YMCA

This YMCA is the best of Several YMCA branches in Cedar Rapids. I often frequent this particular branch for many reasons: one it is roughly five blocks from the Ground Transportation Centre, second it is the only YMCA branch in the Cedar Rapids area to have both a steam room and dry sauna, third unlike the Marion and Stoney Point branches, this particular branch has individual shower cubicles. Marion and Stoney Point do not, lastly the pool at this particular branch has wider lap lanes and doesn’t feel terribly dated.

I have been to a few gyms in the Cedar Rapids area, and the Downtown Y is great for a number of reasons: availability and kinds of classes offered, the size of the facilities is decent (although their parking doesn’t come anywhere close to accommodating the volume of patrons), the sauna and steam rooms (most gyms don’t have that) and the racquetball courts.
So why 1 star?
First, the parking issue is pretty ridiculous and unfortunately I’m not sure there is much they can do about it. Downtown real estate is getting gobbled up. Going to the gym at 8pm when it’s desolate doesn’t work for me, and apparently doesn’t work for ½ of the Cedar Rapids population.
Second, all those people taking up said parking areas? They’re all in the gym, naturally; so many times there’s simply not enough room to accommodate everyone who wants to use a machine or a space. In short: the place is usually super duper crowded. Everything’s taken or in the least, highly concentrated.
Third, and most important, is the staff doesn’t seem to take privacy issues of cell phone or other tablet/​electronic devices in the locker rooms seriously.
That great sauna feature I mentioned earlier is terribly hard to enjoy when you’ve got someone coming into the sauna with their phone or iPad with them. It’s a matter of privacy and a matter of tact. Am I missing something here? WHY do you need your cell phones in the sauna? The sauna just isn’t a place for watching YouTube videos, updating your Facebook status, dominating Flappy Bird or jamming out to Lady Gaga. And while we’re on the subject, you do realize that the combination of heat and condensation is going to fry your phone, right? If you can’t tell, I find this act of disregard for common courtesy and respect of privacy in an err, extremely «public» space to be extremely bothersome.
So what’s the Y got to do with it? There are signs posted throughout that cellphones/​electronic devices are not to be used in the locker rooms and if someone sees this happening, to report it. As you can imagine, I did let the staff know about it happening in the sauna and they did absolutely nothing about it. For an hour I waited and when the hour passed and the status quo remained (yes, this same person was in the sauna the entire time on their device) I asked again if they had had a chance to talk to this person about it/​make them aware this was violating privacy regulations and gym rules. I was told they «didn’t have time» to deal with that. Uhmmm… whaaaa? The locker room is like, 10 steps from your desk, this event is occurring in the present time and you choose to do nothing… for an hour? I mean, I GUESS that makes sense :-/​
A few days later I headed back to try my luck at the sauna again after a run. This time there’s not one but THREE people in the sauna with their phones. That was the final straw for me. I canceled my membership that day and plan on reinstating it never. Between this issue and the lack of parking and machines, it just doesn’t seem worth the monthly fee.
Not once over the years of me coming to the Y have I actually seen a staff member go through the locker rooms just to check on things. Maybe they do? But if they do, it’s obviously not having an impact and the rounds should be occurring more often.
It seems like a very easy way to uphold this important protocol, and yet, nothing. Not only that, but I was made to feel like I was bothering the staff by asking twice in one hours worth of time if they had taken the 2 minutes to set the record straight with this person about protocol/​rules. It is a completely controllable variable on the staff’s part and the inaction to rectify the situation speaks for itself.

This place restored my faith in Gyms. Employees are very friendly and helpful. Locker rooms are clean. Plenty of machines available when I go during the day. I also really like the variety of classes available. I love BODYFLOW class! There are so many choices of things to do from basketball courts, to swimming pool, to racquetball courts… its nice to change it up. I also really enjoy the steam room and sauna.

The YMCA, this is the busiest Y but has the most to offer. Located downtown it’s the newest Y and the biggest. The staff is very helpful and they keep the restrooms/​lockers clean and the towels stocked.

Very clean facility, lots of classes and instruction offerings, professional staff, plus they serve the entire community — no matter their ability to pay. Three locations in the CR area: downtown, Marion and Stoney Point makes the Y a good value and convenient for you.