YMCA of the Inland Northwest

Great place, great staff been coming on and off re-​applying for membership at least 3 times in 5 years. It’s been me not them ;)
I appreciate the YMCA is family focused, and have SO much to offer I don’t know the half of it. Recently I’ve heen taking a little buddy of mine to swim & play basketball. The Y definitely helps me have something «planned» to do and a number of things my friend and I can enjoy.

Don’t expect to find parking if you come here between 4 – 7. It’s not even January yet and this place is packed every weekday after 4. The weight area and stretching room are typically packed and you sometimes must wait to use treadmills and other machines.

This review is coming from a single adult, so I can’t really speak to the quality of opportunities for kids.
Pros:
— location. Very close to downtown and the lower south hill and it is really easy to get to.
— newer building. The facility itself is newer and pretty well kept in my opinion.
— equipment. I mostly just used the treadmills and they were all pretty good quality (better than other y’s I have been to in other cities) and most had their own TV’s if that’s your thing.
— a lap pool that was never too busy (though always a bit too warm), and a basketball court
— a large selection of free classes
— you can try the gym for a few days for free before deciding to join
Cons:
— Parking. Don’t expect to find a spot in the lot if you come between 4 – 6 during a weekday. I often would have to park a few blocks away.
— Crowded weight area. I work 7 – 4 and found that going after work was terrible. In the dumbbell area it was shoulder to shoulder while the benches and machines were always full. Lots of waiting. The stretching area was also really packed and if you wanted a treadmill you’d sometimes wait for that too.
— Cost. I think the standard monthly fee is $ 50 (though it seems like most people can get done sort of discount) and the day pass is $ 15 which is flat out ridiculous.
All in all it was a decent gym. The biggest problem is the size. Certain parts of the gym should by about 3x as big which would mitigate the busyness problem and make it more appealing for the price.

YMCA Spokane Valley has a HORRIBLE Youth Sports Director. My son had to endure another team’s coach yelling and cursing and taking a swing at out coach. If you want your child to have a positive experience, STAY AWAY from YMCA Spokane Valley.

As a veteran member, I feel like I am qualified to comment on Dee Y.‘s review, ranking the central YMCA as sub-​standard –
Claim 1: Downtown YMCA lacks quality and sanitary environment for a healthy work out: No it doesn’t. There are multiple, easily-​spotted stations throughout EACH workout area equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers, disinfectant/​anti-​fungal spray and paper towels for wiping down machines. All that to say: there is one near the grouping of cardio machines, one by each grouping of weight machines, one by the free weights, and each studio has a station. I’ve never found one empty. Or low, for that matter.
Claim 2: First of all, just to get to the building you have to enter through a toll parking lot because it is inside a park: No. The lot is protected, and you DO have to take a ticket and pass through a gate to enter the lot because it’s adjacent to the Spokane Arena (where parking is not free, and as a result, event parking is frequently monopolizing street parking in the immediate area. The YMCA facility is not inside a park. It is three full blocks south of Riverfront Park, further separated by the river. Parking is free for members. There is 2 hour time limit for free parking, but I have never actually been asked to pay.
Claim 3: Once you get to the YMCA parking lot you’ll find it very difficult to find a spot. I visited during the weekday and it was still full because there are less than 20 spots.: FALSE: I actually looked at the parking lot on Google maps and counted 94 spots. I am here EVERY DAY by 5:30, and have had minimal trouble finding parking. Usually when I show up after a class has started. There is a rush at that hour, and you have to time it carefully to snag a spot. The closer to 5:30, the easier it is. There is also additional free parking at the Spokane Arena if you ask for a pass. It’s very easy.
Claim 4: Once you enter the building the stench of mildew, like Goodwill, will overwhelmingly disturb you and prevent you from enjoying the guided tour: Are we talking about the same YMCA? This facility is bright, fresh, breezy and airy. I have never experienced any such «stench» here, with the exception of entering a toilet stall too quickly after someone else.
Claim 5: All the facilities are «hidden» and we were lead around the stairs and dungeon like hallways. Again, Are we talking about the same YMCA? The one with the two-​story, vaulted ceilings and floor-​to-​ceiling windows? The 50,000 sq. foot facility? (not including the 30,000 sq foot YWCA) If you look at ANY pictures of this facility, I’d challenge you to point out even ONE ‘dungeon-​like’ hallway. Just one!
Claim 6: Despite the various offerings of facilities none of them are beyond mediocre: Did you actually attend any classes? I’d be interested to find out which offerings you experienced and who the instructors were. EACH class (Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, TRX, body Pump, the list goes on. the schedule is on the website) has several instructors to allow members to find the best style. I didn’t love all the teachers, but don’t fault the facility. instead, I kept working to find a great match and ended up in classes I LOVE and the body to prove it.
Claim 7: the pools are especially hard to digest. They were kind of green colors instead of Olympic-​blue: ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME YMCA?!? The aquatic facility is nationally renowned for being state-​of-​the-​art. There are FIVE options in the aquatic building: Lap pool, therapy pool, a children’s play-​structure with lots of fun climbing and splashing activities, a hot tub, a dry sauna and steam room.
Claim 8: I can’t imagine working out here on a regular basis: Evidently not, since your profile photo is a cupcake.
Claim 9: initial start-​up is $ 97 and monthly draft is $ 47 if you’re a single adult. $ 104 if you’re a single parent with kids, monthly is $ 54: Current (2013) starter fee is $ 108.00, and includes your first month’s fee. The monthly draft is $ 58.00 for a single-​parent family, including all children at no additional cost. Membership fees cover access to all scheduled classes AND free child watch. It bears mentioning that they also offer a sliding-​scale to allow everyone equal access to the facility. The fact that fees have increased by three dollars in three years is a testament to their efforts to keep costs low.
Conclusion: «There are many local gyms who offer cleaner facilities for a less fee and I’ll take my biz over there.»
Good. You sound like a self-​centered jerk. Based on previous reviews, it seems like you are always looking for the worst experience possible. I gladly pay $ 105 monthly, because it’s the Y. I am proud to support the outreach efforts of this great organization and all they do. Evidently, you don’t care to contribute to improving OUR community. I think you’d do well to steer clear of the YMCA.

This is a good facility! I love the child care options. The breadth of classes is truly amazing. I wish the locker rooms were cleaner and that there was space to spread out. When i first started visiting when I moved to Spokane a few years ago it seemed a bit cleaner.

I recommend the Y for its cleanliness and the great class offerings. I live closest to the Central Y and would have stayed working out there if the parking situation was not such a joke. You spend typically 15 – 20 min looking for a parking spot when you could be in the gym working out. I returned to OZ fitness for my workouts but hope at some point the Y gets the parking situation resolved so that I can return!

I am in love with the YMCA. With three locations, towel service, child care included and a great array of equipment and classes it just doesn’t get any better than this. The central location on Monroe is within a few miles of home so I am there on a regular basis.
It offers a pool for lap swimming, a heated therapy pool as well as hot tub and play pool for the kids with slides and fun stuff. I love the classes they offer as well… almost all of which are included with your membership. Hands down, the two hours of childcare is the best feature to the membership as it comes at no additional cost. The staff are wonderful, attentive and caring so I have no qualms about leaving my little one for an hour or so to work out.
The locker room is always clean and well kept, the towel service is very convenient and there is always a machine available when I’m there.

This is one gym with plenty of equipment. Your sure to find at least one type of machine open for use at most all times if not more. If your into swimming, they have two pools, one large for lap, one smaller for soaking, relaxing, and then a hot tub as well. I have found the place to be clean, there isn’t loud obnoxious music playing in the background, plenty of tvs to watch if your machine doesn’t have one in it. Great gym. I think the best in Spokane. Staff is friendly, helpful.

As a new mom and as a girl getting back her fitness, the Y allows me to be both. The Child Watch is awesome! The attendants are very genuine and love my 6-​month-​old (even if he is quite possibly the cutest one there!) They have a 10-​minute cry rule but they come fetch me right away as soon as he’s fussy because I exclusively nurse, which I greatly appreciate.
I’ve had my share of gym memberships, including EWU’s new one, and I can say it is great for being a YMCA. Although I’m not impressed with the free weights area as it can get cramped and offers little to no room to walk between old guys in elastic sweats and free-​ranging benches.
I’ve never had to wait for cardio machines. Ever. I’ve gone at all times of the day… 9:00, 1:00 pm, 8:00 pm and never remember having to wait for the texting girl to walk off the treadmill because there’s always, like, 10 more.
Parking isn’t THAT bad. There’s always somebody coming out as you’re driving in.

I’ve gone to many gyms. I love everything the Y offers. The normal gym plus their awesome classes. In my opinion the central Y has better classes/​instructors. The only thing that doesn’t give this 5 stars is the parking at central Y. I understand in downtown Spokane it can be hard to accommodate parking, build a garage and build up!

Other than the screaming children, pompous douche bags, fat naked old people, and a gross 3 tons of makeup collectively, this place is GREAT!

We are sooooo fortunate to have 3 new Ys in Spokane. These clubs put The Spokane Club to shame. Yep, I said it.
Really. Go check out the valley, Central and North Y. This is not your Grandfather’s YMCA. Climbing wall, guitar lessons, recording studio…
The facilities, staff, classes and reasonable monthly rates make the YMCA a clear choice.
Bonus Points: The Y has a rich history in giving back to the community.

Despite the friendly staff, downtown YMCA lacks quality and sanitary environment for a healthy work out. First of all, just to get to the building you have to enter through a toll parking lot because it is inside a park. Once you get to the YMCA parking lot you’ll find it very difficult to find a spot. I visited during the weekday and it was still full because there are less than 20 spots. Once you enter the building the stench of mildew, like Goodwill, will overwhelmingly disturb you and prevent you from enjoying the guided tour. All the facilities are «hidden» and we were lead around the stairs and dungeon like hallways. Despite the various offerings of facilities none of them are beyond mediocre and the pools are especially hard to digest. They were kind of green colors instead of Olympic-​blue. I can’t imagine working out here on a regular basis paying what they want, initial start-​up is $ 97 and monthly draft is $ 47 if you’re a single adult. $ 104 if you’re a single parent with kids, monthly is $ 54. There are many local gyms who offer cleaner facilities for a less fee and I’ll take my biz over there.