The Clubs At Charles River Park

I’ve been a member for a few months and I will say that it serves its purpose as a place for me to workout directly before or after work since it is located really close to my job. This is definitely a no frills gym. The equipment is okay — standard fare like ellipticals, treadmills, weight lifting machines, stair masters, etc. There is a small stretching room that is awesome if you can get it to yourself. Some members aren’t considerate of the fact that space is shared so that’s a little annoying if you want to do a quick stretch and can’t find space. Showers are clean, but the lockers in the locker room need to be replaced. Towels are provided to members and they also offer bags to store your sweaty clothes in the shower room.
I’ve never had to wait for a machine here and that’s definitely a plus. I am searching for another gym to join, but this will do for now.
Edit: This gym seems to have an issue with serious leaks whenever it rains.

Underwater portrait photography providing psychological benefits for cancer survivors. Thank you Katie, a pool manager for organizing pool schedule! And all the employees who accommodated us! So nice.

Locker room is disgusting. Black mold in the showers and there have been minimal improvements in the facilities. Most of the exercise equipment is new. The pool used to have a wow factor but the water is cloudy and it really needs to be vacuumed more regularly. On a hot day there are not enough chairs and the lifeguards do not enforce the rules requiring children to stay out of the adult swim area. No problems with the staff although there is one staff member who will chat loudly in the cardiovascular area with anyone who will engage him and that can be distracting, even over your already too high music. Good for the summer if you live in the city.

They have a great outdoor pool in summer, small pool in winter. It’s an old facility, but most things work well. MGH took over at some point and did a lot of much-​needed improvements. Rates are pretty high. I like it more than my other nearby options.
I am annoyed by this new paleo-​workout trend that has taken over a big chunk of space. If that’s your thing, you’ll love it here…

I was very disappointed when I read the reviews to see that there were people who have had a bad experience with The Clubs at Charles River Park. I have been a member here off and on for 15 years, most recently for a year, and I feel like they are like family. I have always had a great experience with the club. Granted, I do get a work discount, so am paying less than $ 50 a month to someone else’s $ 80… but even for $ 80, I think you would be hard pressed to find a gym with indoor/​outdoor pool, yoga, fitness classes, steam and sauna rooms and machines and free weights for less.
The employees here, in my experience, have all been wonderful. Always helpful and smiling. Steve recently was our personal trainer for a BeFit program that we did for work and he was absolutely fabulous at giving us the tools we needed to be successful (including motivation!). I was able to get body fat analysis and measurements just by asking Anka and Cliff if they could help me (it was for a work contest) and they were very accommodating and professional.
I think you should give the club a try yourself and don’t let the reviews sway you. I think if you have had a bad experience with the club you should call them and let them know, because knowing the employees that I know, they would want to rectify anything that had gone wrong.

I was very disappointed in this gym. Unlike most members (who are MGH employees so they get a discount), I pay the full member rate of $ 60-​$ 80 per month.
First, the front desk staff were ridiculously rude and ruined the entire experience for me (one guy in particular). When they are charging more than every gym around them, you expect a certain level of courtesy from the front desk staff. It was pretty clear they are always doing something else and feel it is a hassle to have to do their job and attend to member requests.
Second, the gym doesnt even have that many machines. Its all free weight and cardio.
Last, available class schedules are ridiculous. The classes are all during the day on weekdays and barely any on the weekend. This doesnt work for anyone on a normal work schedule.
I do not advise you go to this gym, its a waste of money and terrible experience.

I followed my personal trainer Anka Wilk to the Clubs at Charles River Park when she became a trainer here. I’m not a member here as I don’t live near the club, but go out of my way to train with her here to keep her as my trainer, she’s truly outstanding and I’ve seen nothing but results working with her. She stays on top of the latest exercise physiology research coming out and tailors workouts for me based on what I really need and also the goals I want to focus on. She has a big variety of clientele at different fitness levels so she’s very versatile in how she instructs too. The rest of the staff is very nice and cordial as well.
The club itself is in a lower level, which being right next to the outdoor pool gives it a bit of an awkward layout but once you know where everything is it’s no big deal. Some of the equipment (treadmills I noticed) is a little dated but the upside is that they have some equipment that other gyms usually don’t have. I like that they’ve got a generous section with foam rollers in a dispenser on the wall, and also this enormous multipurpose monkey bar cage thing that I’ve never seen anywhere.

One of the few places in Boston which has both an indoor and outdoor pool. Further, the indoor pool, which is smallish but more than adequate with 3 lap lanes, is only for adults with the infrequent exceptions of child swim classes. Both pools are a salt water mix which is much easier on skin. Jacuzzi by indoor pool. Men’s facilities have both steam and sauna. Outdoor pool can be manic and loud during summer at times but generally one side of the deck is adults only. Helpful staff.

I work nearby, and receive a great membership discount, so no complaints there. Ok, so the bad: There are ALWAYS water leaks in the facility, leading to a constant musty smell and dampness in the air. The facility is really small, and after 5:00 PM, all of the machines are taken by the MGH employees who frequent the club after work. But I do like the fact that there are always fresh towels, a clean locker room, and free group fitness classes. It’s certainly not the best gym, but I can’t complain. It’s convenient and clean, good for the price I pay, and that’s all I really need in a gym.

What a great place to workout! Not only is there an amazing outdoor pool, but an indoor pool, hot tub, great gym, and kick-​a$$ cardio/​muscle classes. They even have Zumba and offer swim lessons! The staff is very knowledgeable, I love the complimentary towel service, and it’s easily accessible from the T.

I think this place would be awesome in the summer because of the outdoor complex.
Pros: women’s locker room is huge. pretty convenient from green and orange lines. outdoor pool. people seem nice. tvs at most cardio stations. good amount of classes. the membership people give a lot of info over email so you don’t have to go into the place. towels included. average price without a discount. cleaning maintenance people are super nice and respectful in the locker rooms and elsewhere.
Cons: the place is totally dated. the indoor pool is a fish bowl in the middle of the club so everyone on the bikes and treadmills are staring at you in your swimsuit, some guys come into the pool area to jump rope and flex their muscles, which I think is skeevy. you have to walk through the weight room to get from the locker room to the pool in your swim suit. the indoor pool is less than 3 feet at the shallow end, which means I can’t actually turn around or do full strokes without hitting myself on the floor. the ladies steam room needs a makeover, its so small and old it looks dirty even though it’s probably clean. far too few locker room amenities for the price. weird layout.

Great gym, good equipment, good classes! Zumba with Iku was the best class ever, but she moved back to Japan … Zumba hasn’t been the same since. Muscle Conditioning and Group Cycling classes are GREAT but classes fill up fast so you have to RSVP the day before by 7 am. The front desk staff are really friendly and really make an effort to know you — they always recognize me and have my class passes ready for me. Adam at the front desk is the best! The currently have two free guest days each month. I live in the neighborhood so its super convenient and the fact that its right outside my doors guarantees that I’ll go. The only thing I wish is that they had childcare!

I live in the park so the initiation fee was waived, but even so, at $ 80/​month, this is an expensive club for a rather mediocre club. The staff up front are not friendly. The machines were recently updated, so there are tvs on the bikes, but I don’t believe they are on the ellipticals or treadmills.
The group fitness classes are not very challenging, and are held in a glass cube room at the end of the gym, where everyone can watch.
It is worth joining in the summer for the outdoor pool but only if you get a discount for being a CRP resident or MGH employee. Beware that guests are charged $ 25 per visit — even if you try to get in after 5:00 on a weeknight and you have only a couple hours of daylight left.

I work nearby and this place is wicked convenient.
The gym is always clean and there are always fresh towels.
Staff is nicely and willing to answer question about nutrition and proper body mechanics.
It’s pricey if you don’t have a discount.
If you live nearby it’s a hell of a lot better than taking out a mortgage for BSC.

I don’t like gyms, and I hate co-​ed gyms. But I need to work out and it has to be convenient. As an MGH employee, this place costs $ 11 per week which includes a locker, decent showers, and free towel service, so it’s cheap and only a 5 minute walk from work. Since I’ll never go after 5, I hope to never experience the claustrophobia from being in a small, underground gym with lots of dudes pumping iron. So for what I need, it’s perfect! Plus I hear there’s an outdoor pool, which will be ideal for summer/​lunch break tanning if you don’t mind the Storrow Drive traffic and seeing your fellow colleagues in their swim suits!

The thing about this gym is that you don’t feel like you get what you would at another gym for not a whole lot more money. Most members either are employed at MGH or live in Charles River Park and pay a discounted rate — around $ 60−90/month depending. TVs are suspended from the ceiling (not per individual machine) and there is no cable (except for on the bikes). Other machines don’t even really have TV access.
The other thing that is frustrating is if you want to get the discounted rate you have to do it before summer starts or you pay an infinitely large amount (due to outdoor pool access).
Ok so griping aside…
I go at peek hours — after/​before work and have never had to wait for a machine I wanted. I use them for more than half an hour frequently with no problem. It is small but they manage well. There is also a good variety of fitness equipment and classes. Everything is always clean and the staff is friendly.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to use this gym but if you live/​work in the area and get the discount, its not a bad deal.

I joined the Clubs at Charles River Park for the same reasons Felecia did — it is 5 min away from work and my employer offers a substantial discount. In addition it is open at 5:30 am, which is a good time to open when you need to be at work by 7:30.
So you would figure that being so close to the gym from work I would be there more often… not, but because my employer has the substantial discount and a program to get employee’s health, there is a suport system to try to get those who have fallen off the «band wagon» to get back on… so I am back at the gym, at 5:30 am.
It is an older club than the one that I had been at… It is older equipment… but it is a freindly atmosphere… as most of us work very near by, or live right there, there is a support system there for help…
So, yes, I am back at the gym again…

So, awhile back, I had to quit Healthworks.
I know. It was tragic. I am almost over it.
Anyway, I joined the Clubs at Charles River Park because it is 5 min away from work and my employer offers a substantial discount. I figured that the very brief walk to the gym would not allow me enough time to think of reasons not to go. So far, this theory has (sort of) held up.
As a former Healthworks devotee, I have found that CRP measures up in many aspects, but there are some things that will never be the same. For one, the obvious male presence has been something to get used to again. The gym itself is not large, and there is a 30 minute limit on the treadmills and ellipticals. This reminds me of my old college gym where people would hover over you during your entire workout. Not cool, so it is key to hit the cardio rooms at just the right time — before the after-​work crowd.
As for the positives, I do enjoy the kickboxing classes, although they are shorter and less-​sweat inducing than the Healthworks counterpart. There are a bunch of sit-​down bike things with screens for internet access. CRP offers FREE towel service and clean, large locker rooms. There are indoor and outdoor pools, so hopefully the summer months will be good for some poolside lounging.
I have no idea if membership to this gym is open to people other than the residents of Charles River Park or Partners employees. For the rate that we get though — $ 40 a month — the few downgrades from HW are worth it.