West Side YMCA

The YMCA early morning Ashtanga yoga practice with Evan is excellent. Mon thru Friday @ 6 – 8 am. Usually it will take 45 mins to an hour to complete the student led routine of exercises that are the most complete I’ve ever known. Students of all levels practice silently together as the instructor will help each one individually to further the proficiency of their memorized to the limit their ability. Tailored to individual needs. Beautiful joining of concentration, slow breathing and intense effort and sweating. The YMCA setting provides an intimate setting and support for this stellar program.

I love the YMCA. Around the same price as a NYSC passport pass but to me it’s better. They have good workout classes, basketball court, pool & and a good amount of free space to do things like stretching or whatever workout you would want to do while not using weights of machines. they have as good a weight room as anywhere and also have plenty of cardio & excercise bikes. They even have raquetball courts and a boxing room AND an indoor track
The YMCA is well kept and literally has just about everything you would want fitness wise.

The best thing about West Side YMCA is its proximity to Central Park. It’s great to go and lift a few weights then go out and do some cardio. The building itself is rather old so when you’re in the weight room, it’s actually NOT air conditioned. The only thing cooling down the room are a whole bunch of fans — this is fine but I expected better especially since I am a member of the McBurney YMCA (which is much better).

They have most of everything you could possibly want in a gym, equipment, pool, lockers, classes, and much more, but watch out for their hours on the weekends if you’re someone that works out on the weekends. They close super early on Saturdays and Sundays. Also God forbid you have to wait in line to ask them a question or if you have any dilemma, their lines at the front desk are always very long and EXTREMELY slow.

My last comfortable 4^th stay at this Y was in 2004. I loved this property because the Café always served a good food, and unique tours were posted on a blackboard.
3 Airport shuttles schedule from Y and price were posted, so I could head to any airport without taking subway (Including EWR.)
The café was gone, so there are no more vibe. Cold cereal with milk became my breakfast, but I rather go to Whole Foods to get some pastry with a cup of coffee.
Tours? No posting at all.
Shuttles? No word.
Baggage storage. $ 4 for per item. They asked me to buy a ticket from a machine in a hall (not responded.)
Cleaning ladies. Came too early. 6 AM? Also, she gave me only conditioners and soap. Shampoo? I asked you to give me one, hadn’t I?
Bathroom. Don’t even want to mention. I always go to a shower in a gym because I swim.
Patrons. Occasionally I bumped a woman who walked around a bare foot and complaining about a location of a fountain water. I can only directed her to buy a bottle of water from a robotic café in the first floor.
Reception: I have a good and bad experience.
Bed. Can’t take it anymore. May be I am too old to sleep that bed.
On 2^nd day, I attempted to cancel further stay, but a receptionist treated me very badly which prevented for me to have a further conversation with her.
Laundry. Some site says this property has a laundry facility, but obviously not for us. They told me that they don’t have it. So, I had to walk many blocks to do my laundry before I take off from NY.
Conclusion. No more. I don’t like this property anymore. Good bye.

Stayed in a private room for 25 days.
Location is perfect, 2 steps from Columbus circle and central park. Shower and gym center is really nice and clean.
There is no Landry room, no kitchen, not even an iron. If you need some water you’ll only find a fountain at the 4 floor. No kidding.
Let’s talk about the sleeping
Single room in the 12floor is about 109 $ a night which is way too expensive for the quality of service.
You will be in room with a spring metal mattress. It means will you sleep you feel all the metal component in your body.
During week end and randomly during the week end you’ll be wake up by cleaning service that will ENTER in your room after a quick knock. Yes no privacy.
Even if you put do not disturb sign they will at least wake up and insist.
This can also happen in the shower/​restroom. It seems amazing but it happened to me so many times I must mentioned it.
Where, in the service industry, cleaning service is operated in occupated room between 7 and 9am.
Why bed are on wheel? This is just non sense and so annoying.
Why with no reason remove the bin in my bedroom ?
Why after 18 days spent in the hostel continue to wake me up every weekend at 9am even when I put do not disturb ?
Why not furnished room with decent bed?
This might be a good place since it’s actually clean and we’ll located but I believe there should be some improvement regarding comfort and privacy.

Gym review. I used the gym as a guest last week. Very impressed. The women’s locker room has been renovated and is super clean as are the showers. There are now towels in the locker room and it has a spa feel. For $ 100/​year one can rent a permanent locker. The gym has lots of equipment and there are 2 pools. I have yet to try a class but so far it seems like a great deal on the UWS. You must bring your own toiletries other than soap, and a lock.

Ok! That’s the best place you can stay in NY, in my opinion! Not that cheap but it does have a good price for NY hotels… A few steps from the CentralPark and 15 min walking from Times Square! Lovely place amazing location! I’d strongly recommend :)

Just got back from Manhattan last week. This was the first time I have stayed at a hostel, and I had read the Unilocal reviews so it was pretty much as I expected.
Pros:
1. Location was excellent! Upper West Side right across from Central Park. The area was quaint with lots of deli’s and interesting architecture. In more of a locals area. Even better was the fact that I was lucky enough, since I had never been to New York, to pick a place that was out of the touristy areas such as Times Square or Empire State Building which were a zoo with people hitting you up constantly to take tours and a tourit shop ever few stores. Close to everything. Took no more than 20 minutes on the subway to get to the 911 Memorial.
2. The bathroom was very clean and there is a door code on the women’s restroom for safety. Showers hot. Three stalls, three showers, and four sinks.
3. Quiet. Thursday and Friday night it seems no one else was on the floor and had bathroom to myself
4. Two nice heated pools.
5. Staff wasn’t overly friendly but friendly enough
Cons:
1. Even with a bunk bed the room would be too small for two people. Bed was very hard and pillow flat. Not much in the way of a blanket.
2. No channel changer for TV. My friend was staying in room next door and had a channel changer but no desk lamp.
3. Only one sink had hand soap in it. Day two notified staff regarding this but it was never taken care of.
4. The café is not a sit down café. It more like a small convience store where you can get a few little munchies, juice, and coffee.
5. The lounge is just a room with tables and chairs and a few board games so I never had a need to go in there.
If traveling alone this would be an okay place to stay, especially if you are out and about all day site seeing. Otherwise, if traveling with a friend you could stay in a nice hotel and split the cost and pay not much more. I will definitely be going back to Manhattan and stay in the Upper West Side again, but next time it will be with a couple of friends and stay at a nice hotel. If I do end up going back alone, I would stay at the YMCA West just for the sake of cost.

I am currently staying at the hostel for three weeks. I have been in a few hostels already and this one is not the best I’ve seen. The room is OK even though my desk lamp does not work. In my floor, the bathrooms are individual (but not in the bedrooms) and opens with the bedroom card which is very nice. I think this is called the «premium» bedrooms.
I was very disappointed in two things: NO laundry room and NO kitchen. As I am staying for a long time, I was expecting to be able to buy some food and cook for myself, even buy some milk for my breakfast but how can I do that if I don’t even have access to a fridge ?
Also, the hostel does not organize events like happy-​hours or pub crawls to meet new people.
Ok, so that was for the disappointment. Now, which is good with this hostel is the unlimited access to the gym and ALL the fitness classes. So, rather than going to pub crawls, I am goint to the Pilates and Zumba, I guess it is better for my health: p.
There is a ton of classes every day, classes for all tastes, all ages (there is classes for older adults, kids or teens), all levels, etc.
The last thing is that the hostel is really well located. Very close to Midtown. Close to the subway.

Gym review
Rude, confrontational, and lazy staff. I would assume the staff here is either from a work-​release jail program or part time social welfare employment of some sort.
Over priced, marginally adequate facilities
A couple example stories…
I once entered the building and walked up to the front desk to have them scan my ID to find no one at the desk, two employees were talking and laughing with each other over in the corner away from the desk. No biggie, I just walked past the desk and upstairs to the gym.
I then walked up four flights of stairs to the gym to have them tell me to go back downstairs because someone saw me go upstairs and wanted me to walk back down to scan my ID. I told them that wasn’t going to happen.
When I walked downstairs after my workout, the morbidly-​obese, wanna-​be-​thug security guy stared me down like a mad dog for a solid 30 seconds as I walked out of the building.
Amazing customer service…
Another time I was running in the cardio room and sweating more than usual. I noticed the fans weren’t on. As it was pretty warm in the room, after I finished my work out, I told an employee who was in the next room. He talking and laughing with another employee, and I said it was really hot in the cardio room and asked how I could turn on the fans. He suggested I ask one of the employees to turn on the fans.
I stood there for about 20 seconds, assuming he was going to turn the fans on for the people working out. Didn’t budge. Laughed about how hot it was.
Avoid this place

Das YMCA West Side ist ein einfaches, aber gutes Hostel direkt in Manhattan. Zentraler geht es kaum, direkt zwischen Central Park und Broadway. Der Times Sq ist ca. 15 Minuten Fußweg entfernt. Allzu hohe Ansprüche darf man natürlich an die Zimmer nicht stellen, als unschlagbar günstiger, sauberer und einigermaßen ruhiger Schlafplatz taugt das West Side aber allemal. Die Duschen befinden sich auf dem Flur, unten im Eingangsbereich gibt es auch einen kleinen Shop, der sogar ein paar Salate und Obst bietet.
Die Sporteinrichtung soll zwar angeblich nicht so gut sein, aber bei einem New York-​Trip spielt das doch wohl keine große Rolle, oder?

I usually don’t write reviews but YMCA on the upper west side seriously pissed me off.
Beginning with their gym, it is quite awful for a few reasons. First of all, different rooms for different weight training are scattered everywhere making it extremely confusing to find the proper equipment you need. Second of all, the locker room is old and needs some serious maintenance because many of the lockers reek and were rusted.
While I was working out, I accidentally locked my belongings in a locker that someone had already rented out (which btw had no label anywhere so I had no idea since it was my first time). They clipped my lock and took my belongings out to the front desk which is understandable. However, when I went to go retrieve my stuff, they didn’t give it back to me for 25 minutes because they had gone through my wallet and found my friends drivers permit I was holding onto. Because the security guard saw that first, he said this wallet did not belong to me. I told him check the front pocket where my actual ID was. It took the group of workers 20 minutes to decide that this wallet was actually mine along with my other things. I left without receiving any sort of apology from management and now, YMCA has lost one potential customer for good. Hopefully this gym will use their own resources to improve the quality of their employees as well as the quality of their services.

This is a rating for the gym, not the hostel.
I was a member for a couple of years and when I quit in February, they kept charging me, and refused to refund the charges from after I quit. I called and emailed more than 15 times and while they acknowledged their error, they insisted I come in person to complete their form. That didn’t seem very decent way to treat a customer. So I finally went in filled out the form, and waited ANOTHER 2 weeks, and then they refunded only part of my money!!! I called and emailed a couple of more times to get the rest of the refund, but they never replied. Crazy. Really disappointing customer service.
Also I was pretty disappointed in Nov or Dec 2013 when they fired their employees who had been doing a wonderful job keeping the locker rooms clean, and hired an agency — you just know those staff don’t get benefits or anything. And now they are renovating the locker rooms (which were FINE), which probably means price increases on the way. This from an organization that prides itself on social responsibility. sigh.

Hostel is one of the worst I have stayed in. Bathrooms are extremely poor, beds like concrete on moving wheels. Location is great but I would not stay here again as the public transportation in NY is amazing so it is not needed to be in a great spot. Do not stay here as a solo traveller as there are no places to meet fellow travelers. Very disappointed

I had a good time over all it was fun and they really took care of you in the end. The service was fast and they always made you feel at home the facilities where clean and stocked the rooms where large. The stocked beds where clean and in good shape. The cost is better than hotels in midtown Manhattan, so it didn’t hurt my pockets, I would tell my friends about this place and I will be stay here next time.

My daughter just completed her first swim class with Barbara Litt. We had a great time. I feel like my daughter’s confidence in the water has grown tremendously in just a few weeks. Barbara was great with the children. There is lots of singing and play along with skills-​based teaching. The pool was warm and the perfect size.
I do, however, have a few complaints. There should be towels available in the family changing room… kind of a no-​brainer. Also– the guy who works security at the back entrance is SO.UNFRIENDLY. Other staff that I have dealt with have been rude as well, whether it’s the guy taking my call or someone working up front, I’ve had some experiences that have left me shaking my head.
With that said– we are signing her up for another semester of swimming because we really did enjoy the class. Note: you must sign up online (I have found the website very confusing and difficult to navigate) or in-​person for all classes. No phone registration, which is a bit of a bummer…

The 63 Bites café is long gone along with the lounge I wrote about in a previous review. The new café uses a special card with credits so you can’t pay for items with cash (like you could with 63 bites), but rather put money on a card, and use the card to pay for your items.
The WestSide Y is still a great place to enjoy fitness! Last summer I took advanced beginner swim classes at WestSide because those at McBurney classes were full on the day I was free. It all works out in the end because my teacher Andy was really nice and the size of the class was small enough to enjoy camaraderie with with the other women in my class.
Tips:
— If you need to check in someone on a guest pass, I recommend coming at least a half an hour early if you are trying to catch a specific class (especially if it’s on the weekend). This Y is also a hostel, so the front desk handles check-​ins, check-​outs and guest passes.
— The YMCA NYC app is convenient to keep track of pool schedules and fitness classes
— If you forget a swim cap or flip-​fops, you can buy then

The best way to describe myself would be semi-​nomadic, so I have become quite familiar with backpackers and budget accommodation all over the world. And this is definitely the worst place I have ever stayed in. The room was tiny, hot and stank. The place was under renovations in sections so the noise was high. They touted that there was wifi but I wasn’t able to pick it up on the tenth floor. There is one bathroom/​shower area per level which was absolutely rank and obviously never cleaned, the stench of urine could be smelt as you walked past let alone when you were in there trying to shower/​brush your teeth. I felt I went into the shower cleaner than when I would come back out.
Also super expensive for what you get.
And that’s not to mention that midtown is not exactly a very happening place if your looking to get amongst it.
I would suggest to steer clear of here at all costs. Particularly if you’re young and looking to do a bit of partying!

Taking adult beginner swimming classes here after scouring all over for places in NYC that could teach my remedial self how to swim!
Very reasonable price (I’m not a member) for 8 classes in a large pool. Turns out only 5 people in my class anyway, and the only other class going on in the pool (on the deep end) was a private lesson for a 5 year old kid so there is no pressure. By the 4^th class, I was able to swim over to the deep end and back, and even some of the biggest aquaphobes in the class are able to do the same. Our instructor is awesome. would totally recommend this swim class for adult beginners!

This review is for the hostel part of the YMCA.
I stayed here for 3 nights during NYE. I don’t normally have high hopes for hostels, but I had a good stay at the YMCA.
Booking:
I paid roughly $ 50 or $ 60/​night, per person, for a shared room around NYE. You can easily book online via their website. The great thing is they have singles or doubles rooms, so you still have a sense of privacy.
Location:
Great central location for the price you’re paying. It’s located very close to the Lincoln Center and Central Park is a stone’s throw away. The subway is just a 5 minute walk and there’s also a Duane Reade (drugstore) a block away — very convenient if you’re looking for some snacks or happened to drop your toothbrush in the toilet.
Check-​in:
Pretty easy — it also looks like the rooms are already preassigned when you check-​in. I guess the friendliness of the receptionist really depends on who you get. But overall, they’re pretty efficient and get the job done. Towels are also provided (I can’t remember if the front desk provided it or if it was already in our room). If you have luggage to store, they charge $ 1/​bag which you roll over to a large room. While the door is open, it’s somewhat secure as there’s someone that keeps a log when you check in/​out your bags. However, I don’t know if the room is watched 24/​7, but it’s right next to the main YMCA reception counter.
Rooms:
I had a double room, and yep, they’re pretty small. There’s a bunk bed, a drawer desk, a TV (on top of the desk), and a chair. If you were to stretch out your arms and twirl, you’re bound to hit something. Oh yes, there’s also a closet. Our room was old, but it was at least clean. The bunk beds were wobbly though — I’m 130 lbs. and was a bit hesitant to lay on the top bunk. But after awhile, I figured the beds lasted this long so it should be safe. HOWEVER — the metal bar used to support the top bunk was bent, possibly by someone on the hefty side.
There’s was a fan/​AC unit — didn’t blow ice cold, but it worked fine for December. Not sure how well it would hold up in the summertime.
The lights were annoying — it’s actually on a motion sensor, but we had problems at night as the motion detecting part could not be shut off. The lights would turn on whenever we moved — quite a pain when you’re trying to sleep. We ended up fixing the problem by covering the sensor with some cardboard.
Bathrooms:
I was happily surprised that their bathroom aren’t the typical gym/​dorm styled shared bathrooms. Each floor actually has about 10 or so individual public bathrooms. You scan your badge at the door, get in, and you have your own shower, toilet, and sink. If the door didn’t open, someone was probably inside. The unspoken rule was to stick your badge on the window, so outsiders could see that you were inside. For the most part, the bathrooms were fairly clean, but you do have the occasional slobs that used it before you did. I also liked the fact that the showers had glass doors — not the grimey cheap plastic shower curtains.
I do have a complaint about the temperature in the hallways — I think they were trying to roast us. Granted, it is a bit chilly outside, but the hallways upstairs were crazy hot.
Amenities:
There’s supposedly free wi-​fi downstairs, but I never got a chance to test it out. They do have computer terminals if you forgot your laptop (can’t recall if they charge). There’s a café if you need to grab some grub.
Overall, I’d stay here again. The price is right, location is central, rooms are OK, and you have your «own» bathrooms.