YWCA Minneapolis - Midtown — Local services in Minneapolis

Okay, I want to give this place 4.5 stars, but that's not an option, I'm going to err on the high side.

Positives: Bodies of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages, colors, and abilities. As a person of size, I was super intimidated at the idea of going to a gym. But I didn't feel judged or out of place. Including standing on the pool deck.

Everyone one on staff is very polite and tends to 'stay in their lane,' but is generally friendly when you approach them. For me, that's perfect. If you're someone who wants staff who initiate small talk and approach you instead of waiting for you to approach them, you might find them a little distant. Again, for me personal, having some mental space is a feature, not a bug. (note: this doesn't apply to kid care staff, I don't have kids)

I feel more connected to my community since I joined. That's sort of an intangible positive, and I can't even really explain why, but it's a nice feeling.

They've taken steps to try and make sure there's always parking for members, as there's a volunteer who monitors incoming traffic to make sure everyone has their parking permit. I've gone on the weekends and never had a problem with parking.

Okay, now the handful of negatives: I have a really hard time finding out information. There's no new member handbook (that I was given), and while I did do the new member orientation, and got a guided tour before I joined, I still felt like I didn't know all the "rules," or even some of the potential services (long term locker rental? I think that's a thing, but I can't find any actual info.) I'm sure asking would answer some of my questions... but I wish the information was available in print.

Okay, now, the big (but admittedly temporary) thing: The locker rooms. As of May 29th 2018, the actual locker rooms have been closed for remodel. I understand why, and I'm sure I (and everyone else) will be super happy when the remodel's finished, but in the mean time... the workaround is... not good. Temporary changing rooms have been set up in the sports arena. There's less privacy than usual, even for a locker room, and no "all gender" changing area. The solution for anyone who might need an "all gender" changing area (whether it be a family of mixed ages and genders, or an individual who isn't comfortable in the binary option) is two divided off rooms, only accessible by going -through- the mens or women's changing area. The changing area is separate from the bathroom and shower area. The shower area only has two stalls that are barely usable. There is water everywhere in the bathroom from the swimmers, which I'm sure is maddening to the basketball players trying to use the toilet, ending up with wet court shoes. The changing rooms are physically as far from the pool as you can get. So if you're a swimmer, you're parading through the entire sports arena in your swimsuit.

All of that would be tolerable, for a month. But this remodel is slated to finish August 31st! 3 months! I'm hoping like heck that that is the 'worse case scenario' timeline, and that it'll actually be done in a month.

I did, 100%, know this going in, though it was poorly communicated to longer time members (many were expressing shock the day of the change). It is temporary, and the locker rooms definitely needed a face lift. But if you're thinking of joining especially if you're a swimmer, I'd wait until August 31st. If you're reading this after August 31st, I'm sure the new locker rooms are beautiful, and you can disregard the warning.

I do really love this place, joining was a great decision. And I can't wait until we have some gorgeous new...

I've been a member of the YWCA for a long time now. But I'm finally moving out of the neighborhood, and so I've got a chance to write the full review. People comment a lot about how nice this gym is (for an "inner-city" gym), but I'm pretty sure that the YWCA would hemorrhage users if they had any actual competition in the area.

The parking situation is terrible. They require the members to be fiddling with placards (and not something sane, like a sticker) to park in their lot. But it's a placebo placard; it's never enforced and events in the attached gym frequently crowd out membership parking with no repercussions.

All of my favorite trainers have either left or are in the process of leaving. Why? They (along with the KidZone, front desk, and custodial staff) universally complain that the management is horrendous and that the pay is low. So many of my trainer friends have left for gyms that pay significantly better, leaving classes to be taught by inexperienced trainers.

The locker rooms are disgusting, and should have been remodeled a decade ago. I see a lot of complaints about the men's room, but the women's is just as bad. The shower heads have terrible pressure and look like they haven't been updated since the 80's.

The response cards are usually completely ignored. I've gotten a response to them once, out of the dozen or so that I've filled out over the years.

The KidZone staff are constantly annoyed at how little management offers them. The pay isn't great, and they lack basic things that even tiny churches can afford, like a pager system to reach parents.

Their pricing is impossibly opaque. It's not on their website; you basically have to go in and get the hard sell to find out the prices. I've even had staff members ask me how much I pay for my family membership. They require "30 days notice" to leave, for no apparent reason. It's a couple clicks in the computer to stop billing you, but the contracts are worded simply so they can bill you for an extra month. If you've paid for March and try to cancel at the beginning of the month? Too bad, you get to pay for all of April as well.

TL;DR:

Good: Great floor / front desk / KidZone staff.

Bad: Poorly managed, equipment is dated, parking is terrible, locker...

I am soon ending my membership here after 15 years. It had really gone downhill in my opinion. From the arrogant Saturday Yoga teacher/Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor to the dirty locker rooms and rude front desk people and clientele, this place is not worth the monthly membership fee, unless you're on a scholarship. The other day, I went to the Y to sit in the sauna and shower. When I went in to use the bathroom, I see a huge photo of one of the members I am acquainted with, dressed in a tank and showing his muscles as I sat down to do my business. It felt very intrusive to have such a photo at eye level in a woman's bathroom stall. The caption read, "Age 38, body age, 28" or something like that. It was an ad for Polar Body Age testing at the Y. First of all this Polar Body Age is very controversial and considered somewhat of a scam by many. I mean how can fat content and heart rate tell how young a person's body is. Shouldn't it consider the health of internal organs, tissues, collagen, skin, etcetera. The hope is that people will take this test, freak out about their "body"s age" and then sign up for personal fitness programs. This is pretty unscientific and scammy for a non-profit, so say the least. The photo of the fitness member all over the place is disgusting as well, but particularly disgusting hanging at eye level in the women's bathroom stalls. Who is...