Fort Collins Senior Center — Local services in Fort Collins

Don't be fooled. This isn't a dedicated "senior center". It's not consistently open. Sometimes sketchy clientele and parking.... Even with my corporate discount I pay 3x's what I would at some local 24hr gyms. Yet, it's frequently closed for other events. It's like you pay for daily use, but they rent it out from under you. When you get out of bed early specifically to go work out and find it closed for a star trek convention, it's frustrating. And when they tell you that you can go work out at one of their other facilities (on the other side of town) that just pisses you off. Lately, there's a lot of sketchy dudes reeking of smoke and BO, covered in bad prison tattoos, just hanging out on equipment and their phones at the same time. I'm wondering if there's a halfway house nearby. I'm sure it's good for them to get out. Not necessarily good for the rest of us. IMO it should be age restricted to like 40 or 50+ and if someone with that status wants to bring a younger child, grandchild, caregiver etc they could do so on the family pass. The parking can be problematic. I constantly see people parking there, then walking to nearby businesses and apartments. This leads to a shortage of spaces and unwanted traffic/activities. The custodial staff does a good job. They deserve some...

The staff (which changes somewhat over time) is mostly pretty nice. The facility is also relatively nice. There's no redundancy in Gym equipment so you may be waiting a while. The people who use the senior center can be a mixed bag and that can effect your experience there. Most are, as you would expect, good natured senior citizens. Some middle aged people like me. And then there's some oddballs. Men in their 20's covered in poor quality gang tattoos and stinking of cigarettes. I suspect there's a halfway house of some type near by. People of various demographics that don't understand gym equipment or gym etiquette and hog pieces of equipment for long periods of time and use it in amusing albeit unsafe ways. Those who don't wipe down equipment after using it. Etc. Other gyms around town are significantly cheaper. If you're going to take silver sneakers classes or something, you get a discount with the city membership and at that point it's a better value. The TVs are tuned into legacy mass media news and crappy daytime programs, so...

I've been working out here for years now. It was recommended to me by a PT after my spinal injury. I, an autistic person, was delighted to find that this gym is very sensory friendly. Low lights, no music playing, everyone dressed normally and lifting responsible weights, lots of people tending injuries or mobility issues, no grunting, no creepy behavior, no one talking. I could get in and out with only a polite smile to the front desk employee and no other interactions.

It has changed. The gym was swarming with people today, none of them seniors. Several men grunting so loudly they sounded like they were fighting a bear. Two guys having a conversation at full volume, which I have never ever heard before. People normally whisper or don't speak here. It was like any other gym. I actually cried and cut my workout short. Most days being autistic is a mild inconvenience. Somedays things like this make it feel like there is no safe place for you in the...