This review is long overdue! Growing up, I never learned how to swim, but it was always a goal of…read moremine to conquer it. While I wasn't afraid of pools or the ocean, I'd drown if I found myself in deep water without a life vest. I decided to finally take the plunge and learn in my 30s, and I'm so glad I found Woody! At the time, she was offering lessons in Oakland, and I chose her because it was in my neighborhood. Although the 1:1 lessons were a bit pricey for my budget at the time, they were worth it! After a few months of lessons, I was able to get past the mental barrier I had around deep water and finally learned how to tread water. Beyond that, Woody equipped me with numerous skills and techniques to feel confident and comfortable in the water. Let me tell you, learning to swim as an adult is no easy feat, but having a fantastic instructor makes all the difference. I highly recommend Woody for swim lessons! Thank you, Woody!

My daughter started swim lessons about three years ago. She is 9 now. She liked being in the pool…read morewhen we started although did not know how to swim (though she thought she knew how to swim!) She didn't want to start swim lessons. We wanted the peace of mind that she knew how to swim so we joined the wait list and started as soon as we could. We told her it is a life lesson and she had to do it and thankfully she agreed. Our daughter isn't quick to trust or warm up. I was a little concerned that the teachers wouldn't respect her shyness That was not the case at all. The coaches are all respectful, kind and professional. Now she knows how to swim and more! The picture is of her learning to dive! My husband started taking lessons too because he was inspired to improve his swim technique. Both really enjoyed swimming with the coaches and learned a lot. We highly recommend Woodys swim school!

I joined Montclair Swim Club because I was looking for an option closer to home and after about a…read moreyear decided it wasn't really for me. They have good hours and the lifeguards at the front office are super helpful. The pool itself is a bit unusual - one end is quite shallow so it takes a bit of getting used to it for doing flip turns. There are always kids around - and quite often children's swim teams practicing. When I first started swimming there, I kept hear the name "Marco" being yelled repeatedly and thought "This must be the worst game of Marco-Polo ever!" I later found out it was that one guy on the kids' swim team who doesn't hear instructions and keeps swimming when everyone else is stopping. The hot tub is not bad - it's quite big. It's sadly full of people who all seem to want to talk OVER the noise of the jets. I can only imagine what it must be like for the people who live in the canyon all around and have to hear banal conversations, frequently alcohol fueled as there are many people with cans of beer in the hot tub, about personal relationships and compost bins. While parking is plentiful - there are plenty of people who block the road because they can't be bothered to park and walk 20 feet. There are even some rather entitled white male Tesla drivers who will criticize another person's driving despite the fact that they had no problems parking themselves (and the parking lines are many, worn down, and contradictory at best). There's definitely a bit of elitist element among the long time/regulars. Finally, the locker rooms are a horror. They are not kept clean and could do with re-tiling. The lockers are a mess. The toilets are miniscule and not much bigger than what you'd find in an airplane. I do confess that the source of my discontent was a visit to Villa Sport in San Jose last summer -- and the realization that for HALF the money, I could be getting way way more value. Let's not even get into the strange cash-only deposits and lack of policy to suspend membership when out of town or out of commission for long periods of time. It's a really great pool and club for families -- it's got picnic tables, grills, and you can bring the au pair as part of your membership. Two stars for single people without kids who prefer clean lockerooms - but five stars for families with lower standards and more money.

I go here five or six days a week, the beautiful location and lack of crowds makes it easy for me…read moreto get my laps in. Sure, i wish the pools had been resurfaced in the last twenty years or that the locker rooms felt a little less wet/moist, but tbh it all makes it feel like this is my personal club. I'm basically writing this review to make sure the swim club sticks around for another 100 years, i dunno what i'd do without it

It's outdoor pool check! A lot of lanes which i love especially when you are doing laps swimming…read more It's open to the public from Monday till Saturday just check on their website which is accurate and always updated everyday. They got a punch card (10) passes for $64, not bad, if you want to swim for a day, they offer a 1 day pass for only $8 . Parking is free, just on the other side of the road but if you have a handicapped placard you can park near the vicinity. The pool is almost near the post entrance, it's just kinda tricky. I go by my Waze app and type the Trefethen Aquatic Center by Mills college.

The hot tub was dirty and filthy and not clean. It was a lot of people in there would not be going…read morethere again

Ohana has been a superb experience for both of my kids. They've both had terrific, consistent…read moreteachers, and they've grown leaps and bounds in the two years they've spent here. They look forward to swim class - it's the highlight of the week. The community here is truly lovely and welcoming, and we appreciate being a part of it!

My daughter has been taking weekly classes for a year and a half and I've been so pleased with her…read moreprogress. She's autistic and has ADHD and started off with a moderate fear of getting her face wet and some pretty high levels of anxiety and sensory issues. She's totally swimming independently now, is working hard to improve, and just loves it. The environment was a good "fit" for her and we're super sad that it's closing so abruptly. We had just been considering adding more classes.

We just had our third lesson with Amanda today, and she's been absolutely wonderful with my 11- and…read more9-year-old. I was especially concerned about my younger one, who's hesitant about getting his head in the water. Amanda has been so patient and reassuring--she calmly addresses his fears, explains what he needs to work on, and encourages him in a way that really builds his confidence. Both of my kids feel very comfortable with her, and I truly appreciate her supportive and positive approach.

My husband and I needed quick swim lessons before our honeymoon in Hawaii. Amanda was an amazing…read moreinstructor! She showed us the basics and gave tips to improve our form. Amanda was able to provide practice times around our crazy schedule. We were very grateful to get her support before our trip. Thanks to her we were able to enjoy beach life and snorkeling with no fear.

Our experience at Aquatech this past year has been amazing for our 3 and 5 year old. Our goal was…read moreto primarily build confidence in water and basic swim skills for safety. The entire experience has been seamless. Classes can be booked online or if you need to skip a day you can get a make up token. You check in on an iPad and it tells you your lane and instructor. Changing facilities and bathrooms are super clean and plentiful. We never need to wait. Sitting area for parents is comfortable and you can easily see your kid in the pool. Our children have a fear of water on their faces and are super sensitive, but our instructors kindly got them over that fear. Coach Gabe in particular has been so patient with my son, and he has really grown into a confident swimmer in just 3 months! He went from screaming when water touched his face to dunking his head and holding his breath underwater. Their tadpole program is great too for babies and toddlers, although my daughter is not progressing as quickly since she doesn't get 1:1 attention from an instructor. Private lessons are pricier but it's the way to go if you need more help.

AquaTech Swim School is amazing! The facility is clean with lots of private changing areas. My…read moretoddler is in the Seahorse class, and the instructors are so patient--he went from only dipping his feet in on his first day to fully participating in just four weeks. They have multiple lifeguards on duty, which is reassuring, and the staff are very encouraging. I wish they offered report cards or more verbal feedback, but I understand lessons are back-to-back due to high demand, and I still appreciate the feedback they do give. Availability was easy--we got a Sunday spot immediately. Our second son will definitely be joining when he's old enough. Highly recommend!

Just walking around the block and seeing the construction site lends an air of excitement and…read moreanticipation for the new pool and facility!! All this buildup will be worthwhile when everything is completed and swimmers are back in the water. Can't wait!! (But need to wait)

I have childhood trauma from my experience taking swimming lessons here. They followed me into my…read moreadult years, and after over a decade of suppressed memories, I am speaking with my therapist to unpack my trauma here. Flashback to Summer 2002: I had a swim instructor named Benji, who was a Cantonese-American teacher. I don't know how long he was employed by the PIedmont Community Pool, and why my mother signed me up for private lessons with him, but Benji traumatized me. Among other things, he yanked my ankle, shoved me into the water, pushed me off the diving board, and threatened to throw me into the deep end of the pool. When I was crying in front of him, he verbally abused me, and I still remember him taunting me, "Oh, you gonna cry in front of me? Don't you dare cry in front of me!" While this all happened, other swimming instructors and staff were just walking by, didn't intervene, didn't scold Benji for his inappropriate behavior for terrorizing a 9-year-old, what the loving ****. When my therapist asked me how do I feel about swimming now as an adult, I just said, "I never want to come back to this pool ever again."

They are the unicorns of swim lessons. Don't look any…read morefurther. Just figure it out as they are costly, but well worth it!! The absolute best in the area. 1 kid went through them and my second is currently In the program. Love HP!!

Great experience for both of my boys! Started my 5 year old in the fall and quickly enrolled our 3…read moreyear old. Both are in the 30 minute class and have progressed very quickly. We're continuing because it's building both skill and self esteem for them. Our 5 year old in particular is shy and tends to quit trying if he feels challenged, having this opportunity to build a skill he feels competent in is really valuable for him at this age. Can't thank everyone here enough for all they provide for these young kids.

Horrible smarmy management. We were taking swimming lessons at the hills. Really thought the…read moreinstructors were great, my kids loved the classes. We stayed 10-15 minutes past what their policy stated a couple times (not on purpose) bc it's really hard to corral small kids out of the pool and to get dressed especially when you can't enter the bathrooms with them bc they are the opposite sex. The smarmy manager was constantly watching our movements, i felt hounded by all the monitoring.. It felt was very stressful and unwelcoming. Management was also cowardly and Instead of sending reminders of policies themselves, management has their instructors do their dirty work. Our lessons got cancelled without any warning. I think we didn't fit their aesthetics so they were looking for a reason to remove us. Very inhospitable, snobby, horrible communication, and passive aggressive.

My sister recently became a member at The Hills Swim and Tennis Club, located on the east side of…read moreOakland. She used to play tennis growing up and is picking it back up again, but mainly, she joined this club so she could take her girls (my two nieces) to the pool. On my last visit to Oakland, I went with them and had a lot of fun. This is a great club. This club is aptly named because it's located up in the hills and has tremendous, scenic views of the pristine, undeveloped hills towards the city of Orinda and the town of Moraga. There are great views from the pool area and even better views from the patio. It's beautiful. We visited on a Wednesday afternoon in June. Since school was out, there were a lot of kids at the pool (and a lot of adults too). There were at least two life guards and the majority of the pool was being used by coaches/instructors for laps and swim instruction. One lane was used for recreational swimming (that's where my family mostly swam) and one portion of the pool was used for diving. Kids lined up to dive off the diving board under staff supervision. There was a second, smaller pool, but it was closed. I'm not sure why. It looked perfectly swimmable. There were two hot tubs - one closer to the clubhouse and one on the other side of the pools closer to the patio and the amazing view. The pools and hot tubs were in excellent condition. They looked super clean and immaculate despite so many people using them. The hot tub near the patio was packed, mostly with kids. There was also a splash pad. Around the pool was plenty of seating and a variety of seating options including cabana-style "huts," picnic tables, poolside recliners and loungers, and regular tables and chairs with umbrellas. There was also a flat, open grassy area in between the pools and the patio. The clubhouse has a healthy refreshment bar. Orders are automatically charged to your membership account. The bar offers fresh-made shakes/smoothies, including special versions for kids, with optional add-ins like whey, soy, plant protein, creatine, and chia and flax seeds. 12-oz drinks cost $5.50 and 20-oz drinks cost $6.50. I tried a couple smoothies: * Berry, Berry Good - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and banana with 20 grams of vanilla whey protein * Mango Crusher - mangoes, strawberries, pineapple, and banana with 20 grams of vanilla whey protein The smoothies were absolutely delicious. They were made-to-order, cold, refreshing, and really hit the spot. My older niece (five years old) is a big fan of the Mango Crusher. I liked it too. I loved both smoothies actually. They were flavorful and addictive. When you place an order, the staff gives you one of those restaurant-style pagers which you can take out to the pool. It lights up and buzzes when your order is ready. The inside of the clubhouse has seating with tables. I saw several folks with their laptops out, presumably working remote since it was a weekday afternoon. Free Wi-Fi is available. The men's locker room was fairly spacious and clean with many lockers and various amenities like a sauna. There's a separate building for the gym and I believe there are only two tennis courts. There's also an outdoor basketball court. Plenty of parking is available in two surface lots adjacent to the clubhouse. In general, the property/facilities were clean and in great shape. The Hills Swim and Tennis Club has been sold out of memberships for quite some time, but it's my understanding that memberships periodically become available from members who leave. That's how my sister got her membership. She bought hers from a departing member. All of the staff I encountered were nice.

I cannot recommend the Institute of Urban Homesteading's Cheese Making Intensive enough…read more This day and a half "intensive" is a combination of the cheese making 1, 2 and 3 classes, taught by IUH founder Ruby. It's fast-paced and she throws a lot of information at you, but the whole process is warm, interactive and accessible. I immediately felt like I could leave Ruby's home and make these cheeses (and other dairy products!) we had learned in my own. I especially love that she's found what seems like the perfect middle ground between science lesson and home-cook/homesteader understanding. She brings her personal experience in with just enough of the science and technical understanding to make home cheese making incredible accessible and attainable. I also love that IUH also has a sliding scale for fees because it demonstrates the value they put on what they teach in making these classes more widely accessible. I already have the summer farm tours on my calendar, and I can't wait to take my next class.

I haven't done anything with this organization in years, but thought highly of them in the past…read more Over the past couple of years I've tried to unsubscribe from their emails. I just tried again today using their "unsubscribe" link. What I got back was NOT a confirmation that I'd been unsubscribed. Rather, it was a detailed email from an unknown (to me) mail server company which wanted me to click on THEIR link to actually unsubscribe. I'm not about to click on an unknown link from an unknown sender. I think a direct request using the "Unsubscribe" link in an Urban Homestead email and sent from the very email address I want unsubscribed is absolutely sufficient. I do not recommend getting on their email list.