These guys were great for our little guy. We started him at 6 months. The instructors were very…read morehelpful and catered to our infant to ensure he felt comfortable. They also do a phenomenal job of coaching the parents so I know what to look for and how to help my guy. Cost was very affordable, service/instruction was top of the line! Highly recommend to anyone who wants their child to learn how to swim.

From the owner: British Swim School offers year-round swim lessons and water safety lessons for infants, kids, and…read moreadults, with learn to swim programs starting as early as 3 months. Located inside East Lakeview at FFC, we welcome both gym members and non-members to enjoy a convenient, indoor setting where swimmers build real water safety skills through our gentle, survival-first teaching approach. For more than 45 years, families have trusted our proven curriculum, small group swim lessons, and supportive instructors to help swimmers grow in confidence at every age and ability level. Private swim lessons are available at select locations. Start building lifelong water confidence today.

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!

It's a good place to learn how to swim for the little ones .! I seen my kid improve a lot, in a…read morelittle time .! A lot of coaches too in this facility.! Great staff . I give 4 stars just because sometimes they spend time fixing googles , it can take them ( 5 minutes by doing that , looking at the time ( clock wise) too I se them a lot .! In every minute count for me .! Instead of checking the clock they should focus more on starting the class.

Not a great place unless you don't have other options. Both Gold Fish and Big Blue are designed to…read morekeep you in the program and paying money by having your kids make very slow improvements, but not really to teach them how to swim as quickly as possible. They get hung up on micro movements and use it as an excuse to stall progression. It's rediculous. Off the two we did like Gold Fish better. This issues is was particularly pronounced when we brought our daughter to swim lessons in another country. The approach was night and day. She learned more in two lessons there than she did in 20 lessons at Gold Fish. The teacher even pointed out that our daughter hadn't made much progress in one year since he had seen her last. Gold Fish is a racket. They will teach your kids to swim.... eventually. But you are much better off putting your kiddo in a different swim school or in another activity they enjoy. Note: we did share this concern directly with management last year. It resulted in our daughter magically being passed to the next level... which her instructors had stated she was ready for weeks prior, but the "tester" refused to pass her. We again spoke with the "tester" this time and expect to hear back from management, but like last time it won't change their business model or practices of keeping you in the program vs. teaching kids to swim efficiently.

This review is not for Big Blue but for a specific teacher. Gloria is a real life magical mermaid…read more She is an incredible teacher, advocate, and role model. I'm truly in awe of her ability to maintain enthusiasm, warmth, insight, and intention through lesson after lesson. She is working on another level. She packs so much into a 30 minute lesson - challenging her students to build skill, creating a sense of community, encouraging them to support each other. We've had a few teachers at Big Blue, all clearly well trained, and our child demonstrates more growth in one session with Gloria than a month with his other teachers. I've worked in schools and observed educators in various settings for many years. Gloria has the passion and charisma that I recognize from the best teachers I've known. Even when my child was not in her class, Gloria advocated for his learning experience, working with the staff to make sure he was in the right level for both his age and skill. Whatever you are paying her, quadruple it. We are lucky to have Gloria in our community. Generally our experiences with big blue staff have been positive. Staff are always friendly and helpful. Gloria, again, stands head and shoulders above the rest.

As a parent, I am extremely disappointed with our experience at this swim facility. My son, is on…read morethe spectrum, and I expected a level of patience, communication, and professionalism that has consistently been lacking. Communication has been one of the biggest issues. Makeup lessons are frequently changed, rescheduled, or handled differently than what was originally communicated, often with little notice or consistency. It is frustrating to constantly seek clarification instead of receiving reliable information from the facility. Another major concern is the lack of instructional consistency. My son has been switched between multiple instructors during a single 30-minute lesson, which is disruptive and reduces valuable instruction time. Staff also do not appear to consistently review student notes. My son is currently in Bold 2, yet during makeup lessons he is often taught Bold 1 material by instructors unfamiliar with his progress. As a result, he makes little to no progress during those lessons. This is why I request specific instructors when scheduling makeup lessons--not because I expect those requests to be guaranteed, but because I expect instructors to understand where students are in the program before teaching. Additionally, if you need to contact the facility by phone, it is extremely difficult to reach a live person. Calls are rarely answered, and return calls are infrequent, making it even harder to get questions answered or concerns addressed in a timely manner. I also believe management visibility could be improved. Until recently, I was not even aware that each location had a General Manager. I have sent several complaints and concerns to Julian, who has handled them professionally and resolved issues quickly, and I appreciate his efforts. However, I feel these responsibilities should not fall solely on him. Having a General Manager who is more present within the facility, actively engaging with staff and families rather than remaining primarily in the office, could help operations run more smoothly and ensure concerns are addressed more effectively. I spoke directly with the General Manager, Kate, regarding these concerns. Unfortunately, she never asked for my son's name, reviewed his account, or took notes about our experience. While I was told the issues would be discussed with staff, the conversation left me feeling unheard and gave little confidence that meaningful follow-up would occur. The facility itself has additional concerns. The air conditioning system was reportedly expected to be repaired over a month ago, yet it remains unresolved. This is concerning not only for my son, who suffers from severe allergies, but also for employees who spend hours working in the heat and humidity. I do want to recognize Gloria, Julian, and Ozzie for their kindness, patience, and professionalism. They consistently make my son feel welcome/seen and are a major reason we have continued attending. My hope is that management focuses on improving communication, staff training, instructional consistency, facility maintenance, and customer service. Families deserve a supportive environment, and concerns raised by parents should be documented and addressed rather than overlooked. P.S I had to edit this review smaller since there is a 5k character. There was much more and details that needed to be said

Coach Anna at Chicago Blue Dolphins is the best. It's a great accomplishment learning to swim in my…read moreseventies. Everyone there makes me feel at home. Please go there to learn to swim or improve your skills.

We started taking private classes with coach Abby few months ago. My 4 year old kid loves it and…read moreshe is so comfortable in the water now. In just 3 months she went from being scared of water to actually swimming !

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.

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!

In terms of the facilities, I enjoy the Y tremendously (minus the cold pool). Great weight room,…read morelots of treadmills & cardio equipment, I play basketball there weekly with a group of great guys, I know they've got good classes in terms of Zumba or some of the other HIIT classes. What royally sucks is I've had 2 bikes stolen from this location (one locked with a strong steel U-lock, one with a strong Kryptonite lock), and one bike stolen from the elementary school just up the street. This area is a hotbed for criminals to come & steal things, even with very quality equipment to lock your things up. I've been in communication with the Y for over a year to ask for inside access to park bikes, no resolution. They have one of the perpetrators on video stealing my bike, but can't do anything about it. I emailed them politely to ask for 2 things from them: 1. Inside place to park our bikes 2. I don't expect any type of reimbursement for the bikes, but I asked if they'd take the hardship under consideration & comp a year of membership for our fam of 4 who is their weekly. Response I received from Elena Garcia, the community concierge director: Hi Kyle, Thank you for being a valued member of our Lake View Y community! I understand this is incredibly frustrating, especially this being the 3rd time. While the incident occurred in front of our hub, unfortunately the area is not our property, which limits what we are able to do directly. We are glad to hear you have already filed a police report, and we also encourage you to reach out to the alderperson's office, as they may be able to help advocate for additional safety measures in the area. We also appreciate your suggestion about indoor bike parking. At this time, we are unable to offer indoor bike storage due to limited space. Regarding your request for a complimentary year of membership, we truly understand why you asked. However, since the incident did not occur on our property and was outside of our control, we're not able to honor that request. If we can of further assistance at this time, please let us know. Not your property? You mean the bike racks, directly outside of your front door, on your sidewalk, that your staff tells us to park our bikes at, that is surveillanced by your cameras, isn't your property? Interesting. No offers of any type of resolution. No offers of any type of compensation. Just pass the buck to someone else. Deplorable display of leadership.

Great gym. Very gay, but welcoming to all. Steamroom and sauna…read more Good price for Chicago. Great energy: busy, but never overful or cramped. LOTS of open space. All solid, new equipment, friendly staff and clientele. 2 very large adjoining workout areas: 1 for free weights and cables; the other for machines, more dumbbells and benches, big turf area, etc. Separate stretching room (with walls and door), with mats, rollers, etc, and 1- to 8-pound weights for light stuff. The deck is 2 feet away, and stretching out there is encouraged, including bringing out ot the matts, etc. Many people take advantage when it's nice, leaving unlimited space. Not much waiting: the usual few choke points: barbell benches and (to a lesser extent) the cablec rossovers (where you need both.) Way more dumbbell benches than most gyms this size, all adjustable to incline/flat. 12-15 cable stations, always a few open. Group classes included, with large spin room and vert big class studio. Pool. Roof deck. Everything included: towels in 3 sizes, including shower size, soap, shampoo, conditioner, hairdryer, etc. Built in combo lockers, so you never bring a lock. I was very happy using trainer Troy Myree. (See below on great offer.) All the other trainers seem excellent (watching them with clients.) Very cleaning including spotless locker room. I'm satisfied enough to commute 1.5 miles with no car. (Bike except very cold winter or wet, then bus.) --- WHEN JOINING OR CONSIDERING: They officially give you 1 free workout, but I asked my sales rep for more to try it at different times, and she happily gave me 3. (I let her know I was definitely joining LVAC or FCC, and wanted to try them both a few times. That was true, and LVAC was an easy call. (About half the price, much better energy and clientele. FCC is over a mile closer to me, but I still picked LVAC.). Take advantage of the 1-time joining offer of 3 personal trainer sessions very cheap. (They offered to anyone for a short window 9 months later.)

Incredibly overcrowded for what you pay monthly. Great selection of workout classes, but that may…read morebe it. Incredibly hot and stuffy on the upper floors, and it's almost impressive how this gym managed to find so many unfriendly people to all work in one establishment, where their only job is to sit there and say hello.