Ed Isakson/Alpharetta Family YMCA — Attraction in Alpharetta

I've agonized for over a month and finally decided to post my experience here because I'd want someone else to warn me.

I've been coming to this Y since 2018, it's pretty middle of the road when it comes to Y gyms. I travel for work so I've been to quite a few. Most have saunas in the locker rooms which would probably have avoided the discomfort and abject horror of the experience I had at this Y. I do want to give my honest opinion of the facility but you can skip to ⚠️ for reason I can't give this Y more than one star.

🏋‍♂️ The Gym Area Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The gym area is alright on a slow day. The equipment would often break down and stay broke but they got an upgrade at the beginning of 2024 though as the equipment gets old I anticipate the same problem only worse because the upgrade also resulted in a significant downsizing. They have fewer machines than in the past but the new ones are very nice.

🏊‍♂️ Pool Area Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The indoor pool's smaller than some of the Ys I've been to. I've been asked to move on multiple occasions as I was just treading water and doing stretches, cuz there's no room for free swim. I mostly just sat on the edge to cool off to avoid the hassel.

The outdoor pool is def the main attraction of this Y. It's very nice and family friendly. I'm a younger looking curvier afab person of color and while I've def been stared at and had people complain about my swimsuits I rarely feel unwelcome in the pool area.

The whirlpool is broken p often. I don't use it a whole lot but would if I wasn't prepared for it to be roped off every third or so time I'm at the gym.

The steamroom is better than many Y steamrooms when it actually responds to you pressing the button. And while on the smaller side the sauna is always nice and hot.

🚸 Daycare/Classes Rating: N/A I don't have kids so 🤷🏾 If you have a lil rock climber this Y does have a wall.

I don't take any classes but I see the older gals doing swim aerobics and it looks pretty chill.

🛜 Amenities Rating: ⭐️⭐️ The common amenities other Ys have this one doesn't ie towels, bags for your wet stuff, headphones. The wifi is serviceable but doesn't work downstairs in the locker rooms. The locker rooms do have blowdryers, soap, shower caddies, fans and one of those centrifuge water extractors for your swimsuit.

I recently discovered that the men's locker room doesn't have partitions in the shower area with 0 dressing rooms which is weird considering the women's locker room does and the family locker area has individual rooms. My partner is incredibly uncomfortable showering with ppl just walking by 😬

🛎 Customers Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Before my ordeal I'd say the customer service is nothing special. I did have one member of staff kinda clock my comings and goings and compliment my looks more than I felt comfortable with but everyone else is helpful and friendly.

⚠️ TW: SA I've had one other weird experience where a dude invaded my personal space and kind of just wrote off as just one weird guy but this place seemingly doesn't care about the security of its members.

July 21, 2024: I was in the sauna and this stocky white guy comes in and sits way too close to me. He tells me his name is Ivan and it's obvious he has an intellectual disability so I try to be nice to him without allowing him to continue to invade my personal space. I'm friendly despite wanting to be left tf alone. He starts touching me and I tell him if we're friends he wouldn't touch me that way, he runs when I actively recoil when he tries to see under my bottoms.

I'm running out of space so long story short, I tell a lifeguard that he's kind of assaulting people and he later follows me into the locker room. They say he's 18 so he can wreak unsupervised havoc, but either he's disabled and needs his handler or is a grown man assaulting people. He's still there after I finish working out so that shows you how much staff care about keeping the facility and its members safe. I had another panic attack when I saw him and left...

As current members, we are writing to express our deep concerns and disappointment with several ongoing issues we’ve experienced. While we appreciate the efforts of your staff, our experience so far has been far from satisfactory. We hope this feedback will be taken constructively, as we genuinely want to see improvements.

App and Login Issues The digital systems, especially the member login portal, are extremely unreliable. During my first login, I saved the QR code, but on subsequent attempts—even with the correct credentials—I was repeatedly denied access. The reset process is confusing and loops between screens without resolution. When I sought help at the front desk, staff were unsure how to assist and advised me to come back later. Eventually, I gave up and relied solely on the saved QR code to check in.

Poor Front Desk Support for Event Enrollments When trying to enroll my children in events, I waited at the front desk for over an hour only to be told to send an email instead. It was disheartening to see how uninformed the front desk was, despite their genuine attempts to help. I've noticed that others face similar delays, often sitting for long periods to resolve basic queries. This process needs streamlining and proper training.

Non-Functional Facilities One of the two sauna rooms has been out of service for over a month. There's been no update or repair, which affects the experience of members who regularly use it.

Overcrowded Swim Training The swim training sessions appear severely understaffed—there were 16 to 17 children being supervised by just one instructor. While we understand this is a budget-friendly program, even the most basic expectations of safety and instruction quality must be met.

Lack of Pool Rule Enforcement Despite having clear signage about pool rules, including hygiene and clothing standards, they are rarely enforced. We've seen infants in the pool with improper swimwear, which raises safety and cleanliness concerns. It seems no one is monitoring pool usage during peak hours.

Parking Issues During Peak Times Residents from the neighboring apartment often use the YMCA parking lot to access the greenway. While we understand community sharing during off-peak hours, this becomes a serious issue when it impacts member parking during busy times. There should be clearer signage or enforcement during high-traffic periods.

📌 Recommendation YMCA needs to make significant improvements in its digital application systems, staff training, process management, and facility maintenance. We hope our feedback encourages you to take action toward creating a better experience for all members.

Thank you for your time and...

Deserves no stars I am deeply saddened and utterly disgusted by the treatment my son received at the hands of the this YMCA, an organization supposedly guided by Christian morals. It breaks my heart to see that in this day and age, reminiscent of the tragic case of Emmett Till, my son was asked not to come back simply because another child didn't like the way he looked at her.Instead of addressing the issue with sensitivity and understanding, the director callously informed us that our son was no longer welcome at the facility. There was no investigation, no opportunity for my son to defend himself, just a cold rejection based on a superficial perception.The lack of accountability and empathy displayed by the director is appalling, especially within an organization that claims to uphold Christian values of love, compassion, and acceptance. It's horrifying to think that in a supposedly progressive society, my son can be rejected solely because an innocent glance that someone didn't appreciate.We reached out to the central office in search of justice and resolution, but our pleas fell on deaf ears. This indifference only serves to highlight the systemic issues of discrimination and inequality that continue to plague our society.How do you explain to a child that they are not accepted simply because of who they are? How do you tell them that their worth is diminished because of someone else's prejudices? These are questions that should never have to be asked in a just and inclusive society.This experience serves as a stark reminder of how far we still have to go in the fight for civil rights and genuine acceptance. It's a wake-up call that discrimination is still very much alive, lurking beneath the surface of our supposedly enlightened world. We must continue to stand up against such injustices and strive for a future where every child is valued and accepted for who they are, regardless of the color of their skin or the way they look at someone, especially within organizations that claim to uphold...