District of Columbia JCC

I joined here about 2 months ago after the YMCA at 17^th and Rhode Island closed. I’m a swimmer and came here to continue my daily swimming program. I am 65 years old and depend on swimming for fitness and relief of degenerative arthritis.
The good parts: JCC is a friendly and well-​maintained place. If I wanted only to work out in the adults-​only fitness center I’d have no issues with my JCC membership. The fitness center is clean, well-​equipped, good amenities, and quiet.
However, now the bad part: The JCC is overrun by children most of the time, and their parents seem to have no idea that there are adults without children who are also members and don’t need to have someone else’s children imposed on them. The swimming pool is essentially a kiddy pool where a parent showing up with a child can pre-​empt adult lap swimming at any time, and the «guard» on duty never challenges the parent for bringing pre-​school children into the pool for «swim lessons» and tells adult swimmers, «Sorry, the aquatics director says it’s OK for them to be in the pool.» Lap-​swimming is very loosely defined as including «swim lessons» even when the swim lessons are nothing more than a adult floating around in a lane with a toddler or pre-​schooler.
The JCC needs to program for «ADULT swim» that is for adults only. Otherwise, they need to list the pool amenity as a children’s pool where adults are only welcome if no children are present, and you are subject to having your adult lap swim interrupted by adults showing up with toddlers. Frankly, I find the parents who bring their children to swim during adult hours to be rather confrontational and insensitive to the needs of older members of the JCC. One parent told me, «If you have a problem with me being here with my child, go complain to the aquatics director.» That is not in the spirit of any community center.
I’ve learned to bring shoes, shorts, and a tshirt with me when I go to the JCC to swim. If there are parents swimming with toddlers and pre-​schoolers during adult swim, I just go to the fitness center and do what I can there and miss my swim.
I’m beginning to regret joining the JCC because there is no enforcement of adult swim. If I had another option, I’d take it. There are about 2 hours a week (Monday through Thursday, 5:30 — 6:00 p.m., if you’re lucky and no parent shows up, when the pool does not have children in it. JCC should take the pool off the list of adult amenities and just say, «Sorry, the pool is for children only.» The JCC’s tag line includes «Child Care & Day Care». I should have paid attention to that before I joined.
Caveat emptor.

Love this place! I am not even Jewish, but I love the warm welcoming community feel. Easy place to meet people. The only thing is that they keep the temperature inside too damn cold…

tl;dr I wouldn’t recommend joining this gym.
I have been a member of the JCC for 2 years now and have had really mixed feelings about the gym. There are obvious positives– it’s not very busy and it’s part of the community. Also, they re-​did the weight room about a year and a half ago and it looks great.
Why would I recommend not joining? It’s mostly because during the summer months the facility’s resources are diminished by half. The entire facility is turned into a gym for kids at summer camp. They take over the gym during the day and also the pool. There are supposedly «designated» hours the camp is not allowed to be in the gym and pool, but they are always using it.
When I asked the JCC during which times I could actually use the facilities I pay for, they gave me a schedule. However, the summer camp does not follow the schedule at all and the gym staff wasn’t helpful getting them to leave the gym. Not to mention I look like a jerk trying to get 40 kids out of a gym trying to have fun. It is a constant battle between gym membership staff and the summer camp staff.
I asked if I could get a get a discount for these summer months because the facilities that I like (and pay for) are now not available. They said no and gave some excuse about how the hours haven’t changed. Again, it was a fight between the gym staff and summer camp staff. A TOTAL LACK OF ORGANIZATION.
In addition, many of their facilities are run down, especially the basketball court, which I have heard, hasn’t been updated in 20 years. The lights don’t work and they flicker all the time. The locker rooms are okay, but for $ 90 a month after taxes the locker rooms are way better at Washington Sports Club, Hilton Hotel Gym, and Vida which are all close by. Most gym memberships are around $ 90 usually and this one gives you the least bang for your buck. This gym would have potential, because the location is so nice, but needs many updates and I don’t see any of these issues being addressed.

Not a place to go and feel welcome if you are single and from the neighborhood. Target demographic appears to be neighborhood families and seniors from upper northwest.
A community center with a small c.

This is a review for the swim lessons at the pool. We took the parent/​baby series of classes. It was as crowded as possibly can be. I counted twenty (20!) sets of parent+baby in the tiny pool. Moreover, the parent/​baby classes are one after another, so the changing rooms get impossibly crowded. The locker rooms are carpeted… it smells of dirty feet. So unhygienic.
Two stars because the water was warm and there were free towels.

So much better than WSC!
After sitting for an hour on hold with WSC’s corporate office trying to actually end my membership and stop the constant fees and charges, I was on the hunt for a new gym. After touring a few in the area, I felt like the DC JCC was the best, even if it wasn’t necessarily the fanciest.
As a community gym, it has a better crowd and isn’t jamb-​packed during peak times like WSC was. I rarely have to wait to get a piece of equipment or a lane in the pool, and when I do, it’s very quick. I haven’t had any issues with broken or dirty equipment. The fourth floor gym is always quiet, cool, clean and pleasant to work out in. Best of all, the staff and customers are friendly!
Not giving the full 5 stars bc it is still kind of expensive and I wish there was another power rack.

I’ve been a member here for almost two years. I really like the location and the community feel. We’ve been to some really great events, and the theater is really something special.
The fitness facilities are clean and well-​maintained, and I’ve never had to compete for space or time on a particular machine. Mariele’s spin class on Wednesday evenings is what keeps me coming back.

I’m not one of to complain or bad mouth anyone but there are some things that just need to be said. The DCJCC has really gone downhill since Carole (the director) took over for Arna Myer Michelson. It use to be such a warm and welcoming place but it just doesn’t have the same energy anymore. It’s cold. I’ve encountered Carole a number of times and each time I speak with her, I walk away thinking there’s just SOMETHING about her that rings «insincere and untrustworthy.» I know she has fired a number of dedicated employees who have given YEARS to the success of JCC only to find out she’s brought on people from her previous center in California in replacement of… but it’s not even just that. She lacks true compassion. If you are going to be the head of ANY place, you have to care about people and the success of the center as a whole. In my opinion, I feel it’s more about money to her (which i understand is important to run a center) and HER status then the overall happiness of the JCC members and (from my understanding) the staff as well.
My family and I have been members of the DCJCC for years and have always loved it. It’s just sad to know what it use to like to what it is now. I miss the wonderful Arna.
I will say that the JCC has an amazing gym and pool facilityl! And Phil, who has run the Summer Camp Program for years, truly does an outstanding job.
As for the overall center: The key word is not just business, Carole, but compassion ;-)

I’ve been to countless events at the JCC! They have ranged from volunteering, to comedy, to cooking competitions! They are all well attended and well organized.
The crowd is likely to be exactly how you think it would be — all ages and walks of life.
It’s a great community center!

So here’s the thing about gyms in DC. They are just so expensive. They are also very high quality. But I did some prioritizing when I first moved here, and I remembered that I really just use a gym for the treadmill, a few machines, and some free weights. So really, I just wanted to pay the least amount possible for those things. And I found that at the JCC.
My roommate and I qualified for the «family» deal because the only requirement is sharing the same address, and I paid upfront for the whole year which gets you an additional discount. So basically, the gym was very pricey for one month and free for the remaining 11. Great!
The gym itself probably has 6 treadmills, 3 stairclimbers, 6 ellipticals, a set of free weights, and like 15 – 20 machines. It also has a box of what looks like colorful toys that I am sure are used by some for working out (not me). So, the place small, but not that busy, and I have never had trouble getting a machine. Each of the treadmills and ellipticals has its own TV. The gym also offers a handful of classes, one of which I attended (I woke up early to work out one time back in September, and I’m still proud of myself). Basically, it is the cheapest gym I could find in terms of dollars, but it also has the highest price/​quality ratio, i.e. you’re not really getting what you pay for. But like I said, it has everything I need.
Worth noting: they just renovated the place last week and got new machines and new floors.
Another thing I like: because this is a community center, the clientele are representative of the community. When I toured another gym in the area, I felt like everyone was there to see and be seen. Not what I’m looking for. At the JCC, I would never feel nervous about going to a new class or trying out a new machine because the environment is not judgy or meatheady or pretentious. I plan on renewing for another year.

Im going to have to agree with Clifford. The gym and locker room is very clean, and the staff is excellent! There are lots of amenities but the fitness area is outdated, but I can deal with it. I like that the dumbbells are always in order, VERY RARE! Dumbbells max at 80 and no hammer strength, egh. ALl in all a nice place to go to

If I was just rating the workout room facilities, I would probably give 2 or 3 stars. The gym lacks a lot of weightlifting equipment and what they do have is a little outdated. However, it definitely has enough for most people.
Most of the treadmills and ellipticals have their own TV with cable – a big plus.
Aside from the workout room, the rest of the facilities are nice: squash courts, racquetball courts, swimming pool, dance/​class studio. There are a decent number of classes you can take for free too.
My favorite part of the gym is that it is rarely crowded. Even during prime time workout periods (morning and after work) the gym never seems to be too crowded. Also, it is mostly an older crowd, so you have fewer meat heads and gawkers.
The staff has always been friendly, nice, and helpful. If they upgraded their workout equipment (which I think they are planning on doing), I would give it 5 stars.

I made an appointment during lunch to check out the facilities and meet with someone in membership. The older black woman at the front desk was so rude to me, considering I’d never been there before and didn’t know protocol. The woman at membership was nice enough but the facilities were GHETTO! I actually would not go back based how I was treated at the front desk. I joined VIDA instead. The price wasn’t that much different and you get a lot more.

My only experience was sitting at the foot of the stage when Sandra Bernhard performed her one-​woman show. Her prop glasses were on our table. Had a good time, just didn’t know what to expect and like most comedians, I thought should was going to pick on someone from the audience. Phew, I lucked out that night.

Ok facilities; a pain to deal with billing problems, so do not join if you do not have time to deal with this — staff are not helpful. In fact, one staff member was rude and pushy, and the manager did not respond when there was a misunderstanding my attempt to cancel or suspend membership until I could decide whether it would be a good idea to continue membership when I got back into town. I do *not* recommend joining.

I rarely have to wait for equipment at the gym or share a lane with another person when I’m in the pool. There’s a google group and a ladder for raquetball — I haven’t gotten to play yet, but I’m hoping to soon. The Thursday night Zumba dance/​aerobics class looks good and has a reasonable balance of men and women. I work from home on Thursdays, so I’ve used the wifi and in the lobby for hours. There are cute little kids running around all the time… a rarity in Dupont Circle.
The price is similar to WSC but includes an uncrowded pool (I’ve heard the columbia heights pool is busy, but I don’t know for sure), basketball courts, squash and racquetball courts, wifi, discounts on theatre, a jewish library, and a mostly friendly staff. The gym equipment is basic, but for the most part they have what I need — freeweights and a pullup bar. They were a little slow about fixing a broken pin on the power rack, but that’s been my only real complain so far.
One downside — they close at 6 on Fridays. I joke that I’m not working out because of Shabbas.
They also have elipticals and treadmills, though I haven’t used them.
Very happy — vastly prefer it to WSC.

Okay,
So I have to admit that I’ve only been here once… but that being said, I was thinking about getting a membership because I like to swim early in the morning… so I arrive on Monday morning at 6am and a janitor let us in, there was no security guard to check you in, none of the lights were on, and the pool was locked. The «pool guy» didn’t show up for 20 minutes, and looked like he had been hit by a bus or hit the snooze 800 times.
Then the swimsuit dryer was broken. Not a high mark for getting new members. On a last note… considering all of the anti-​jewish events as of late you would think there would be better security, but I just walked in without even giving my guest pass and they have a metal detector that goes off when everyone walks through and nobody cares.

I was a member of the JCC gym for a year when I lived a block and a half away. They had a discount for young professions/​students. At the time I was both and so the price was quite good (~42/​month). I had only been to the JCC in Rockville previously, which is a much larger facility, but for good reason — its not in downtown DC.
Anyway, as far as the facilities go, there are 3 squash and 3 racquetball ball courts, a small pool, gym (basketball courts) and then the work out facility. Included is a nice free weight area, though not too large, about 15 machines, 8 treadmills, a few stair masters and eliptical machines. Overall, its a pretty decent size, and it wasn’t too crowded when i would stop in after work (5ish) and on weekends it was empty. I’m sure the rush times are the same here.
In addition, I have also attended a few movie showings at the JCC, including the Ten. Overall the facility is pretty good for the location and size constraints. The staff are friendly and helpful.

I joined the JCC for the gym, though the person who registered me asked pointed questions about the other services until I explained that I’m not Jewish. (My last name is German, so I forgive her persistence.) I picked the JCC because it was convenient to where I was living and caters to a wide audience — and I knew I wouldn’t be able to make myself go to a gym that was far away or full of meatheads.
If you’re considering joining the gym here, be sure to take a tour during the time you’d want to be there. It’s on the small side, and can definitely get packed during peak hours. It empties out during the workday and later in the evenings, and the cardio machines fill up more quickly than the weights area.
The classes come with your membership and are pretty good, but some of them are also prone to filling up — so arrive with a few minutes to spare. I also noticed that the classes change a LOT, which may be good for variety but bad if you find something you like. The gym closes early at 6 on Fridays and has shortened weekend hours, which can be annoying depending on your workout habits. The pool is small, so if you swim regularly, I might recommend going somewhere else. The locker room is nothing fancy, but is generally clean. As a previous poster mentioned, beware the swarms of children awaiting parental pickup around 5 PM.
The atmosphere is friendly, though, and I particularly enjoy that a large variety of people use the gym (young/​old, super fit/​getting there, etc.). It costs about $ 90 month-​to-​month and less with an annual contract, though there are also various discount plans for students and young professionals. The thing I found most annoying about my JCC membership was their habitual clerical errors — I asked them to charge my bank account monthly, but instead they charged my credit card (which I had to provide a «backup» method of payment); my entrance card was sometimes frozen even when my bill was paid, and the membership person on duty didn’t always know how to identify or fix the problem; when I left the JCC (I moved and it was no longer convenient), it took nearly 2 months to get the refund for the deposit on my key card, despite a few reminders I sent to them over email.
Bottom line: if it’s convenient and you’ll go, the gym is decent. If you want to swim or little kids annoy you, look elsewhere. And if you join, keep an eye on the payment issues, as they have a tendency to be a little incompetent.

I joined the JCC mainly for the gym, but also to connect with the Jewish community. It’s a pretty nice place, and they put on a lot of events, classes, services, and plays. I haven’t sampled nearly enough of any of this, but what I saw, I liked. The art gallery is especially nice, with some really wonderful rotating exhibitions.
The gym is on the smaller side, but it basically gets the job done. Membership is around $ 80 per month. There are 6 or 7 treadmills, and about as many elliptical machines for cardio. Three TVs line the wall, and you can tune a radio in to listen to whichever one you want. I’m not sure who brings radios to work out anymore, but if you have one, you’ll be in business. There’s also a decent selection of weight machines and enough free weights to do what must be done. It’s not a huge gym, so it can get crowded during peak hours.
In the basement lies a pool, a basketball court, and locker rooms. The pool is a bit small — three lanes and it takes 45 laps to swim a mile. The basketball court feels a bit like a middle school gym. And the locker rooms (at least the men’s) leave something to be desired. The room has a dank and musty smell, the lockers appear old and badly painted. There isn’t much by way of amenities — this is no luxury gym, like the Sports Club LA or whathaveyou — but it’s all functional and good enough. Having said that, if you find yourself in the locker room when the JCC day camp is in session, you will wish you were never born.