Mixed Feelings :Great Start in Adult Group Level 1, But Disappointed in Level 2…read more I was genuinely excited to enroll in Level 2 swim lessons this year after having such a positive experience in Level 1. My coach in Level 1 was amazing,patient, encouraging, and I truly felt like I was learning and growing as a swimmer. Unfortunately, my Level 2 experience didn't live up to those expectations. On the first day, I was assigned to a coach , and it quickly became clear that he didn't have a structured plan in place. There were only two of us in the session, yet I felt like the other swimmer received the bulk of the attention. As someone who's still very much a beginner and working through things like fear of the deep end, I felt unseen and uncomfortable. Building trust and rapport in a learning environment like this is essential,and I didn't feel like that was prioritized. That said, I did appreciate that he introduced side swimming, which was a new and useful skill for me. So there were some moments of learning! During the second lesson, there was a new coach . Once again, I had to re-explain my swimming background. He was kind and acknowledged that he hadn't been given any info about the students beforehand, which explained some of the confusion. He reassured me that I belonged in Level 2, but I still felt mostly overlooked during the session as the more advanced swimmers got the majority of his attention. Because of these experiences, I ended up missing the final two classes;one due to travel, and the other because I just didn't feel comfortable returning. I didn't see the value in making up the missed session given how things had gone. While I'm grateful for the strong foundation I got in Level 1, my experience in Level 2 left me frustrated and disappointed. I'm sharing this review in hopes that the program improves communication as I emailed them my experience 07/06/2025 and haven't received any response yet and support for all swimmers, especially those still building confidence in the water.

The star rating is specifically for the portion of class I was able to attend. The class itself was…read moregreat, but the hassle and difficulty of getting/parking around here would make this otherwise a one star rating, as you can read below. I've been wanting to get my baby into swim lessons since about the time she was six months old, but just didn't get to it until now. They do offer infant lessons, so I signed up. I don't know that we'll be at the pool a lot, but I also recently started bathing her in the tub, and I want her to be safe there as well and decided it was time. Lakeside may be the closest swim option to us since it's maybe 10 minutes from my home and I've heard good things. I was really pleased that I was able to get in so easily--my friend is taking her son to swim lessons at another, more well-known brand of swim school, and it took her several weeks on the wait list to get in. The price is the best I've seen, and it's easy to register--I have been able to register just a few days before the class I wanted to attend, and for the baby lessons I didn't have to sign up for a month in advance or specific number of classes, which is a huge bonus. The instructor, Josie, was nice. I enjoyed our class a lot; it was small and the instructor was able to give us attention. The baby wasn't sure about being in the water, and got upset a bit (especially just as we were getting in), but she calmed as the lesson continued. The teacher sang some songs so we could bounce and sway and twirl. She showed me some techniques for getting the baby acclimated to the water and to entering the pool, and getting the baby's legs kicking (though she wasn't real keen on kicking at that point). I actually wanted to take adult swim lessons here too since they offer them. Unfortunately, as great as it was, I just can't continue paying $25-30 per class when out of the two we've signed up for, I've only been to half of one of them. Because of the parking (see further down), we weren't here until about halfway through the lesson, and the second class I signed up for we missed altogether though I left 20+ minutes early. By the time we got there, got her swim ready, and started heading toward the pool it just wouldn't be possible for me to get in with her in my arms for the last 10 minutes of class. And maybe it's still the pregnancy hormones but I was fighting back tears. So even though the class is easy to get into and the class size is great, I don't think that Lakeside works for me because I don't generally have time in the morning to leave an hour before class to make sure we can find parking. If I was in walking distance, this would hands down be my choice. Logistically, the address listed for the swim school is the Edgewater Athletic Club address, which for some reason is the Granville side. But don't let that fool you because the entrance is about halfway down the block on the Kenmore side of the building. The Edgewater Athletic Club has no access on the Granville side of the building. There's some parking across the street, though the lot is tiny and can be really hard to get parked into (it's a little narrow). The lot has 14 spaces, of which one is a disabled spot, shared with several businesses. But the lot is terrible. It's too small to have cars parked in straight, as it's currently designed, though I know they do it because it allows for more cars than diagonal parking does. But the parking lot isn't even wide nights three cars would fit if parked bumper to bumper, so getting in and out is not for the faint of heart (and if you don't like parallel parking this would probably stress you out). I waited for another car to leave so that I could pull out more easily since they came out a couple minutes after we got into the car. In theory, there's lots of street parking, which one may think would easier when Loyola is out since the dorms are only a couple blocks away but you'd be wrong. I've never seen apartment buildings with driveways in Chicago the way they are in this area; along Kenmore almost all of them have them, so what you think may be a spot is actually the driveway for apartment parking. I can't help but wonder if some of the cars belong to students who don't move them often. And if the parking is that bad in the morning, I think it would be worse in the evening so I think I need to continue looking for adult lessons, too.

Great coaching staff! Great team! I know several families who have been involved with this…read moreprogram and absolutely love it!!

Coach Stephens and his group are committed to the kids. My daughter has been with the team for 3…read moreyears now and loves it. They work hard and it shows in the results. They train in the UIC pool making it an ideal central location in the city. For those kids who are not ready for the team but want to learn to swim, they offer a lesson program for all ages. Check them out, class sizes are small and they fill up fast.

Strongly recommend, particularly for a first time swimmer, if you have access to a pool…read more Had an amazing experience with Coach Michael. We were able to get access to a pool for the summer through our HOA. Within just a few lessons, our 1.5 year old is way more comfortable. He used to hate any water over his face or ears, and now he can go underwater for 3-4 seconds no problem! Michael's patient but persistent approach ensures we make steady progress without pushing our son too far. Looking at prices for group lessons at Goldfish, these 1:1 lessons at our desired location are only 2x more, which feels like a deal.

First swim class is amazing! They were able to work with me to do private lessons for my 18 month…read moreold and 4 year old. Coach Luie is the best. My son did not like being in the water at first and cried for the first several lessons. Coach Luie was so patient with him and made sure that he built trust. My daughter loves him and looks forward to every lesson. She progressed fast thanks to Coach Luie. They make class fun by singing songs, playing games, and learning techniques in a way that kids can understand "scooping icecream" with your hands. The class makes sure they learn safety in the water. I would highly recommend them.

This is a great Y. People are always friendly, facilities are clean. I go around 5 and there are…read moreplenty of machines (jogging, cycling, elliptical, weightlifting) available. That's about all I can report on because I haven't tried swimming or classes. The prices is about $100 for a family of 2, which is a good deal.

Staff could be a little more friendly , basketball court is always dirty with trash. Kids coming in…read morethrough back door, don't have a membership front staff too busy talking to each other

Such a wonderful pool. Kid friendly. Shallow and deep end. Good for big kids and for small kids…read more The schedule is not regularly updated.

Such a hidden gem and lifeguards are really great. Lots of friendly kids & families + a lap lane…read morefor adults all the time without having the kids to leave the pool. Very deep so kids can dive & jump also a large size shallow end.

Brand new treadmills upstairs at the YMCA! I like the layout of the Lakeview Y - lots of space and…read morenot too crowded. They have some great group fitness instructors. This YMCA also accepts nationwide, which is what I have! Only issue is parking, but there are usually some spots nearby. Nice sauna and usually empty!

Awful!!! It's so HOT! All spring and summer no matter the…read moreweather it's hot and humid inside the workout rooms. It's too hot and unbearable just to be there, let alone actually exercise. I've complained so often but nothing changes. To explain: the air conditioning stays on for 20 minutes at a time and then it stays off for 40 minutes. So the place is constantly hot and humid. It is never a stable temperature or humidity. If there was a way to turn them into the city for an unhealthy and unsafe public space, I would.

I have only been to Bubbles Academy for a short class, and I'm not sure if it was a typical…read moresituation or not. I felt welcome when I was there. It was actually pretty quiet at the time I was there, during the noon hour; I assume there are busier times but I was glad it wasn't to wild. There are various rooms to hold different classes, open play, and so on. They also have a really extensive class schedule, so there is a great deal to choose from, particularly if your children are older than one I think. Be mindful of where your course is--there are two buildings in which they hold various classes, across the street from one another. I will keep an eye on the classes and play that Bubbles offers because I may want to enroll my kiddo in something fun later. Parking is really good. There's a lot that's shared between Bubbles and the bank next door, and there's also some street parking on the dead-end street on which Bubbles is located. I never had a problem with parking but I'm not sure if I was there at an atypically slow time of day.

My son has been going to the Gold Coast 900 Michigan location for two years. we started with drop…read morein art parents and baby classes and now we do a drop off class. It's one hour long. Bubbles has been just a saving grace. The people that work here are so nice and professional. The young teachers are so sweet and kind. I ended up meeting some of my best Mom friends here and our children became such good friends. The Gold Coast location is great because there's not a lot for babies and toddlers to go to that are in walking distance, it's at the Bloomingdale's building which is great because we can grab a coffee while the kids are in their one hour class he has grown up here and just absolutely adores the teachers. They have a drop in art from 12 to 5 , 7 a week. How great to be able to go somewhere on a Saturday or Sunday and even when they don't have classes during holiday breaks they're still open for drop off art during Christmas time. It was so great just to bring him somewhere. Someplace familiar and happy my son starts lighting up when we, go into the Bloomingdale's building. Every time I meet a new mom with a baby, I immediately recommend the Bubbles classes. You can bring your infant and under six-year-old here for all the stuff that they have open play is great too. During the brutal cold winter, even when the kids don't have class, our friends, bring them to the open play which is included if you are enrolled in a session they play or we pay extra for them to do art which is only $10 completely reasonable and then we eat in the mall with them such a great place to kill three or four hours when it's freezing cold outside

I decided to sign my daughter up for the free "try out" session to see how she, my husband, and I…read moreliked Big Blue Swim School. We were asked to come a few minutes before our scheduled lesson time. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking in their parking lot. We were greeted and given a quick tour of the facilities. I was immediately impressed with the hair drying station, changing rooms, cubby storage, children's play/waiting area, and even the pool, which is kept at I believe 90 degrees year round, which is a huge plus for my daughter. When it was time, someone calls all the kids scheduled for that time to check in with them and tells the kids which swim lane to go to. Parents can choose to wait and watch behind glass, or go in and sit on the benches next to the pool. They do little tests during the lesson, but they make it so fun that the kids don't even realize they're being watched and tested. My daughter was rated on her current abilities, and we were approached by Julie (I think), given a welcome bag with some goodies, and told of my daughter's swim level. She went over how everything worked, rates, and answered all of our questions. When the lesson was over, the kids walk over to the shower stations (which are right next to the pool) to wash off. We decided to sign my daughter up for weekly lessons. She's gone a few times now, tried a few instructors, and we have concluded that Alexis is the best. He is so engaged the whole time, not looking off into space like some other instructors. The kids are always laughing with him, and my daughter actually smiles during her lesson with him. Additionally, I feel that his methods are more efficient and have seen improvement in my daughter's abilities. I have navigated Big Blue's website and give the site 4 stars. As much as I like the ease of signing up, changing/editing, adding, or canceling lessons and paying, I wish there was a way to see a month view with lesson and instructor labeled. Currently, I am having to edit each lesson individually to request the specific instructor. Overall, I am more than happy paying the $23 a lesson for my daughter to get swim lessons here. I recommend trying to free trial lesson. You have nothing to lose and will not be disappointed!

**Rating:** (1/5)…read more We originally signed up for a trial class for my daughter last Saturday. It is a far drive for us coming from Chicago, and we were literally 10 minutes away from the facility when they texted to say the class was canceled. No explanation was given. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and had a second class scheduled for today. Just as we were about to walk out the door to leave, they texted us saying they were canceling again. That is twice now they have canceled on us completely out of the blue, without any explanation, and at the absolute last minute. It's one thing if a business needs to cancel and provides a respectful 24-hour notice, but it is an entirely different thing to consistently cancel at the last possible second. When I confronted them about this via text, they dodged the question entirely. Instead of offering a real reason or trying to make it up to us in any way, they just gave a canned "we apologize and understand you're frustrated" response. As someone with influence over other parents on social media, I will absolutely be sharing this experience. I will be telling everyone to take their business elsewhere. This location operates with complete unprofessionalism and a glaring disregard for simple respect for their customers' time. Look for another swim school.