First and foremost, this gym is huge. It has an amazing amount of equipment spread over multiple levels. It doesn't matter if you want to do cardio, weights, lifting, barbells, dumbbells, stretching, balancing, they will have the equipment for you. They also have a decent schedule of classes. What are the coolest aspects of this gym is the basketball court. It fills up routinely with pick up games and it's not hard to find other people to play with. This gym is the parking. I typically end up parking on the street, and the area gets pretty dicey. My car was broken into one time. It's important to not leave anything in your car or people will come break in. A lot of people don't know this, but the YMCA offers low income programs that provide subsidize memberships. It's not free, but they help out with the monthly fee in part. read more

The Oakland YMCA is better than the Berkeley one, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Let's start with the pros: it's in a good location, it's a sizable space, and they have a lot of cardio machines. I recently had to wait for a machine, and that may have been the first time I've experienced that here. Now for the cons: 1) Like other East Bay YMCA locations, there is no towel service. I have exercised at YMCA locations all over the Bay Area, and I've noticed that on the Peninsula and in San Francisco, Marin, and the South Bay, members do not have to bring their own towels. I get that it's a luxury, but I wish the holdouts in the East Bay would get with the program. 2) There is no hot tub. (This is something the Berkeley YMCA does have.) 3) Machines and other things are out of order for extended periods of time. (See photos.) 4) The water pressure in the men's locker room is lackluster. 5) They renovated the men's locker room last year and it is certainly nicer, but I don't understand why they insist on those mats that feel slightly less painful than stepping on legos. (See photo.) 6) The staff does not answer the phone - at least not consistently. Earlier this month, I called three times over the course of a week to ask about something I accidentally left in the locker room and to check about holiday hours. All calls were during business hours, and no one ever picked up. I left a voicemail the first time and never got a call back. Am I going to continue using the YMCA? Yes - it's a 10-minute walk from home, and it has the basic gym necessities for me. I'm unlikely to recommend it until they start putting in a little more effort, though. read more

See all

I had a very disappointing experience with the YMCA recently. We have a 3-year-old child and were interested in signing him up for swimming lessons. We went to the facility in person and spoke with a staff member, who was very nice and helpful. We explained what we were looking for, went through the information with her, and even toured part of the facility, which was currently under construction. Throughout the conversation, it seemed very clear that our intention was to enroll our young child in swimming lessons. Later that day, I received a call from the executive director. He started the conversation by telling me that they do not allow youth from other associations to use their facility. I was honestly confused because that was never what we were asking to do. From the way the conversation was presented, it seemed as though he had been given the impression that I intended to bring my child to the YMCA to work out, which was completely incorrect. What was most disappointing was the lack of communication between the staff and leadership. If there was a policy that prevented us from enrolling our child in swimming lessons, that could have simply been explained to us during our initial visit. Instead, the situation was escalated to the executive director based on what appears to have been a misunderstanding. I understand that facilities have rules and policies, and I have no issue respecting them. However, I would expect better communication and professionalism from the leadership of an organization like the YMCA. The entire encounter left me questioning how a simple inquiry about swimming lessons for a 3-year-old could turn into such an unnecessary misunderstanding. read more

The downtown Oakland YMCA has the best staff. The the workout equipment is pretty new and great. What's not great, is the condition of the women's shower room, I have posted a video too. I'm hoping by posting this review the YMCA will actually redo the entire women's shower area. It's so bad at this point it's unsanitary and unsafe for the elderly that use it on a daily basis. Please do better. read more

For the price, it's a good gym. The weight rooms in particular are plentiful and modern. Is it the best gym in Oakland. Probably not. But it is walkable, being a member gives you access to many other YMCA gyms, and has relatively up to date equipment. read more

Downtown Oakland YMCA yes I have stopped in visiting this YMCA branch several times. Location is central as parking can be hectic on street which is not recommended, and parking garage you got to find entrance and pull a tickets. First hour or so I think is of no charge but anything after is Addtional parking fee. Nicely build car garage for visitors but as for location I have not made any recommendations to any other person of this YMCA location. I have traveled out to Oakland just myself using own personal transporation not being accompanied of any other persons. I had been in area of work purposes as working some event near by in the colosseum . . Any on site staff interactions with customer services or Oakland Police officers are communicate primarily in English only. Location is well maintained as I have utilized facility for showering and daily routine care needs. -Christina (updated on 6/4/2025) read more

I found the member atmosphere wasn't very friendly. During my visits I didn't meet any members who seemed interested in getting to know me, which made the overall experience less inviting than I'd hoped. read more

Anyone who's claiming the locker rooms, shower and pool areas is clean is a lying sack of doo doo. Yes the gym areas have been renovated but that is all, nothing else. The pool area looks like a fungus and staph infection waiting to happen. The locker rooms give dungeon haunted mental facility vibes from the 1940's. Not sure what I feel about this place. read more

My 80-year-old mom has been a member of Oakland Downtown YMCA for over 20 years. She only speaks Mandarin Chinese with a few English words like ' how are you, ' ' good, ' ok, '. Recently, Oakland YMCA management made a quick decision to terminate her membership because their employee reported that my mom used the racial slur ' N- word ' toward her while she simply spoke Chinese to her. In Chinese, there is a filler word widely used in oral speaking which sounds very much like the N- word. It's like using ' en, well, like ' in English speaking, sometimes it also means ' the, or that' in English. It is obviously a honest misunderstanding caused by culture and language barriers. But the management not only ignored this fact, but also tried to be a language police. The executive director Hae Won told me and my husband firmly that my mom is not allowed to speak any Chinese words which related to the N-word at her YMCA during our meeting in her office. I am sad to see she has very little knowledge to try to understand this misunderstanding, instead of simply judged other languages, especially the word sounds like ' N-word ' is so widely used in this language. My mom doesn't even know this n- word English slur, now I have to teach my 80 years old non English speaker mom this word to be aware of getting into troubles. Our request is simply: please apologize to my mom since the management made a mistake by accusing her of using derogatory comments towards their employe while she only spoke her own language, Chinese Mandarin. And please provide cultural sensitivity training to their employees. Almost two weeks have passed, we still haven't heard anything back from Hae Won yet which she promised us to reach out by Last Friday. YMCA suppose to represents diversity culture in our community. Stop being a language police! please be more understanding different culture, different language! read more

So happy to hear that the Y is open again, at least part-time for now! It has been over a year since I finished my last work-out at the Y, just before the pandemic. It felt really great to be back to my second home this past Friday night for a special 45 minute Club Fit class for members! My spouse and I were two of five members who attended the special evening class with Chris. I got the email that the Y expanded their hours Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 1 pm and 4 to 7 pm and downloaded the YMCA of the East Bay app on my phone. The indoor pool is finally open Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 1 pm and you have to make reservations for a 30 minute slot. Unfortunately, you have to bring your own towel, arrive in your swim wear to the Y and locker rooms are not available at the moment so that means getting out of the pool without a shower or changing your clothes! We have been so fortunate to have towel service all these years, but due to the pandemic, there are no towels or locker rooms available. If you are interested in swimming, check out the website for information on preparing yourself for swimming at the pool. Getting back to the class, I reserved a spot for this Club Fit class online and couldn't wait to check out the Y's new safety protocols, etc. The Y was closed to the public Friday evening but Chris motioned us to come in and scan our membership cards. Then we each took a bottle of sanitizing spray for wiping down the equipment before and after our use. He told us to go upstairs to the second floor and we saw there were 3 other members warming up on the treadmills. Upon walking through the facility, we noticed the changes made due to COVID-19, sanitizing machines everywhere, spin room, child watch and front offices replaced by rooms made for exercising/stretching. Upstairs the racquetball courts are gone and replaced with exercise equipment and the room where we were having the class has partitions for 4 separate training areas where one person has a rowing machine, bench, free weights, balls to workout on their own. We enjoyed the class which was a jumpstart for us to be back here and I look forward to coming back to the Y soon to get back into my workout routine! read more

See all

I've been a member for 4 years and I love the Oakland YMCA. All the class instructors are very friendly and encouraging and there's always a good range of people at the classes who are different ages and fitness levels. I've taken zumba, HIIT, bootcamp, body conditioning, cardio dance and yoga classes. The yoga classes aren't my thing, because I want to be more active at a gym, but even then it was fun to try out. There is equipment available everytime I come, just sometimes specific weight machines aren't always available around 5-6. It's not the fanciest gym, but for taking a class on the weekend or after work and using the weight and treadmills, it's a great place. read more

Hi can please extend the hours, we are lots of members who would like to workout after 10pm, can you please do flexible hours at list until 12am? read more

I've been a member here for about 12 years. Now that my son has grown, I only use the Y to work out. It's more expensive than other local gyms, but not nearly as crowded so I can actually get on the equipment. The customer service here is hit or miss, and too often a miss. Some people who work here are friendly and helpful, if I ask a question. But the others act like I am bothering them when I come up to the counter to ask a question. read more

I love the YMCA! I have been going to different branches my entire life and each time have been treated like family by the staff. The equipment is decent though when it's busy it's hard to find especially right now while they're remodeling :( I have yet to try out the pool but it's super big! Overall the Y is a bang for your buck, you won't find anything else like this. read more

Downtown Oakland Branch YMCA - Me - Gyms Near Me - Oakland, California

Olympic weightlifting is difficult to do in the East Bay on a budget. The weightlifting-only gyms are crazy expensive and globo-goers throw a fit when you drop from overhead. Luckily, this YMCA branch offers a decently affordable membership rate and has a new barbell training area (installed in April 2019ish?) where you can snatch/clean and jerk to your heart's desire. All the bars are Eleiko Performance Weightlifting and even though the Rogue Echo bumpers don't sound very nice after hip contact, at least they're better than hex plates... If you get a membership, you can also drop into the Berkeley Y for free where they have Rogue Echo Bars, Eleiko SVR platforms, and the better Rogue plates with the metal cores. read more

Downtown Oakland Branch YMCA - The new barbell training area! Yes, they're the shitty Rogue bumpers but the bars are all Eleiko... - Gyms Near Me - Oakland, California

Wonders never cease. I totally thought a Y would be a low budget, falling apart, icky type of place. But I was completely surprised when my friend recommended I take a tour one day when I was looking for a gym. The tour guide was a trainer and very informative, kind, and bubbly the whole time. I had a great visit even without working out! This branch has so so much, from yoga classes to a pool, sauna, steam room, huge locker rooms for men, women, boys, and girls, and of course a million machines and a basketball court donated by Draymond Green. Everything was clean and bright. There was also so much space too, you never felt squished or in the way. There's enough space to do your routine and get going without having to wait or sweat in the heat of a small gym. Great location, easy walk from the Bart and near bus stops, and lots of motivation around you to get in a great workout. read more

Dear YMCA, The second floor cardio room has zero ventilation, is stuffy and smells like sh*t. It's not just sweat and body odor - it's also dust and crap from your most recent construction. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can you leave those tiny windows open so that we can breathe?! Thank you, Your paying customers read more

No, the facilities aren't perfect. No, it doesn't have all the fancy bells and whistles of a Soul Cycle studio or an Equinox. But yes, I love me some Oakland YMCA! I've been a member for about six months now and it's been such a good investment in my happiness and well-being. There are plenty of weights and cardio machines, a basketball court, a small indoor track, raquetball courts, and a wide array of classes from ballet to body sculpt. Classes are offered at many times of day to fit your scheduling needs. I mostly have my membership for the heated indoor pool and the fabulous spin classes. For spin, make sure you find an instructor you like and target their class time. The instructors have different styles and some will work better for you than others depending on what kind of workout you're looking for. The Masters swim is awesome. Coach Kyle fosters a very positive environment and the workouts have helped me become a more well-rounded swimmer. Just wish the administrator behind scheduling would stop taking pool time away from us and pushing our class back later in the evening. This swim is one of my favorite parts of the Y and I could come a lot more if it was earlier than 6:30. Swimming independently is also a good option, but the pool can get very crowded at peak hours and circle swim is awkward when everyone has varying fitness and ability levels. With that said, seeing people with different levels of fitness, different ages, different nationalities all having fun and getting fit reminds me why the Oakland community is so unique. Maybe it's cheesy of me, but part of why I love the Oakland Y so much is because there are people from all walks of life enjoying getting fit together! read more

The Downtown Oakland YMCA recently renovated their basketball court area. Its a snazzy new court with spacious borders. The basketball court has a clever design, in that on the second level above it, there is a running track that runs around the perimeter. Its so cool to run in a circle being able to look down below at the pickup basketball game happening. This YMCA also features an exceptionally large strength training area. There are free weights, as well as machines. And there are plenty of both. I've never had to wait for a bench or machine I wanted. Last but not least, the best feature of this Y is that you can usually get a spot on the racquetball court. I'll often go with my racket and just tool around in there to get warmed up. Definitely a more interesting option than cardio! read more

Downtown Oakland Branch YMCA - Above-basketball court circular track! - Gyms Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Thank you to the manager who let me workout tonight! You made my day !!! I was desperate for a workout tonight -as I just rejoined a few days ago at the Berkeley branch , little did I know you can only use your home branch ! i was initially turned away (sad face) . But the manager came out to find me and welcomed me in for one workout as a courtesy. Super grateful ! oakland Y has a lot more equipment than Berkeley. I will be switching over . thanks again! The place looks great , everything is super spaced out , very clean , feels totally safe . love you guys ! read more

The Downtown YMCA is great. I've been a member here for a long time, 10+ years, and I have seen constant improvements to the weight room, locker rooms and gym. It seems they are always looking for ways to improve and they take member input and ideas also. The staff is always friendly, and they have a lot if different equipment to work out on, and the indoor track is great to run on. It's never overly crowded when I go. I don't do the classes, but they seem to be very popular. If you want to get your workout on, wether cardio or strength training, this is the spot, highly recommended!!! read more

Downtown Oakland Branch YMCA - Indoor track. - Gyms Near Me - Oakland, California

I have been a member for 31 years. I find the permanent removal of the jacuzzi to be the saddest thing I have seen there. The hot tub was SO helpful for my back problems. The women's locker room, in particular, felt like a little community. I made many friendships there. Also, the Y is practicing discrimination against people with disabilities who cannot manage to haul all their belongings for work outs and showering to and from the Y. The small personal lockers that were always available are not returning, so I was told when I asked at the front desk. Towels, dry or wet, must also be hauled in and out of the Y each visit if you want to swim and/or shower, since the Y will no longer be providing towels. And since these amenities have been taken away, have our membership rates been adjusted down? NO! read more

You will get your car broken into no matter if its empty or not garage is not secured outside is not secured burglars will shoot if you try to stop them read more

Why are adults paying $65.00 for a gym that doesn't even stay open late??? Literally such a scam

This is a gym that needs work to bring it up to the quality of other YMCA's. One of them is the maintenance of the men's locker rooms. There are, by my count, at least 7 big lockers that have snapped lock harnesses that have been like that for months (pictures attached). In addition, half the shower heads are old and don't have proper flow. A big positive is that the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I will follow up with a review if they fix the lockers soon. read more

See all

Recently signed back up here after taking a year off. They've made substantial improvements to the upstairs weight area: all new treadmills, and they've remodeled two of the racquetball rooms so you now have squat racks and CrossFit type stuff in there. That's a big improvement and was surely a big financial investment. However; the men's locker rooms are still a mess: dirty, old, smelly. I also wish there were a men's locker area exclusively for gay men, because the sexual harassment that hetero men have to endure every time they go downstairs to enter the men's locker room is unbearable. read more

Having just returned from a visit to the Berkeley YMCA, I am overwhelmed with admiration for this wonderful, newly remodeled Y here in Oakland. The greatest thing about it is that when you go there to work out, you are surrounded by positive, productive people doing something good to take care of themselves. That attitude definitely rubs off on me. Childwatch in the Oakland Y is nice too. read more

The lady that works in the front (not going say who) was VERY VERY DISRESPECTFUL towards me and my friends. She threatened to suspend our membership for "quote and quote sneaking people in" even though I'm the only one to EVER use my card. But I'm giving a 2 star because even though the lady was disrespectful the other staff that worked there were really chill and knew what they were doing. read more

Kudos for the swimming pool staffs and management! I was sharing the lane with someone who appears to have his own lane. Unfortunately he continued bumped into me as I swim. It wasn't pleasant but I just switched lane. What amazed me is the staff then came over and said they will call the manager to sort it out. I am so impressed with their proactiveness. In my last gym/pool in sf, the pool staff just look at phone ( I'd too). Thanks again for you guys ! What I like The management is amazing 2 hr Childcare Dogs can wait at the entrance Facilities look good- not top notch but good enough Swimming pool The diverse cultural background of the staffs I wish Changing rooms and the while space to be updated read more

Old. Questionably clean. And Rude, unprofessional staff! I've been a YMCA of San Francisco member and previous employee for nearly 20 years. I hold this organization in high esteem for the community services and promotion of good values. My recent experience with the membership staff was unacceptable and was lacking any whispering of the YMCAs core values of caring, honesty and respect. A call to the membership director didn't even get a call back, and the folks who answered the phone sounded like the truly hate their job. The only saving Grace for the negative experience was the quick and thoughtful correspondence from the executive director of the branch. Very disappointing to have my second negative experience with the YMCA of the Eastbay. Sad to see an organization that I respect being represented by such lousy customer service representatives. read more

I've been a member for years but recently quit. The spin bikes are good quality and the pool is OK -- there aren't a ton of pools in the area so this will do if swimming is essential to you. If you go early, you can get a lane. There are a ton of tread mills, good ones too, and you never need to wait. The variety of weight machines is good. So now everything else: Overall, the place needs some upgrading: locker rooms are so-so and showers could always use a good cleaning, and things are broken often -- there was a time when the sauna would go down daily and no one could remember to manually turn it on until someone complained. Its not a rare sight to see police tape wrapped around something. Once a bathroom stall had an out-of-service sign on it for literally months. A leg machine was missing a part and useless for months as well. (If you are a gym, what is more important that buying X part for a weight machine?) It has also gotten more crowded, and their weight lifting space isn't adequate to accommodate everyone. You end up taking a mat to a hallway area and staking out a few square feet. I've literally had someone throw their kettle weight an inch from my face while they squatted, as I turned into a walking area, because that's where they had to be. I didn't know weather to be mad at the squatter or the Y. There are also repeated problems with their payment system: my $5 a month locker would never get charged and then they would chase me down for it after several months, or put signs up warning my stuff would get dumped. We talked about this several times at the front desk but no one knew how to fix it. And after I quit, I was still charged for membership, and again they apologized for their payment system. I got the run-around for two weeks (something about the right person being on vacation? And then, "its very slow to process") and had to escalate to management for them finally to reverse the charge, and it seemed to be fixed in an instant only when I super complained. Also, you get only two small thin towels and no more (new policy). There are probably excellent financial and environmental reasons to not let people access a zillion towels at a time, but what they give you isn't enough. You need to sweat in one, you need one if going to the floor at all, and then dry off in one (body or hair, its sophie's choice) and I always sauna and steam room, so then I am left wondering how to make it stretch. Basically one towel is for sweating, using on the floor, and then lying on in the sauna (gross), and then one to dry yourself after a shower, and you are still wet. In the end there, I was just carting along my own towel to the gym. read more

So many awesome updates made in the last year or two. A great place for strength training, swimming, and basketball. Basketball court is amazing and the olympic weights they have are such great quality. Great staff as well. Highly recommend! read more

I love the cleanliness, friendliness of staff and the fact that you have warm towels to greet you at the door. The entrance is so close to the stairs where you find your showers and dressing rooms and bathrooms. There are shower curtains and soap! I love it. They are open to everyone which is great for a diverse setting and the machines all track your fitness goals! I love it! The classes are fun (esp. cycling)... The only reason I am no longer a member is the fact that there are not a lot of locations and to get the discounted price takes a lot of time :( read more

I'm not trying be rude, but I'm pretty sure I got bed bugs from the yoga studio in December 2022. I was laying my jacket on the floor against the wall. That floor is not swept daily. I wrote the director about my concern, and heard nothing. I just can't keep going there. I going to cancel my membership. read more

I have been a member on and off for many years. Most recenlty, I signed up because I now have kids. I'm cancelling the membership and won't be returning again. For the family membership, it's over $130 / month. But, the benefits aren't all that great. Kids' lessons are great but the schedule doesn't accomodate working parents at all. We see many awesome ballet lessons and basketball classes, but they are at 4 or 5 pm on a weekday which we can't partake because we're at work until 5:30 or 6 pm and kids are at school/after school until then. We don't have enough money to hire after school nannies to shuttle kids to the Y. The camps are just ok. The private swim classes are virtually impossible to get. The regular swim classes are ok but the class size is too big for my kids to really advance in any meaningful way. They should limit the class size to 3 kids. The kids' locker room is tiny and there aren't enough showers to accomodate the high number of kids that come through for lessons. During swim classes, kids often end up spending more time sitting and watching than actually swimming. The facility is run down. It's not worth the cost. read more

Wide range of activities to accommodate various disabilities. Location very convenient to Uptown & other areas of Oakland. Staff are super friendly & helpful. read more

Amazing gym. Money well spent. Caring community. Friendly staff. The equipment updates are on par with gyms in the area. Proud to be a part of the community. If you want to work out and not feel intimidated, body conscious, or like the male gaze is making you feel nauseous then join the Y! They keep the facility up to date. Clean, fresh towels, if there is an issue then they will address it. For example, I was in the locker room yesterday and woman had just got out of the shower and forgot to grab towels from the front desk. She called the front desk on the courtesy phone to alert them and they brought towels down for her. The woman was so apologetic and the Y associate reminded her that she was here to help and it was no problem bringing the towels to her. First class service! read more

After coming here a few more times for master's swim (Tuesday and Thursday evening) I feel I should amend my previous review. Kyle is a great coach and there are two dedicated lanes for master's swim. The place still seems more chaotic than Berkeley just because it's smaller and busier. I've come to sometimes appreciate this as liveliness! Overall I still think the pool itself is still not as nice as the Berkeley YMCA but it does have one main advantage, which is that it is warm. Getting in doesn't feel horrible at all and I don't dread it. I've also since found the swimsuit dryer (it's in the area with the wall of mirrors that face each other). All in all, I still prefer lap swim at Berkeley but Oakland is also a good option! read more

I really love this YMCA. The reason I love it the most is for the diversity and inclusive atmosphere it provides. It is by far the most diverse gym in terms of race, age, socioeconomics, etc. that I have ever been to. For my one hour or so work out, I can delude myself into thinking that this is the diverse American I dream of becoming a reality. The place has such positive energy and feels really Oakland. It does get fairly busy, but it's not too busy where you have to wait to work out. They have a small indoor track, indoor basketball court, 5 lane lap pool, sauna, and steam room. There are plenty of cardio machines and an expanded weight lifting area. They offer spin, yoga, tai chi, pilates, zumba, boot camp, swim classes, and more. Some classes are more full than others, but generally you can show up and get in. The locker rooms are ok, they're not going to be like an Equinox, but you're not paying Equinox prices. Towel service is included with membership. There is child-care for a really cheap price. Parking after 4:30 is $1 an hour in their big parking lot. I've been coming for the past two years and probably will keep coming as long as I live nearby. read more

Awesome gym, always had a great experience here. I only work out in the evening so can't speak for what things are like during the day, but in the evenings parking can be a bit sparse near the gym. That issue, however, is greatly reduced by the fact that there's an autoparts shop or something on one of the adjacent streets with a lot that anybody can park in after their hours. Ideal for someone like myself who goes to the gym after dinner. Place is very well-designed in terms of where things are located, everything is very easily accessible. They've added a whole assortment of new machines on the 2nd floor, so you can customize the crap out of your workout. There's something like 15-20 lifting machines in there (plus the additional 10-15 on the ground floor), as well as a host of treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, etc. Combine that with more than a walls' length of free weights, benches, and a fresh stock of exercise mats and balls, and you've got a selection that rivals that of my college gym. The locker rooms for the pools are nice and spacious, with plenty of available lockers. They don't provide locks, but I've never worried about stuff being stolen. Being able to claim a place for lap-swimming can be a bit tough sometimes, as there are only five (I think) available lanes for 2-3 (usually 2) people each and one of those is reserved for walking laps only. However, your fellow patrons are usually polite and will accomodate you into their lane whenever possible. Overall, I've always had great workouts at this place and look forward to many more. read more