Lawrence Family JCC

I’m reviewing this from a facility standpoint (my non profit group meets here).
I love the way that the building is well organized and marked and the staff is very friendly and supportive. They are very accommodating and make sure that everything is in place to make sure we were comfortable. The security team keeps traffic moving for big events.
The only downside I’ve encountered so far is parking. While there are two parking lots (front and back), they fill up fast with all the constant activities. You’ll have to drive the entire length to see if there are any available. Usually the front goes first, so it might be worthwhile to start in the back lot.

they have the best basketball leagues in town. they give you the best value for your money. they give you more playing time than other leagues.

We took a balance and fall prevention class with Michelle and she was terrific. We might sign up again it was such a good class because we got individualized attention and everything was geared to the level we were each capable of working and learning.

I come here to workout and I like that it is a real gym without people chatting or flirting with each other. The equipment is decent and the olympic sized pool is a huge draw for lap swimming. Tennis courts are great too. My issue is with the organization and cleanliness of the gym. Spray bottles with disinfectant are located throughout the gym which I suppose members are supposed to use to wipe down the equipment but they only provide a nasty rag to do that with. I don’t even want to touch it and apparently neither does anyone else because I have never seen a single person in the gym use the spray bottles and provided «rag». That means the gym equipment is not cleaned between users. YUCK! I suppose one could use the complimentary towels that are provided to wipe down equipment but on several of my most recent visits, they were out of clean towels. Plus these towels are meant to use on our faces and bodies, not on equipment with chemical cleaners. At my home, I separate my bath towels from my cleaning towels because of the toxic chemicals. So, the last time I wiped down a machine before I used it, (with a bunch of paper towels), I received dirty looks from a trainer nearby who sadly had to inhale the toxic chemicals that were released as I sprayed the provided cleaner. I felt bad for her but NO WAY do I want to get ill from unsanitary equipment! I understand this is a community center and not a luxury gym, so I would never complain about the design or other trivial items. Please, just get the sanitation under control, provide a better way for members to regularly wipe down their equipment and I will give my JCC the 5 stars it really deserves. It would make me very happy to update this review once positive steps are implemented to solve these issues.

I’ve been swimming here every day for the last 15 years. They have great facilities and I really enjoy taking their music and opera appreciation classes. I would high recommend the JCC to anyone looking for a well rounded recreation center.

I love the new Bean at the J!

I had a membership here for about a year, although I only took advantage of the free fitness classes, which were great. The instructors were very good. After a few times you start recognizing the same people in the classes The gym facilities were nice, although it could get a bit crowded at peak times. The JCC always seemed hopping with events, whether it was swim classes or basketball practice or yoga classes. I don’t know if I would pay extra for classes when there are a good number that are offered for free but I found the membership to be a good value. The whole center does close for Jewish holidays though, so make sure to check their calendar before heading over.

This review is for the tennis courts only. The JCC has 4 tennis courts with a blue surface that are well maintained. They are swept and clean, no leaves, dirt, pebbles, nor tennis ball lint. Fences separate each of the courts to provide barriers against errant balls. There are also a couple of water coolers on the courts, a nice bonus on hot days when you’re parched and have gone through your whole water bottle.

Nice blue tennis courts, easy parking, but there are only 4 courts, and you have to reserve them in advance. The first two courts closest to the entry gate are reserved for teaching, so basically you are vying for 2 courts with everyone else who lives in the neighborhood. Busy on a sunny Saturday morning. Excellent courts, but who plays tennis for just an hour? (The 3 stars is only for the tennis courts– I have no experience with anything else the JCC has to offer here.)

I joined the JCC to swim laps in the outdoor pool and to use the stationary bicycle in the gym. I chose the JCC because it has a very family-​friendly atmosphere, and I feel comfortable there amongst the children, the seniors, and the athletes. It’s a great mix of people. I also enjoy the fact that it’s possible to find a less crowded time to swim laps. In the past I have tried other pools which didn’t really have any less crowded times.
There are always a few lanes for members only to swim laps. The pool is heated, although it’s October now and the air is slowly getting cooler.
There is a kiddie pool as well, and I used one of my guest passes for my granddaughter once. She enjoyed splashing in the warm kiddie pool. I was only given a small number of free guest passes. After that I will have to pay $ 15 a day for my guests.
The membership office gave me a fair deal for my membership price. Ask if you are eligible for any discounts. The JCC is open to anybody who wants to sign up for a membership.
The showers don’t have as much water pressure as my shower at home. So I don’t use their showers very often. They are ok.
The locker room and bathrooms can be a little bit wet and messy, but I can live with that.
I like the sauna, as it’s nice to warm up after a swim on a cool day.
The JCC also offers a variety of classes for children, teens, and adults. I haven’t tried the classes yet.
Staff is always friendly and helpful. There is also a Peet’s coffee on site. (-;
Parking can be a challenge but I usually get a spot since I like to go when it’s slower if possible.

This review is for the pool only since it’s the only thing I’ve used at this facility.
The pool is conveniently located close to my work. The hours are reasonable since I only swim early in the morning. I believe on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the lanes are 50 meters while on other days they are 25 meters. The facility is clean and the people are really nice and accommodating. I recommend the pool to all my swim buddies and to you.

I love JCC. They have both recreational (basketball court, gym, pool) and cultural (theater and library) facilities. They even have a café! Not sure about the hours of the café, probably whenever I am not there cos I never see them open.
Their gym is decent, clean and sanitized. Bigger than the one in your clubhouse but smaller than 24-​hour fitness. No kettle bells :-(
The best part is the Olympic sized heated pool! I can’t stand tiny teeny pools.

Don’t let the name «Jewish Community Center» make you feel sheepish. It’s a community center that happens to have been founded by Jewish patrons, that’s all, and all are welcome at this, the greatest community resource in UTC !! This place is essentially very similar to a YMCA if that makes you feel more comfortable about it.
The people and groups that operate here have been nothing but WONDERFUL to us for the past 8 years of our lives. We started at the Nierman preschool and our kids learned a ton (including finishing our potty training for us in ~4 weeks), and later on our kids swam for the Barracudas beginner’s swim team, and now we swim for the NCA Swim Team which is the most successful team in the county, based at the JCC. We have also used the gym and there are many summer sports programs for kids at the JCC, too.
The place is so successful that everyone wants to come here, hence, the parking lot is always overcrowded and the spaces have been painted to be as small as possible. This is the only bad thing I can say about the JCC, so I am detecting one tenth of one star from my rating !! Well done !!!

I love this pool when the UCSD one is closed. The lanes are big, and the people who swim there are nice.
Whenever the UCSD pool is closed, the JCC lets us swim there for free, which is awesome :)

This is a review on the extracurricular leagues that the JCC puts together.
I play softball on the Tuesday night co-​ed league. The fields are well kept and the umpire is consistent. The fees are good and were actually lowered this season. The only thing is that not a lot of people know that the JCC sponsors these and allows pretty much anyone with the funds and who follows the rules to play. If there were more teams it would be a lot more competitve. Right now its just for fun.
ALso-​they stopped letting us drink beer on the bleachers. It’s probably best since we are right next to a police station LOL!

I play soccer on the small fields here. The fields are in pretty good shape, but the parking situation in front of the gym area sucks. So many spots are blocked off for apparently no reason. For the parking annoyance, three stars.

Overall, this gym is great to play basketball, run on treadmills, and do weight lifting. First off is the basketball court where I am most of the time when I come to the JCC. It’s fun to play with my coworkers and others when the court is open, usually after work and Saturday mornings. The court gets dusty pretty frequently, so have good shoes if you play. Also, the rims and backboard are a little bit old but its O.K.
The workout gym is on the small size, and could have more of a selection of machine assisted weights. Overall, I like this place a lot and the staff is friendly and helpful.

Jewish?! I’m not Jewish! Can I still come here?
At first I was a little hesitant to come here just because it’s a Jewish Community Center. My employer offers free membership to this place with our work badge. Which is super cool because I don’t have to pay for gym membership/​services… but Jewish? Is this place for Jewish people only? NO! I don’t even think 50% of the people who come here are Jewish.
CLASSES: Take advantage of the free ones (with membership). It’s pretty good! I take the ab blast with some of my coworkers, and it’s always a good ab work out. I’m going to try the Zumba with my friends but it looked intense.
GYM: Small, but good for the basics especially cardio. All machines have TVs.
PARKING: Sucks, one of the bad things. Front parking or back parking or street parking. It gets packed around 5−6pm. Hard to find when you are rushing after work for a class.
STAFF: Really friendly. Always asks you how was your workout. You see them working out to. Very helpful.
PEOPLE: Variety of people and varies in age. Sometimes I go and it’s all a younger crowd, and other time, old people with horrible breathes. But a good variety of people.
As long as my employer gives us free membership to the JCC, I’m here every day after work!

The JCC is conveniently located within walking distance from my 9 – 5, so I’m fortunate to be able to go there nearly everyday. When a few people at work wished me a Happy Chanukah last December I was baffled. Then I realized all of my time spent at the JCC had given everyone at work the impression that I’m Jewish! Definitely not a bad stereotype in my opinion. I’ll happy accept gifts of latkes, gelt and Chanukah presents!
Here are my favorite things about the JCC:
*WELCOME
It’s open to the general public. You don’t have to be Jewish or a Member to join in most of the fun! Memberships are really affordable, especially for all you «young professionals» out there. Many community activities are free, or for a reduced cost.
*SPORTS COMPLEX
Remember Average Joe’s, the small community gym that Vince Vaughn’s character owns in the movie Dodgeball? The same spirit of friendliness, camaraderie and funny banter is what you find at the JCC’s Qualcomm Sports and Fitness Complex. It has a small, community-​gym feel but with the greatest equipment around. All the cardio machines have their own flatscreen TVs and expanded cable! Just bring your earbuds, plug them into your very own remote and you can watch and listen to whatever you want! I myself prefer to catch up on Paula Deen’s show on the Food Network or even rock out with Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica reruns on SyFy when I work out.
In January things get crazy when people set their New Year’s resolutions but by the third week the gym has thinned out and just the regulars are around. And if you start coming here pretty frequently on the same schedule, you’ll see the same people every time. I love my gym family! It’s really nice to have a group of friends who all care about health catch up with you while you lift freeweights or even when you’re 4-​miles in on the treadmill. Sometimes I even get hit up when I work out on my lunch hour by polite Grandma’s who want to hook me up with their handsome, Dr. Grandson So-​and-​So. While I’m married and have to politely turn down their matchmaking attempts, this may be a winning strategy for some of you singletons out there who are on the lookout for a nice Jewish Doctor!
(PS — towels are not provided, so bring your own or rent one for $ 1)
*CLASSES
Pilates, yoga, hip-​hop, spin, the JCC has pretty much everything including Krav Maga, a martial arts discipline practiced by the Israeli armed forces. You don’t have to be a member to purchase a class card, and can pick and chose which classes you want to take without committing to a series of classes. My favorite Pilates classes are Pilates on the Ball with Mikki and Mat Pilates with Scott. Both are exceptionally knowledgeable professionals that know how to get you a great core workout! Spin class with Bryant is an exceptional, fun, upbeat experience. He often hosts class outside on sunny days (under a nice tarp!) and often plays really cool music and takes the group on a ‘vacation,’ for example he played Ibrahim Ferrer and we went to Cuba one sunny afternoon. «Look! Here comes a waiter with some Mojitos!»
*POOL PARTY
The pool at the JCC is amazing and on the weekends is nearly empty (EXCEPT when there’s a swim meet or it’s extra hot outside!). It’s pretty nice showing up on a Sunday afternoon and having your own, private, Olympic-​sized swimming pool!
*BOOK FAIR
The JCC hosts an awesome book fair once a year where you can attend some exceptional readings, meet some great authors and get some used books on the cheap (50 cents for small paperbacks, $ 1 for large paperbacks and $ 2 for hardcovers). They also have a silent auction with many rare items that are sold for far less than they are worth. What a deal!
*PITLUCK CAFÉ
A small, Jewish deli with many healthy (and not so healthy) snacks and lunches. They have a great deal on Lox & Bagels and every Friday sell fresh-​from-​the-​oven Challah Bread that will rock your world!
*GOTTHELF ART GALLERY
1,000 square foot space that features quality exhibits. My most recent fave was the «Jews Rock» photography exhibit of Jewish Rockstars. Surprises included Bob Dylan and Gene Simmons of Kiss!
There’s so much to love about the JCC. I didn’t even mention a lot of their other features, a Library, Preschool, Singles Events (where one of my girls DID meet the Jewish Doctor of her dreams!) and the Hafner Auditorium programs and the Film Festival.
Maybe it’s time for me to convert already!
Mazeltov!

It feels weird writing a review for the JCC, but I live nearby and find myself here very often (for purely secular reasons), so a review seems in order.
The JCC is really a superb space. It’s bright, airy, modern, and really built to suit a large and diverse community. (A big thank you to the high-​profile Jewish philanthropists that made this place possible.) When it comes to the facilities, the only drawbacks are the small-​ish parking lots. During the daytime, both the front and back lots are usually packed. I end up parking on the street over on Eastgate Mall and then walking over.
There’s a huge array of activities that go on here. I’ve come here for art exhibits (in the gallery off the main lobby), lectures (in the auditorium), and book signings (in the 2^nd floor library). The JCC also holds frequent book fairs with a mix of Jewish and secular-​themed literature. These books are tough to find in regular bookstores.
The JCC has outstanding fitness center facilities, if those are what you’re looking for. It features lots of cardio equipment, but I think the highlight is the superb Olympic-​sized swimming pool. The membership rates here are better than comparable rates at regular gyms. There are lots of organized activities and classes for men, women, kids, families, singles, and any other subgroup of humanity (Jewish or otherwise) that wanders in. Definitely check out the JCC!