young, old, fit, not-​so-​fit… Parents working out with their kids, people clearly training for races on the track when the weather’s lousy… older folks chatting it up in the pool. And people who are seriously working out. It’s this neat cross between a completely legit gym and a community center. I love it.