Oakland YMCA

I was a member of the Y for almost 20 years, but I no longer go to this Y. Which is sad. I grew up in the Y, and the Oakland Y is a good facility. However, they no longer have towel service, they closed the spa and steam room, and reduced hours. Quitting was hard though. I mean it turned out to be impossible to cancel my membership by phone. I called multiple times to cancel, which they never did. I asked for a confirmation callback. None came. Instead, they just kept taking my money. "Christian values?" I had to finally go in and put a stop to it, but what a disfunction bunch of people behind the counter. What happened to this place?! Anyway, check out SF Fitness for more local locations and good amenities (including towel service), at about the same price. The Club at City Center is also very close by, and has all the amenities the Y used to have, plus an outdoor pool, for just a little more money.

During my 11-month tenure at the Oakland YMCA, the atmosphere was marred by vivid, discriminatory behavior, particularly from a young Asian female staff member. Her indifference was strikingly evident each time I walked in. I still vividly recall how she would warmly greet a white woman ahead of me, only to abruptly turn away when it was my turn, deliberately avoiding eye contact and blatantly ignoring my presence. This selective acknowledgment was not just cold but felt like a deliberate act of racial profiling. Adding to this was the aggressive response from a white male staff member when I attempted to report these issues of racial bias. His hostility was alarming, transforming a place meant for community and wellness into a space of discomfort and anxiety. This YMCA, moreover, seems to struggle with external community issues. Over the past year, there has been a noticeable increase in homeless individuals from surrounding areas coming to the YMCA, often seeking day passes to use the facilities. While understanding the complex social issues at play, this influx has further impacted the overall environment and member experience. In light of these experiences, I strongly encourage those seeking a fitness community to consider other options such as the Berkeley YMCA or Berkeley Equinox, where inclusivity and respect are more deeply ingrained in the community ethos. I am a member of both organizations and can attest to their current status. Elderly black members of the YMCA also recommended Berkeley based on similar experiences in the past decade. Cheers!

I signed up on line and when I arrived at the gym, two front desk ladies were having a conversation and I was just standing there waiting for their attention. I decided to say hi how are you I’m new here sorry to interrupt your conversation but can someone help me? They replied with an upset face as if I was interrupting their private time. I was smiling and being very positive the entire time and one of the front desk ladies asked to take my picture then gave me a key fob and brush me off to continue having her conversation with her co worker. I said oh ok thank you so much have a great day to which no one replied anything back and pretended I wasn’t even there. Not even do you want a tour? It took me 10 minutes to find the locker rooms. Besides that is a big facility and the members are polite and tons of equipment available. Basketball court pool huge locker rooms. Plenty of showers lots of strength and cardio. FYI there was no music playing over the speakers so bring your headphones. Like the gym vibe from the members. Update as of September 2023 Locker rooms need to be updated. No gym has their lockers zip tied anymore. This was during pandemic stages. Lockers are all rusted and old with mildew inside. Floors are dirty with brow fungus. The cleaning of the machines have gotten better. The staff needs to work on welcoming guests in. Not us walking in and having to loudly say hello so they can react to your presence. Don’t get me wrong they are nice people when you get to talk to them and friendly but there is no welcoming presence. Members are friendly when they see your face on a regular. Trainers are helpful with answering questions and giving device. Main toilet in men’s always dirty having most guys using the toilet by the showers which is always clean. Locker room floor always trashed with paper. Staff walks by and doesn’t pick trash up unless is someone of management. I myself had to pick up trash from floor because it was just too much. This can be improved. Once again staff is super friendly but does not welcome people in as we walk in like most gyms do.

I’ve been using this Y while temporarily located in Oakland. The most succinct word to describe it is trashy. The men’s locker room is disgraceful; shabby, poor maintenance, broken fixtures, a non-functional steamroom, etc. The pool is decent although the water always seems a bit cloudy for some reason. The other facilities are also decent but certainly not better than that. Front desk staff lacks any sense of welcome. They don’t even make eye contact unless you actively engage them. I give three stars mostly because it’s there and accessible but, lord, it could be so much better with competent management.

I'm a personal trainer at the downtown Denver Y and spent some time in the bay area with friends and decided to visit a Y for a quick pump. The facilities are top notch. Equipment was up to date and plentiful. I only ended up using the weight room, but it had such an array of equipment types and availability that even if fully packed I'm sure anyone could find themselves a meaningful workout. Staff was helpful in looking up my profile in Nation wide and the location is of the facility is mere blocks from Oakland's downtown offerings. Give it a visit if you're in town.