Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center

Thomas Jefferson Center grounds and facilities has something for everyone. There’s a baseball field, basketball courts, running track, picnic grounds, swimming pool and more!
The grounds are always clean. Flowers bloom in the spring. They have the dog run and park too. Playground equipment is provided for the smaller children too.
There’s nothing negative to say about the service this park provides to the community. They have programs all year around.
Highly recommend!

My twin sister and I worked out at the Thomas Jefferson Recreational Center– for free. As she explained to me, as part of the NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation, the 5 Boroughs offers free exercise classes in participating Community Centers or Recreation Centers. To me, this was beyond awesome, because Westchester County doesn’t have such program and I think it’s cool. Thomas Jefferson is a local, neighborhood Center where they have a decent gym.
Ok, so it might not be a high– end gym with the latest equipment, but it gives you all the arsenal you need for a decent workout. My sister and I worked out to Chris’ Cardio/​Toning class which was excellent– my legs were killing me! Chris worked my butt off and I gotta say, his motivational words rang in my ears constantly.
Listen ladies, you know how hard (and gents) it is to drop those damn last pounds! I’m just saying. SH****t. I’m at a point in my life where working out has been my never-​ending ritual just because I need to satisfy my vice– chocolate. I do crazy amounts of weighted lunges, HIIT classes– you name it– I’m there. Except, that I don’t live in any of the boroughs– but if you do– take advantage of their free workouts.

This park is a gem. Great regular pool, and kiddie pool.
The locker room is large and had big lockers which is great! It is maintained very clean.
This past week there was music playing. I didn’t the family friendly stuff but would recommend they not play music with negative messaging or curses as I had a child with me.

Um, have I been to the same 5-​star gym and pool that the other reviewers have been to? Same address, same pics, definitely different experiences.
The gym is a 2-​star at best. Most of the gym equipment is crazy old (torn seat covers, etc) and all of the free weights are HUGE. You have to get the lighter weights (25 lbs or less) from the front desk, where they keep your ID and write down which weights you’ve taken. They also keep the bodybars, balls, and mats back there, too. It’s so freaking annoying! Esp if you want multiple sizes during your workout, you have to go back and forth, bringing them back to the gym from the front desk. And the people at the front desk always have an attitude, like you’re the crazy one for taking care of yourself. Hmph. And it opens at 9am! Which, since I’m not working, isn’t a problem per se, but I imagine I’m not the only one who wants to work out earlier in the morning to get my day started before 9am.
I’ve volunteered at the Computer Resource Center a couple of times and it is completely useless. The PCs are crazy old and crazy slow, so slow that some people stopped coming to learn computers with us because of it!
The pool is the only reason why I’m giving this place 3 stars. I’ve been to the wading pool a couple of times to lay out in a deck chair and read a book. The big pool is fine, too, with the lowest depth being 4 feet. There’s mostly kids there, splashing about, and there aren’t lanes, so expect to just hang out and not get your Phelps on.
The rec center membership is cheap ($ 150 for a year per person; $ 75 for 6 months. No family memberships, which makes no sense) and that’s why I’ve been going. If you can afford it, I’d recommend going to a real gym. If you can’t, TJ does okay.

This gym is awesome! I come here to workout a couple of times a week because its my local gym, and there’s always a few regulars that I see here. The fitness room offers everything that you would expect to find at an NYC recreation center; free weights, bench press, squat racks, various arm and leg machines, 5 treadmills, 5 stationary bikes, shower and locker rooms, pool tables, and an outdoor pool when its warm. But what really makes this center stand apart is the 400m rubber track directly outside of it. The track is open to the public at all hours and is a great place for someone like me to get a workout in because I hate to run super long distances through the streets or parks. I come and do my mile or so and can still go lift weights inside. Membership fees are reasonable, but they’re closed on weekends so plan accordingly!

I’m solely reviewing their track and soccer field on the outskirts of the outdoor pool and actual center. I use their track for my daily jogging… and well, here’s why I gave it 2 stars:
1. Guys are pretty vulgar around here, as if they’ve never seen girls jog before.
2. Park recreation staff really don’t do their job! They don’t monitor the public’s tendency to break rules that are there for a reason. For example: bikes are not allowed on the track yet more often than not here comes some douche who thinks it’s okay to bike on a track where people are jogging… AND to top it off, the staff completely ignores it. Do your job please.
3. People leave their garbage literally in the middle of the track. Their empty bottles of Gatorade or the remnants of their NYC free lunch offered in the center. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF… please. I usually have to kick some bottle aside as I try to complete my workout.
Long story short?- I need to find a new track to jog at. Blah.

This gym has the bare essentials, treadmills, bikes, weights, resistance machines, a running track & feild… all for 25 bucks for 6 months. They also have free classes several times a week and an outdoor pool in the summer. Decent people, gets a little crowded depending on the time but seriously guys, for this price… you can’t go wrong.

I found out that there is a gym here so I decided to get a membership here. 25 bucks for 6 months. Cant beat that with a wiffle ball bat! The gym is not state of the art but has everything that a gym rat could ask for. The rec center also has pool tables, martial arts classes, as well as dance and aerobic classes. They are putting new rubber turf on the soccer field which also has a new rubber track circling around it. There also 2 softball fields, two b-​ball courts, a baseball field, picnic areas, and several handball/​paddelball courts.