The instructor explained the steps to effective freestyle swimming. She demonstrated then had me do…read moreit. Explanations were easy to understand.

I can't say enough good things about Anna. She's one of the best swim coaches I've ever worked with…read more-- knowledgeable, passionate, flexible, confident, and just genuinely great to be around. Highly recommended!

If you're looking for an experienced, friendly, patient and genuinely caring swim coach, I can…read morehighly recommend Betty! As an adult beginner I wanted to work with someone who had experience teaching all different types of learners. I also wanted to work with someone who would not only teach me, but also explain why we were doing each move, technique etc (I learn better when I understand why). Betty was flexible with lessons when schedules needed to be adjusted, or offering me earlier slots if a session became available at short notice. I'm delighted to say that within 2 months of lessons, I can swim confidently and now am focused on improving my technique. It actually took less time to learn how to swim with Betty, but I wanted to spend more time on technique once I'd grasped the fundamentals. I highly recommend Betty!

I've wanted to learn freestyle swimming for a long time, and I'm so glad I found Betty to help me…read moreachieve that goal. Her teaching style is clear, encouraging, and effective. She made the entire learning process enjoyable, and I was able to pick up freestyle with ease thanks to her expert guidance. Betty was also amazing with my 2-year-old daughter, who was initially scared to get her head underwater. With Betty's patience, creativity, and encouragement, my daughter overcame her fear and, by the second class, was confidently swimming underwater! Betty's ability to connect with toddlers through fun games and a supportive approach is truly impressive. My daughter loves her time in the water, and I couldn't be more grateful. Betty's reputation as a swim instructor has spread throughout our building, and many of my neighbors are using her as their swim coach! If you're looking for an instructor who is fantastic with both adults and children, Betty is an amazing choice. Her skill, patience, and passion for teaching really shine through in every lesson. Thank you Betty!

Had our "little one" (child) here for almost a year. Was told they were doing great each time...a…read morebit unclear what they were doing great at, seeing as the teacher would tell them what to do, they'd do whatever they felt like, and then get a high five. The teachers seem nice, but it does not feel like there's a ton of concentration on teaching going on, mostly people going through the motions. What adds to this is the fact that each lesson ends 5 minutes before the half out, and then you are called in at 5 minutes past. I asked Claude, and it told me 30 - 5 - 5 = 20, which strikes me as inconsistent with paying for a 30 minute lesson. I personally want the teachers to get a break between lessons, and I understand changeover takes time, but that's the institution's problem to manage, not mine. So don't tell me it's a 30 minute lesson.

We just had our first class today with my three-year-old I absolutely loved it. My son took three…read moremonths worth of classes at the British swim school in the Gold Coast. That was my one and only experience with swim lessons after going to goldfish it makes the British swim school look like a disorganized dump. Literally everything that goldfish does is the complete opposite of British swim school. Zola I think is her name was warm, kind and welcoming. The water is warm instead of freezing. The kids look like they were enjoying themselves immensely in the water. They have big huge changing rooms a play area parking and parent viewing area to look through the glass area around the pool is not slippery. You can walk on the cement , instead of worry that you're gonna slip and fall, my son had a blast It was so enjoyable and comfortable I wanted to cry.

Updating my review because I need to give some love to our amazing teacher Crystal!! We took the…read morefall & winter season off from lessons since we would be out of town quite a bit and end up missing classes anyways. We started up with lessons again in the spring and needless to say we regressed quite a bit. Luckily for us, our new teacher has been so supportive and encouraging to our 2 year old. Our first lesson back was pretty rough with lots of tears, but Crystal encouraged us to keep at it and not give up. Over the last four weeks, our son has become so much more comfortable in the water. Crystal has cheered him on the whole time and always moved at a pace he is comfortable with, while slowly encouraging him to try new things. She has been so patient and encouraging, and he has grown to love swim again!! Thanks you Crystal for getting us comfortable in the water again!

They swim only like 5 yards for little kids, don't challenge them…read more They made the biggest progress when I took them for swim myself. Money wasting experience.

After seven years, we recently unenrolled our children from Goldfish Wicker Park after two and a…read morehalf years of repeated frustrations with communication, instructional accountability, and prolonged stagnation in swim levels. Most recently, our daughter spent approximately 13 months in one level at a cost of nearly $1,700, only to be told she still had not mastered skills that should have been intentionally addressed throughout the year. What was most disappointing was not simply the slow progression, but the lack of proactive communication and the repeated feeling that meaningful intervention only occurred after parent escalation. This has now happened multiple times across both of our children. Rather than acknowledging the pattern or engaging thoughtfully with our concerns, management became highly defensive and focused primarily on justifying staff actions through internal notes. We fully understand that children progress differently and that safety matters. However, families also deserve transparency, progress monitoring, and a collaborative approach when concerns are raised, especially at the price point of these lessons. There are many wonderful instructors there, and our frustration is not with individual young staff members. Our concern is with leadership, accountability structures, and how concerns are handled when families advocate for their children.

**Goldfish Swim School: A Thoughtfully Designed Experience for Young Swimmers**…read more We tried Goldfish for our 1.5-year-old's first swim class and are completely hooked! The facility is thoughtfully designed to support young kids learning to swim, with great amenities like ample parking, rows of seating for parents, a warm pool area, 90-degree water, spacious changing rooms, and even a swimsuit dryer. There's also an attentive staff member coordinating class times, making the whole experience smooth and welcoming. Be sure to get on the waitlist early; it took us four months to get off the 9 a.m. parent-tot slot. Our class is with Jessica, who's fantastic, but every aspect of the class feels like part of a well-oiled machine. The teacher welcomes kids playfully with toys and Elmo as they arrive, creating an environment that gently pushes comfort zones while allowing flexibility if kids need to pause. Each exercise builds naturally towards swimming skills and even water safety, like returning to the wall after jumping in. It's clear they've put a lot of thought into making every activity both fun and practical. The instructors stay attentive, encouraging kids through dips, underwater practice, and skills like climbing out on their own. I feel confident that my child will learn to swim here. Also, I appreciate that the spacious changing rooms make it possible to manage solo, though I do prefer to bring my partner when I can. **Comparison to Other Swim Options:** 1. **First Class Swim School:** We've done private sessions here, which offers excellent 1:1 attention since the instructor comes to your pool (for $70 per session vs. $31 at Goldfish). This convenience is amazing, but you need pool access. Additionally, Goldfish offers the benefit of social interaction with other kids, which I think helps reduce any intimidation about swimming. 2. **UIC Swim Classes:** We've also tried UIC's group lessons, which are more affordable ($22 per class). However, the experience is comparable but inferior in many small ways. While their instructors follow structured exercises, they vary in engagement, providing little feedback and few opportunities for underwater practice. Facilities-wise, UIC is less convenient: parking is paid, entry is restricted to exactly within 15 minutes of class, and changing areas are limited. For us, Goldfish offers better value with its focused, fun approach and kid-centered amenities. Overall, Goldfish Swim School has created a safe, fun, and highly effective environment for teaching kids to swim, and we couldn't be happier with our experience so far!

I have only walked the park. There is a hot dog stand outside that's pretty busy. Nice grounds.read more

Great place for family, tons of classes to offer, the pool is clean and enjoyable, staff is a…read morelittle uptight, except the person at the reception, he was amazing and very nice, but overall the place is awesome to spend time with family

Not a bad option for a gym in West Loop…read more Usually running a promo for free enrollment and a month or two free. If you're looking to become a member, watch for these deals as they are run pretty frequently. Nice staff. Good amenities. No B.S fees like many other gyms have. Very utilitarian. Happy with my membership.

I would STRONGLY caution anyone considering a membership here. Their customer service is some of…read morethe worst I've experienced at any gym. When you request to cancel or pause your membership, they'll continue to take your money but won't actually process the request properly. In my case, when I asked them to cancel my membership in advance (so I wouldn't be charged again), they canceled it early out of spite because I had complained about them not pausing my account when I was traveling for 3 months. Instead of showing remorse for canceling my membership, the manager tried to blame me, until I had email as proof. Even then, the manager, Darrell Szymanski was dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy or consideration. A gym is supposed to be a place where members feel valued and respected--not taken advantage of. Unfortunately, this club falls far short. They were so condescending, it's was insulting.

Looks like a solid gym, with decent amenities. I was here for a class, specifically BURN…read more 5 stations, 2 times through, approx 45 minutes. Good workout, great instructor -Kristin! Location is a little far for me, but again, the gym itself seems to have a ton of equipment and good layour.

I've been a member of this gym for the better part of a decade. Let me paint you a picture of a…read moretypical visit... You enter on Diversey Street through two sets of narrow double doors. Someone is always leaving at the exact moment you arrive, and the two of you engage in a polite yet awkward standoff over who will hold the door. One of you finally relents and slips through, and just like that, the first small irritation of the day has landed - forgettable on its own, but the first of many. By the time you leave, they'll have accumulated, and you'll walk out slightly worse off than when you arrived, unsure exactly why. Next comes the card scanner. There is a self-scan device on the counter, and you will try earnestly, hopefully, to get it to work. It rarely does. But not never, and that's the problem. If it never worked, they might be forced to fix it. But because it flickers to life just often enough, they don't. So you stand there, twisting your card around like an idiot, while the staff -who've watched this same futile ritual unfold thousands of times - eventually wheel their chair over and press a button on top. This, too, rarely works on the first try. You both fiddle . Smile nervously. You both pretend it isn't ridiculous. Finally, you're through. Next is the locker-room, which is carpeted- an ideal environment for mold, bacteria, and athletes foot fungus. To reach it, you'll navigate a cramped zigzag chute that I've come to think of as the "butt funnel" - a design that ensures those entering and those exiting will collide in the tightest possible space. Once inside, you're greeted not by open space but by a bench placed directly in the entryway, flanked by lockers. This leaves you weaving through a maze of naked limbs and gym bags just to get in. Then comes the locker hunt. There is no system - no visual indicator of a locker being unused, no light, no logic. You must walk the perimeter, trying each one in sequence. Locked. Locked. Locked. Locked. Locked. Open. By this time, much of your desire to workout, which you had just a brief time ago, has diminishd significantly. Upstairs, unless you've come during workday hours, you'll find the place packed. Not just busy - packed. Every machine is in use, often with someone standing nearby, waiting. You'll find people on the floor, doing pushups or crunches in the narrow spaces between equipment. There's no rhythm, no flow - just bodies everywhere. oh, and forget going late in the evening - they reduced their hours significantly after Covid and then never opened them back up (almost certainly because they realized it increased their profit margin to not have to pay the staff). And the atmosphere - this is harder to define, but you'll feel it. It's not unfriendly exactly, just... off. No one talks. No one makes eye contact. I'm not looking to make friends at the gym, but I can't shake the sense that something in the bones of this place is just wrong. It takes more than it gives and it's hard to put your finger on why. When your workout is over, you descend through the same gauntlet of hell on your way out, a staff member will mumble a required, monotone farewell in your direction without looking up - a forced practice that you know is equally as painful for them as it is you . You'll hold the door for the next person as they awkwardly try to hold it for you. And you'll step back out onto Diversey having completed your workout. Technically, you've gained something - but it won't feel that way. Why, you ask, do I continue to attend this godforsaken place? Because it the only gym in the neighborhood - and I, like so many others around here, don't have a car in Chicago. Therefore I will continue to attend - losing something every time I go. Something hard to name - a little wellbeing, a little peace. A little of myself.

For the love of god, please play better music. Nothing worse than unbearable radio pop blaring…read morethroughout the facility. The last thing I want to hear is "Honey, I'm Good" by Andy Grammer blasting my ears off at 96 decibels while I'm trying to workout. Other than that, the Ray is the best.

Facility is super nice. Weekends and summer are basically a children gymnasium…read more Good luck trying to get a swim lane to yourself on the weekends as every lane is used up by parents and kids goofing off.

They do hire some very good instructors…read more Thanks

Our family has generally had a positive experience with British Swim School at the Gold Coast…read morelocation. However, two separate observations at the North Harbor location raised concerns regarding the consistency of instruction, attention, and supervision in small classes. I was not at the facility looking for an issue or attempting to scrutinize the instructor. I was there to observe my daughter's lesson, and naturally my attention remained on the pool. In a class of only two students, the distribution of an instructor's attention is readily apparent. During a makeup class, I observed Coach Emmalis directing the greater part of her attention toward the other student while my daughter spent extended portions of the lesson without active instruction or coaching. My daughter is still developing her swimming skills, and the pool was relatively deep for her current ability level. In that context, the limited instructional engagement raised a legitimate concern for me from both an instructional and safety perspective. I have video documentation of the session. After I raised my concerns, the owner asked me to remove my review and explained that the school's protocol permits adult students to remain independently in the water for short periods because they are capable of supervising themselves. I understand and acknowledge that distinction. My concern was not an adult student's ability to remain safely in the water; it was the disparity in instructional attention within a two-student class and the resulting level of engagement with my daughter. On a subsequent Wednesday, I again observed Coach Emmalis teaching a class of two different students. I observed what appeared to be the same pattern: substantially greater instructional attention directed toward one student while the other received less active coaching. Because this occurred during a separate class with different students, it caused me to question whether my initial observation was merely an isolated circumstance. I am deliberately limiting this review to my firsthand observations and the explanation provided to me by management. I am not attributing motive or intent to the instructor, nor am I making a generalized allegation about the school's practices. Rather, I believe these observations raise a legitimate question about whether students in small classes are receiving a consistent and appropriate level of instruction and attention throughout their lessons. For students who are still developing their swimming abilities, particularly in relatively deep water, consistent instruction and attentive oversight are important. I hope management will review these observations and the available documentation objectively and determine whether the instruction provided was consistent with the school's expectations.