Adrian L Shuford Jr YMCA

Every so often, when I find myself in the Newton/​Maiden/​Conover area for more than a hot minute, I get the time to go to the Adrian L. Shuford Jr. YMCA — and, honestly, it’s probably the best YMCA I’ve ever gone to.
I can only speak to the gym, but what is there rocks. The YMCA here has a huge array of plates (I’d estimate maybe 1,000lbs+) and a dedicated squat rack, a number of power racks, a huge selection of dumbbells, a notable number of strength training machines, and an excellent array of cardio machines. Everything is impeccably clean and organized in a way that affords sufficient space and safety. Nothing feels old or outdated (even the pads, which are typically the first to go on most machines).
The staff here are pleasant and very accommodating of my weird schedule (showing up for maybe 2 weeks max, etc.). They seem very skilled at handling some of the older clientele here, which is incredibly important — gyms rarely handle seniors well.
Frankly, I wish a joint like this existed in D.C.