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Lake View YMCA
Rating Details »
Category: Gyms
Neighborhood: Lakeview3333 N Marshfield Ave
(between Lincoln Ave & Roscoe St)
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-3333
- Nearest Transit:
-
Paulina (Brown)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
24 reviews for Lake View YMCA
I cannot write enough great things about this YMCA facility, the staff and the weight loss program and incentives here. I have never felt so much a part of a community to better myself than at the YMCA Lake View. For the price, the hours they are open and the fitness areas, this is hands-down the absolute best bargain in Chicago.
They have just about all the equipment here that other gyms have--aerobic and anaerobic. At this location they have a few of the newer LifeFitness machines that allow you to track your progress online via a USB flash drive. Sweet. So you can upload your results and create treadmill and elliptical programs. Plus, there's a program called ActivTrax which is free to use and to consult with one of the many on-staff trainers. Yes, FREE. As in, I can consult with a trainer for a couple orientation sessions FREE. No, it's not a 20-minute orientation; my first session was an hour and a half! It's an actual program where they assist you with setting up a cardio & weight training program. Just what my fat butt needs!
OK, having written all that, there are a few caveats. The locker rooms are a bit, um...well, let's just say they'll take you back to high school gym class locker rooms. The disinfectant smells a little...but that's a good thing. The showers...well, at least the water pressure and temp is great and they have shower curtains. And I'm still getting used to having to take my own towels there. No biggie, though.
All in all, I am really happy here. I feel great that my membership dollars go to support so many great social and educational programs instead of some nebulous corporate entity like other gyms/clubs I've belonged to. Whether you're down on your luck or up with your weight, the YMCA Lake View is a fabulous place to change your life for the better.
I'm going to repeat what others have said-- for the price, there really isn't a better deal on a gym. Your membership gets you weights, cardio machines, access to basketball courts, a track, lots of classes, and a pool-- and you can visit all Chicagoland YMCAs just by joining one!
I'm not going to tell you it's the coolest gym around. Most of the machines don't have individual tv's and you might be forced into watching the food network for an hour while you kill yourself on the treadmill, trying to forget about food, but they do have a lot of new machines and it's never so busy that people are lining up for them.
Unlike other YMCA's I rarely find myself tripping over kids on my way to a workout, which is a relief. Anyway, if you're looking for an affordable gym with all the basics and none of the she-she frills, this is totally your place.
For the price, you really can't find a better gym. The employees (with one exception) are very friendly. Cleanliness---yep, it's always clean & tidy. Equipment---lots of cardio, and a decent (not great) selection of free weights. It can get busy around 6:00-7:00, but never overly crowded. Parking. Yep, they have free street parking (after 6:00P) and a parking lot that takes tokens (50 cents).
Once again, the price---$69 a couple---NO initiation fee! Clean, friendly gym. I recommend.
This isn't a review...but more of a plea for common sense.
----Attention MEAT HEADS AND WANNA BE MEAT HEADS in the free weight room----
Never in my life have I seen so many grown men in a gym not put their weights away when finished. Why is this? I notice alot of you chodes finish your reps and walk out the room like its all good....no sir, take those weights off the bar and put them back in the right spot. How hard is that? [/rant]
Other than that the place is like any other Y you will go to...little kids running around on the weekend, and old men in the locker room walking around naked. The cirlce of life.
Im a fan.
I was never really a gym person until this last year, so I don't need much in the way of frills in a place to workout. I need some weights and some machines, and a place to store my stuff. The Y in Lakeview meets all of these "fancy" demands for me.
Generally I get there between the hours of 8-10am and it's fairly uncrowded. I see a few familiar faces, get into my routine, get changed and leave. I never feel overwhelmed or like I'm being judged by the other patrons which can be the case in other gyms. It also doesn't seem to suffer from the drawbacks of other YMCA locations here in Chicago (i.e., kids running rampant in workout rooms, broken equipment, weird smell...)
For the uninitiated... There are 2 separate large rooms offering a variety of treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, stationery bikes, stair climbers, weight machines, etc. There is also a free weight room, and a second excersize room with benches, balls, some dumbells, and mats. The space is clean, well ventilated, not burning hot. There's no towels to be had, so bring your own.
Waiting for machines is definitely not an issue here, at least not at the hours I go. There are always plenty free and I have yet to experience anything that wasn't in working order. They may not be the newest model, top of the line, space age machines, but they serve their purpose and I get the same workout as some yo-yo in a fancy $100/month spot.
...and that's the final thing that attracted me to the Y. Sure I probably could afford a fancier gym at a higher premium, but with my job traveling for months at a time, it's more convenient for me to have a place that I pay on a monthly basis rather than sign a yearly contract for a spot I may end up not using.
I know they also have a pool, raquetball courts, and decent parking, although I don't use these.
I'm going to echo a lot of what has already been said here. The Lakeview YMCA is fantastic for the following reasons:
-cost. $47/month for an individual membership. they also offer a sliding scale if you don't make a lot of money/can't afford the $47/month. i've heard of it going down to as little as $25/month for some folks. call me a socialist, but i think "membership for all" is a pretty awesome philosophy.
-friendly staff: i'm on a first-name basis with a couple of the staffers here, mostly because i'm one of the few crazy people who come in at 530am to work out before work.
-no-frills/nonsense: i dont feel like i should put on a crapload of makeup before i go in to work out. there's no unspoken understanding that by going in and getting sweaty, i leave myself open to being hit on by gross dudes. while that may still happen, it's not expected.
-convenient: located closest to the currently closed paulina brown line station, it is also within walking distance of the southport and addison stops. close to the #9 ashland bus as well. there's lot parking, and if you buy tokens from the membership desk ($5 for 10 tokens or $10 for 20 tokens), parking comes out to 50cents per time! wowza! there's also metered street parking on marshfield south of roscoe, and free regular street parking on marshfield north of roscoe. the hours are pretty accommodating as well (530-11 m-f; 7a-9p saturday; 7a-7p sunday).
one last little anecdote: they have recently opened a new fitness room, which houses a bunch of treadmills, ellipticals, 2 rowing machines, and a variety of weight machines. one day after work i was doing my thing on an elliptical, and i noticed something smelled horrifically stanky. i don't know if it was the result of poor personal hygiene or possibly just flatulence, but whatever it was, it was really bad and distracting. after a few minutes, one of the housekeeping staff people walked through with some deodorizing spray, and it smelled like COOKIES! it was amazing. working out never smelled so delicious. it went from smelling really bad to really awesome in a matter of seconds...
Convenient, affordable and something for everyone.
The facilities are modest, but over the years have improved. I mainly use the pool these days for both lap swim and water aerobics classes, but I checked out the newer cardio room a few weeks ago... very nice!
The pool schedule can be a pain in the neck, because Lakeview accommodates the range of its membership: little kid classes, senior Arthritis Foundation approved water classes, older kid swm teams, private lessons, adult H2O conditioning and regular,ol' lap adult lap swimmers. I would love to get laps in early in the evening instead of waiting until 8-9pm. It is small pool (4 lanes and only 20yrds long) - so you either need to make peace with it (and make peace with sharing your lane. I'm looking at you black-swim-trunk-balding-dude-who-gave-me-the-stin k-eye-last-week) or move on.
Also, for those who travel outside the area (e.g. visiting family in Boston), your Lakeview Y membership entitles you access to other YMCAs for no-to-minimal fee.
I have flirted with other Ys - namely High Ridge and Leaning Tower - and their pools were a bit nicer (and regulation length), but something about Lakeview's charms - from using the cardio equipment in a gothic, wood-paneled room to the small, almost communal showers - that keeps me coming back.
Yay, I love the Lakeview Y!
Convenient: Check
Affordable: Check
Clean: Check
Friendly staff: Check
No contract: Check
Free classes (including yoga and pilates): Check
No girls wearing make-up and/or muscle building wannabes: Check
The list goes on. I mean, OK, the YMCA isn't perfect. There's no internet cafe or juice bar. There's no towel service or spa. There aren't state of the art machines that defy gravity. But people looking for that can spend $100 a month and workout elsewhere.
If you work for a large company, see if you're eligible for the corporate rate, which is just them waiving the initiation fee.
Forgive me my transgressions, Lakeview YMCA. I am fat and slovenly.
Lakeview YMCA opened Its' arms and held me against Its' ample bossom - into which I wept both tears of joy and sorrow - and just said, "Sshhhhh, I know. I know, my child."
This isn't really all that big an exaggeration. In addition to having a bottom that could blot out the sun, I've also needed an outlet for some cruddy feelings. I won't go into that so much but I will say that if you have self-esteem issues - GO HANG OUT IN THE YMCA LADIES' LOCKERROOM! (providing you're a lady)
This will make you feel hotter than Gisele... and maybe slightly ashamed of your own modesty. During the early hours the sheer quantities of saggy flesh, cellulite, varicose veins etc. will have you thanking God that your tits are still happily situated above your belly button. I'm not trying to look, ok? Lakeview YMCA makes it impossible not to. There's an enormous mirror at the end of every changing aisle and it seems to be the thing to just shower with the curtain open (you have to walk through the showers to get to the pool) and conduct entire conversations just as the good lord made ya.
There's a lady who I've seen every single day who I can only possibly refer to as "Naked Lady". I don't think she actually works out - she just comes there to be naked and takes delight in arranging herself in unsightly positions. Like standing in the A-stance, bent over at the waist to blow dry her hair - tush facing the doorway. Good times.
So this isn't Flirty Girl Fitness is what I'm saying. But thank Christ, too. No attitude, no "pole dancing class" (Ladies, you're not hot. You're a just a ho.), no ridiculous fees, no pick-up artists (craigslist missed connection M for W: "Hey I saw your hot ass on the eliptical at Bally's." YUCK.)
I take freakin' water aerobics with Joyce (on loan to this earth from heaven) and I love it. She'll remember your name after one class and croon "Happy Birthday" on your special day. Plus you get to listen to Buddy Holly and Elvis during your workout. Even if you're the youngest person in the pool by 35 years, you'll still feel the burn.
Also awesome are the Nia classes which might seem a little airy-fairy at first but will leave you feeling better than two weeks in detox. Try it - even if you're a dude.
I try to come here 4-5 days a week and for the first time in my life I actually look forward to working out. C'mmawwwwnnn, if you're thinking about joining a gym, save yourself some money and spare yourself the attitude of other gyms. Go YMCA.
I've got to give this place a shout-out. I've tried many gyms over the years, and they've all annoyed me in different ways. Bally's just flat out sucks, and their locations are inconvenient. XSport feels like somebody put a bunch of treadmills in the middle of the electronics section in a Wal-Mart and put each employee on commission. It seems like most gyms have some things going for them, but they all seem to have some pretty grating flaws.
That's not the case with the Lakeview YMCA. I grew up going to the Y, and it reminds me of why it was great to belong to one. The fees are low - the staff member who gave us a tour even explained how we could get a Family membership even if we weren't technically a family. They let us use the facility several times to decide, with no hassle, just great help.
The facility is a bit on the older side, but nothing is wrong with it - in fact, it's probably in better shape than some private gyms I've been to. They have something for everyone: aerobics studio, boxing room, racquetball, basketball, a small track above the basketball court, a nice cardio selection, free weights, plenty of weight machines, a pool, saunas, whirlpools, kids stuff, etc. I've never had to wait (no matter what time) to get on a machine here - and the treadmills all have TVs and there are other TVs in the cardio area too. But not overwhelming - just something to look at while you work out.
Sure, there's no $3 million dollar juice bar selling MUSCLE MILK and HGH here. But there's also not a ton of douchebags here either, just regular people like yourself.
If you'd like to join a fitness center that's actually a community, where you'll get to know people from different walks of life and have conversations with them, join the Y. People are nice here and it's a great place to work out.
Plus, if you're interested in where they Y gets its funding and the organizations that help contribute, check out: http://www.ymca.net/ab...
I dig it. I'm a fan of the YMCA. Very focused in what they do and they do it well. I've always had good experiences with any Y, now I just need to spend more time there!
I signed up this weekend and it was an easy process and it's a steal at $47 a month. (If you hurry and sign up before the end of the month, they'll waive the $47 initiation fee. Score!) I was signed up and on an elliptical machine in about 15 minutes.
Parking will be a breeze since they have their own lot.
The only bummer was that I didn't get a tour or a map or anything. I tell ya, this place is a complete maze of rooms. I only found one area of cardio equipment all lined up along windows. There were 8-9 treadmills, 7-8 ellipticals and 2 rowing machines. There has to be more cardio equipment, right?
Can't wait to explore more and take a spinning class to kick my ass back into me "five year ago" shape.
My partner and I signed up for this gym at the couples-family price of 69/month. It's only $46 for individuals. I really do not understand why anyone else in the Lakeview/Roscoe Village area would sign up for another gym, like Xsport, unless they wanted the 24/7 functionality of xsport.
Reasons I love the YMCA:
(1) LOADS of modern cardio machines. I never have to wait in line.
(2) Body types from A-Z. There are plenty of really fit types, lots of those of us in the middle, and some just embarking on a first fitness plan. ALL are welcome and I never see any snotty stares or looks if someone is struggling on a machine.
(3) Staff is very friendly.
(4) Rachel K. teaches the best spin classes. Her Spin 101 classes are taught with care and concern, as well as excitement and an awesome folky-indie-pop soundtracks. She showed me how to use the bike at my first class without making me feel like an idiot. Awesome!
(5) Hours are great from 5:30am-11pm.
(6) You get to feel great because you see all the other YMCA outreach efforts taking places like kids classes for those in the community, to housing for the mentally ill, and events for those in need.
Join the YMCA !
I worked out at the Lakeview YMCA a few years ago and stopped going. I started back up again at the beginning of this year and was happy to see some improvements. They replaced much of the equipment (treadmills, weight machines, added some machines).
I think the staff is pretty friendly for the most part and I like that it's never overly crowded and it's very affordable. My biggest complaint would be the locker room and shower area. The lockers can be a bit gross sometimes. While I think the staff could do a better job of cleaning them, I also can't believe that patrons use the lockers as a trash receptacle. The showers don't ever feel completely clean to me but I just choose not to shower there and shower at home instead.
If you're just going to the gym to get in your cardio and weights I think this is a good place and a good deal. However, if you're looking for frills you may not be happy here.
First, let me give a nod to the trend in public entities that allows domestic partners to have the same rates, etc. as married couples. I know it was made for the gay community, but my fiancee and I benefit even though we're not married yet. In other words, the Y is cheap, and I like it.
The equipment is the same you'll get at any of the pricey gyms in the area, but you have to go to LPAC for a pool, and nobody else has racquetball, both of which are free at the Y. They're also always improving it. My fiancee loves Mondale's classes, but I'm a solo workout guy.
There's also parking, which is nice in the winter when you live more than a couple blocks away.
The building is old, but retro-fitted pretty well. It can get hot, but they'll open a couple windows, and you can deal with it, especially at the bank of treadmills.
Overall, the Y is a great value, and a place with a mission. There's actually a small intrinsic satisfaction in joining the Y instead of a gym, since you know they help so many kids and so many of the underserved. And where else can you walk into the locker room and hear a naked old man say (and I quote) "You know, they say you shouldn't hang meats anymore."
On the down side, I wouldn't get into that hot tub for all the money in the world. It looks a little funky.
I think I've been a member going on 5 years. I've been an ACTIVE member maybe 1.5 of those years... I guess that's enough to comment.
I love this Y. I love almost every Y I've been to though, b/c I know that I'm giving back to the community every month. The staff is always nice. The parking lot is cheap (10 tokens for $5?, I think) - and unless you come around 10am there's almost always a spot.
Instructors that I've had have been good. I've only ever been in one class where the instructor hasn't shown and she's no longer employed there, so my guess is that they nipped that one in the bud.
- Montana helped me out with five sessions of personal training earlier this year. He didn't waste a lot of time getting started and had a plan for me before I showed up. He's not intimidating, and when he doesn't make me do really ridiculous looking exercises in the middle of a crowded weight room, I actually like my workouts. He's a big goof but pretty helpful and he's not easily deterred by cussing/whining/moaning.
- Mondale is a drill sgt, but really likeable. When I'm brave enough to show up (which is almost never), I know that he will MAKE me work, and will tease me mercilessly if I don't. Hey, that's motivating. If you're the kind of person who really needs someone to TELL you to workout, he's your guy.
- Liz/Dre teach a Total Body Challenge class on Sunday mornings that is KILLER. It's an hour and a half and you will hurt - but, when I work my schedule out I'm hoping to start making it regularly because that class alone could probably whip you into serious shape.
- Rachel teaches an afternoon spin class on Tues/Thurs. I'm a spin novice but she was really friendly and made me feel comfortable right off the bat. She has some great music selections - kinda alt/indy/pop. Not what I would imagine most spin classes are used to...
- The water aerobics instructors get a so-so rating. I think it depends on their mood... one of the guys is aloof, one of the girls never gets in the pool. I don't mind, but I could see how either of those things could bother some people. The little old ladies in your class will make up for them tenfold! So cute bobbing around... And the aquatics manager is really nice, for what that's worth. (Incidentally, swim lessons are dirt cheap if you're a member - something like $54 for 8/30 minute sessions.)
There's hardly ever a line for the cardio equipment, unless you show up right at rush hour or it's January when everyone's still honoring their New Year's Resolution. The weight equipment is more congested, they have about one of each of the weight machines, so you can definitely get stuck mid-circuit. Free weight room is easier to get around in... and not as many 'grunters' as most gyms.
There's another free weight room just off the women's locker room, which I'm more comfortable using than the co-ed room upstairs... but it's pretty close confines if more than three of you have the same idea.
And, most importantly, it doesn't feel like a meat market. I see a lot of the same faces and a lot of the staff has been there forever. The membership fees are really low in comparison to other options AND you're giving back to the community.
This place does it for me. It pretty much has everything I need - decent cardio equipment which I've never had to wait for, and with the recently completed expansion, plenty of room for free weights and ab work. Free classes that fit my schedule. My only complaint? I am not a fan of their brand of weight machines. Other gyms I've belonged to have had higher quality, better "fitting" equipment for my body. The locker room is alright - nothing fancy. I live 2 blocks away so showering here isn't really an issue...
I have to give credit to the Y for providing a great low-cost option. A monthly membership here is 1/2 to 1/3 what it would be at other gyms in town, and it's month-to-month so you can cancel any time you want.
The trade off comes with the facility quality. They have a good number of treadmills (of varying quality), but not nearly enough weight equipment or benches. There is also a major ventilation problem in the weight room as well as the hallways. The weight room is hot and stuffy--during the summer months it becomes downright uncomfortable--and predicting the odor in any particular hallway makes a fun guessing game (well, it was cigarette smoke last time... ooh now it's bacon and a Hot Pocket!). I think the Y's price tends to attract people who aren't of the gym rat mindset, so workout etiquette is not the best. Many people treat the weight machines as a seat to rest up for their next set.
Parking is usually pretty good, but can get tough depending on the time of day.
The price is right. But this place is insanely overcrowded. If you join, try very hard not to work out anytime between 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Yes, many gyms are crowded during these peak hours. But not only are the cardio machines of choice generally full, you almost always have to wait in line to use circuit weights. I literally couldn't get on the leg press or the abductors at any point in an entire hour, and that's a common experience. There are only a few hand weights between the 3-8 pound range, and they're usually gone.
I'd give them 2 stars for the price. But for unknown reasons, the Y is doing a membership drive right now, which is guaranteed to make the crowding even worse.
I've been a member here for two years, and really only use the pool (swimming is my main workout) -- so this review is essentially a comment on the quality of the pool and the men's locker room. The pool is 20 yards long, (as opposed to the standard 25, so adjust accordingly) generally clean, and only crowded during the 6pm lap swim (late evenings you can usually get your own lane for an entire workout). The men's locker room is -- as Larry David would say -- an "olfactory nightmare". I'll leave it at that. Membership is reasonable (much less than LPAC or Bally's), and the facility has decent free weights, aerobics equipment, a basketball and racquetball court, etc. So if you're not keen on spending top dollar at a yuppie meat market gym, this place should be fine for your needs. But, as always, you get what you pay for.
I'm a pretty big fan of this YMCA, I've not had to wait on a piece of equipment since I started going here, and I go around 6-8pm most days. The weight room is small, but I haven't had a problem getting a bench or dumb-bells. There is plenty of cardio equipment, and the basketball and racquetball courts are fairly decent. For the $46 a month it costs for membership, I think this is a better deal than most of the private gyms that only offer weights and cardio machines (or tanning beds...) plus, you can feel better knowing that you are giving back to the community....
The Lakeview Y is unique, fun and very much a neighborhood place. A lot of what that means is that it's influenced by the community and members as much as the staff. And the community is great.
A few examples...
- The Pilates instructor was running late one day so what did we do? We started doing warm-up exercises until she got there, led by a long-time student. We're all late to work some days.
- The cardo machines can be crowded (this doesn't effect me much because I'm rarely there at rush hour), but as a whole I've observed everyone being very respectful of the 30-minute limit. People wipe down their machines.
- The staff is mostly young and very likely underpaid. They've always been great to me and I see that a lot of the true regulars seem to be buddies with the staff- a good sign.
- This is a real neighborhood Y, with kids' programs, people in their 80s on bikes in Chucks and dudes you saw on stage at the Beat Kitchen last week trying to get in shape. If you like your neighborhood, you'll like this place.
- The building is old, odd and winding, with lots of stairs and yes, there is a fireplace and wood paneling in the cardio room. I think that's kind of cool.
If you're looking for a good place to work out and not many amenities besides what you'd get by having all the equipment you want in your home, this is the place for you. I live almost right next door so can't comment on the cleanliness of the showers or locker room but in general I feel it's a clean place.
Kind of like Average Joe's Gym in "Dodgeball," if you want spandex, hot bodies and tunes head next door to Xsport and pay for it. If not, we'll take ya as you are.
This is a fine place to workout. Nothing fancy, enough cardio machines, a nice, private stretching room with free weights in the ladies' locker room. A slight problem with mold/mildew in the hallway of the locker room - but I don't spend too much time in there so I don't find it a problem. Nice, normal people there (members) and the staff has always been friendly for the most part. Reasonable rates and free classes for members.
The weight machines...that's where I have a gripe. They are made by "TechnoGym". What? Yes, that's TechnyGym in Italy! Fancy!
Whatever. Those machines are sized for a 6'4" man with super-broad shoulders. I'm a 5'8" woman and my elbows, legs and arms just don't fit properly on the pads/parts when I use those machines. Give me LifeFitness or Cybex machines. They are adjustable and very comfortable to use. Ugh. Frustrating.
Other than that. Good facility for the money. And I love the wood paneling and fireplace in the small cardio room. Great. (did some research and can't find out what the building was used for before the YMCA moved in)
I love the aquarobics class at this Y with Joyce. I love working out with the little old ladies. Its hilarious and a real workout. The gym facilities are good as well. The pool is a little small, so I wouldn't want to swim laps there, but its fine for aquarobics. Plus I doubt the really beastly lifeguard still works there!
I admit it, I am not an athlete. In fact I trip over the lines in the lino. I have always been intimidated by sports, athletics, walking, however I feel strangely comfortable at the Y. Maybe it's the little old ladies that I can lap in the very clean pool. Maybe it's the friendly and only moderately drill sargent like instructors. Lisa is great, very encouraging. I'll do crunches for her, that's saying a lot. The equipment has recently been updated in the cardio room. And there are stained glass windows in there too. Try and get that at X sport. In the weight room nobody leaves 2000 pound weights on the bar. And added bonus there is a cool down room in the ladies locker room so I don't have to roll around on the ground like a idiot in the middle of the gym. The personal trainers are inexpensive and a basic workout plan is free. Classes are good. Nothing too fancy, no belly dancing or stripper classes, but yoga, pilates, spinning and cardio dance are all good. Plus the Y does so much for the community that I feel good about being a member even when I slack off and don't go.
