Swimming lessons should not be the activity you cut back on... Many coworkers, friends, and others…read morerecommended Jewell's but it was not in my budget at the time. Well, I finally decided to make it a priority. There are about 30 kids per session. Kids are grouped by their level of swimming; babies, beginners, advanced, etc. There are about 10 teachers. Everything is organized; no drama, nothing ghetto. Now I see why Mrs. Jewell is booked up year after year!

Many kids on the Westbank have learned to swim at Jewell's Pool- and for good reason. Jewell and…read moreher daughter Jessica run their small company out of a large pool in the backyard of a house on Alcide Drive- which is set up specifically to handle swim lessons. (so it's not like going to someone's house, really- it feels more like a country club pool or somesuch- lots of chairs for the parents, a shaded area to sit in, a restroom in case the kids suddenly remember they need to go just before or in the middle of a lesson) Classes are divided up into age and skill level- each group has one instructor teaching somewhere between 3-7 kids in small groups all around the pool. There are usually multiple sessions throughout the summer and each session is 8 classes. They do classes in the mornings and afternoons. If you miss one, they're really flexible about making it up at one of their other scheduled classes. My son- age 4- joined the absolute beginner little kids group, which Jessica teaches, and he absolutely loves his swimming class. They learn to do a basic dog paddle, hold their breath and blow bubbles underwater, pick up rings from the bottom of the pool at the shallow end, lie on their backs in the water, open their eyes underwater to wave at another kid they're paired with, jump off the side of the pool and swim to the instructor and even jump off the diving board to the instructor. (At least one other parent mentioned that some other swim schools don't insist on the child putting their entire head in the water or opening eyes underwater- I really like that they do insist on those things here.) The instructors really know what they're talking about, too- some of the little kids were crying or freaked out the first day and Jessica told everyone "give them 3 days and they'll be fine"- by the third day every single kid (including the one who was crawling under her mom's chair to hide on the first day) was doing great and the tears were all gone. Parents are allowed to stick around during the lesson- so you can take pictures of your little one swimming or jumping off the diving board. The place isn't too hard to find- it's just off Barataria on Alcide. There are two areas to park- one in a lot/field next to the pool entrance (where there is also a set of swings and slide/playset over in the corner that some of the kids, including mine, insist on going on before we leave after our lesson) and another parking area just after the turn-in on Alcide in a separate grassy area. Another small thing to note- because they handle all of the lessons and arrange the classes as well, it can be difficult to get in touch with them to enroll during the summer when classes have already begun. Just keep calling- 12 or 12:30 seems to be the best time to get an answer so you can schedule a lesson. All in all, I thoroughly recommend Jewell's Pool for anyone on the Westbank looking to enroll their child in swim classes.

The number one obstacle in learning to swim is FEAR. So when Nicole said "all they do is teach…read moreyoung kids not to fear the water" she doesn't understand that THAT IS A GOOD thing! You can't learn to swim without doing this first. Fear turns on the amygdala, which tells the body to fight, flight or flee. One can't think to learn in this state. (I'm officially reviewing my dad's business because of Nicole's G.'s unfair review to this LONG STANDING 50+ year old company.) Nicole's second complaint is that "they don't teach strokes." She's not right about that either. If you buy 20 lessons or more you will be guaranteed to learn freestyle and elementary backstroke. (It's on the page with the guarantees... visit the website!) I suppose she only bought a 10 lesson course, which doesn't come with any guarantees.

We had tried lessons at the YMCA, but they kept canceling due to weather. A friend recommended Mr…read more Fish. His prices are very reasonable and you can take lessons on whichever days you choose. Great for kids afraid of the water. He teaches water safety, not all the different swim strokes, which is just what we were looking for. If your kid is afraid of the water, I recommend the 15 lessons.

My girls have been loving the class for the 3 -5 year olds. Just started, but the studio is clean…read moreand a nice size. It seems to be pretty organized so far and the teachers are able to give students 1:1 attention. Classes are an hour and they are not big classes. Not sure if this is the pandemic but the girls enjoy all the different activities from exercises to tumbling. Location is super accessible from the interstate as well.

LOVED the staff here. My daughter has been in ballet for years and wanted to try a gymnastics…read moreclass. The trial class times didn't work most of the times near our house, so we tried Crescent City while on vacation. Both of my kids went into the Pre-K class (3 & 5). My son confidentially marched in and was balling his eyes out in about 45 seconds lol. The coach was very comforting and tried to re-focus him several times. He would respond, but the tears wouldn't stop. The coaches continued to be alert to all of the children and they followed along to a routine where everyone waited in line and had a turn. I was impressed how engaging the staff was with the kids (especially because most of them are young). The gym seems organized and it was clean.

Great place to bring your kids to learn karate. Very respectful staff. Everyone is friendly and…read morehelpful. I workout while I wait for my kids. My kids absolutely love it. My wife and I may join kickboxing classes. There's also a hair salon upstairs and a arts and crafts class. All in one.

I had paid $500.00 dollars for 2blackbelt test its been 8 months for1 and 5 months for the other…read moreshe refuses to give my family there embroidery belt that we have paid for she puts the wrong date on my sons certificate. We had a key to this womens business and anytime she needed my family to run her business we were there. We closed her business at night. I was a paying customer monthly . She is keeping the belts out of meanest and spite and to throw it in my families face she gives her step son that was not in class his embroidery belt. So please take your money some where else she will use and abuse you.

One of the best pools in New Orleans. Brand new facility, sparkling clean, professional & friendly…read morestaff. Never crowded. A hidden gem. Underutilized.

A Hidden Gem for Swimmers in New Orleans…read more I spent a month in New Orleans visiting family, and one of my best discoveries was the city's public natatoriums. Thanks to these fantastic facilities, I was able to maintain--and even improve--my fitness level without spending a single dime. My favorite spot was the Gert Town pool. The lifeguards and managers are professional, friendly, and diligent about enforcing the rules--exactly what you want when safety is a top priority. The water here is slightly warm, but still very comfortable--certainly better than the water temperature at UNO. If you prefer cooler water, George Rainey Pool in Algiers is another wonderful place to swim. During the week, I almost always had a lane to myself, and on Saturdays I typically shared with just one other swimmer. On the rare occasion the pool was closed for maintenance, I'd head over to CC's for a coffee and return when they reopened. Worst case, I could find another nearby pool in service. Another perk of Gert Town's location: it's just a short distance from City Donuts and Café, perfect for treating yourself to a piping hot glazed donut after your swim. I may actually move back to the city because of these pools. If you're a New Orleans resident who enjoys lap swimming, you should absolutely take advantage of these top-notch public facilities. Where I live in the DC Metro area, nothing even comes close to this level of quality--and certainly not for free.

Nice venue with a ton of space. Cleaner than the local trampoline park. For the first time I used…read morethe massage chair and fell asleep while they played. Worth it

Cool venue, great vibes, nice staffing and great DJ! We will definitely be coming back!read more

Church's karate has been amazing with there day camp. The staff is nice and they are so flexible…read more Kids always have a great time.

My son, small for his age of 6, developed an awful habit of dealing with frustration by hitting…read more So, naturally, I enrolled him in a class that would make his strikes more deadly! Well, no. Actually, I discovered that other parents found help for their similarly-disposed children via the martial arts. Many said that the emphasis on discipline and focus was the reason. Others said it was their child's increased confidence. Whichever reason, they were saying it worked, so I was intrigued. But I was also cautious. I didn't want this to become another "you damn well are going to practice" struggle, ending with an unused violin in the closet. Or whatever the karate equivalent to that would be. I discovered the website for Church's Karate Academy, and the price and length of the trial package was fantastic. Low output of cash, two months, uniform included. After that, you enroll at the regular monthly rate, or you walk away. No strings. Not bad! I went to the studio with the intention of enrolling my son. So glad I did!! If you go to the website expecting to find information about the studio, please don't be put off. The website is flashy, but it's also a bit generic, offering reasons why studying the martial arts is a good choice but no sense of Master Church or his studio. Frankly, the website feels like more of a sales pitch than much else, but that is not how Master Church himself is. The studio works like this. Karate students are placed in a class group based on their age and expertise. Master Church holds classes for each of those groups five or six days per week at regularly scheduled times. You attend two of those classes per week, and he tracks this via an attendance card. You do not have to commit to particular classes. For example, if you can normally attend on Mondays and Wednesdays, but something comes up one Wednesday, you can go to the Monday and Friday class for your group instead. Or, if you split custody, perhaps it's easier for Mom to take Kid on Tues and Wed but Dad to take kid on Wed and Sat. No problem. No need to tell Master Church in advance. Just show up to whichever two classes per week for your group. So flexible. As for Master Church, enough cannot be said about how great of a teacher he is. It's obvious that he genuinely cares about and believes in them. In return, they want to do well and can't stand the thought of disappointing him. He's that kind of teacher. If you have ever had such a teacher yourself, you know their magic. He is firm, though, not a push over, and he has their respect for that. I eventually even enrolled a certain violin quitter, and she loves it. What's more? I honestly cannot remember the last time my son hit me, although I'm sure I'm just as frustrating as ever.

Easy online registration, multiple locations for soccer within the NOLA metro area, starting kids…read moresoccer as young as 3 years old. They have adult leagues too, of course. I signed my daughter up for the "Sparks" program, which is made up of 3 & 4 year olds. I'm pretty sure this is the only NOLA soccer club to have anything for these little ones, hence the HUGE demand. In Kenner, we have about 40 kids in my daughter's program. They practice once a week for an hour. It can be a little bit disorganized, since there are 3-4 coaches for a huge number of kids (plus a few volunteer parents), but the kids enjoy it. I definitely get the feeling that the coaches are passionate about the game, and they care about the kiddos. Overall, I recommend this to any parent looking to get their son/daughter involved in an activity.

I cannot recommend this program, particularly if you have a child that is starting a few years…read moreafter other kids, or a girl older than 8. If your kid the experience will be worth. The recreational director Eric will ignore your concerns and not even provide you with the dignity of a response. How is placing a first time playing, 8 year old, 42 lb girl on a team with experienced 9 1/2, 70 lb boys, instead of other 8 year old girls a good idea? Well tough, because she's born at the end of the year, so she plays up. So a calendar controls over actual experience, and the end result is resentment, and little practice and development, because the volunteer coach needs to focus on the more experienced boys. And this is supposed to be recreational and designed to develop a lifetime affinity for soccer! Did I mention the director ignores you when you bring these concerns to his attention?