JCCSF Fitness Center — Local services in San Francisco

Don't bring your kids!

I was a long-term member at this facility. I used to use their beautiful facility 2-4 times per week, and before I had a child it was a great place to work out.

They have fresh towels, a nice hot tub, steam shower, sauna (currently, as is often the case, not working).

I went in yesterday ready to play basketball and swim with my 9 year old son.

After waiting 15 minutes to get checked in, and then filling out 10 more minutes of paperwork, they finally took my 40$ for my son and I to go use the facilities.

We went to the basketball court and every one was taken for practices. We then went to the gym and were rudely told that we have to come back when he is 13 years old. This is also the case with the hot tub (14), the sauna (when it works), and the steam shower.

We then went to the pool, as we were about to start swimming, he was asked to take a swim test. He was asked to swim a full lap (2 lengths) without touching the end wall in the middle.

He completed it, yet he was told that he is not allowed to swim. With a smirk he said "why don't you come back in a few weeks".

I have all the respect in the world for safety. I don't want anyone taking unnecessary risks. However swimming 2 full lengths without a break is something that some adults in the pool cannot do. The lane marker is not far away if needed in case of emergency, and I was going to swim in the lane with him.

Now, I don't know why the facility chooses to give full decision making power to this adolescent who seemed to be deciding irrationally based on his weird mood, because the way that he told my son with a smirk that he is not allowed to swim, despite my son being on a competitive swim team in a league, was absurd and a real setback.

I felt really hurt, dismissed. My son felt really "sad and pissed off".

So after 40 minutes of trying to use their facility, we found out that there wasn't anything that we can do there.

I will not...

This review is a bit longer, but I want to share how professional the entire team of managers and security personnel are at JCCSF.

I joined the JCC a few months ago, right after moving to San Francisco, and I truly enjoy coming here to work out. I also often take 15 minutes to relax in the sauna.

About 10 days ago, while in the sauna, I was harassed by a man who repeatedly called me a terrorist and shouted other racist slurs, and he kept on shouting in the locker room in front of many patrons. I immediately reported the incident to Todd Milton, the manager, and Alan Loyola, the chief of security. They both handled the situation with great professionalism and conducted a thorough investigation. Todd even called me later to check in and update me on the case, which I deeply appreciated.

As a pediatric intensive care nurse, I consider myself to have a thick skin, but I still felt compelled to press charges against the offender. The JCC is a space where children of many races and backgrounds come to learn, play, and grow. As a pediatric nurse, I feel a duty to protect and advocate for kids inside and outside the hospital. I can defend myself, but children cannot—and I would not have peace of mind knowing this man might direct such racist behavior toward a child and cause lasting harm.

I went to the police and pressed charges. While I don’t know what the legal outcome will be, I feel reassured knowing that the JCC revoked his membership and that the sheriff’s office is now involved. At the very least, he will think twice before acting this way again.

Thank you to Todd, Alan, and the entire JCC team for protecting the values of respect, inclusion, and safety that make this...

Just tried this place and decided to quit early because there are too many creepy people everywhere that you go. In the locker room, there is a "Chatty Cathy" Filipino man, a master of small talk, that won't leave you alone. In the same area, there is an old black man that lays on a bench while doing a stretching routine without cloths. After the place opens, it quickly turns into a massive daycare with toddlers running all around. The locker rooms, as well as the weight room, fill up with under aged youths. Other than that, the place is generally very clean with numerous amenities such as clean towels, sani wipes, drinking water, liquid soaps, etc. The steam room does quite well as you begin to perspire immediately upon entering. Go early to avoid the the onslaught of the little people and beware...