I don't know where to start the place has hardly any exercise machines during busy times. The showers have hair and filth in them. They are not cleaned regularly and there's black mold around the drain and on the shower curtains. The bathrooms are not maintained at all filthy filthy filthy. I wouldn't recommend my dog to come here. It's a nice sale for other things like swimming and stuff, but I don't think they maintain their bathrooms and showers and have enough exercise equipment for busy times get to wait for the machines you want. I will not be back to ever shower the toilets are safe to use much more kept up. I will be back to use the pools and things but never the shower, it's a mold experiment waiting to make someone sick. read more

PROS - The gym equipment room is large, plenty of treadmills and ellipticals. The equipment is in good condition. The hours are great on weekdays - 530am - 9p but Sundays only 8a-4p - an extra hour on a sunday would be nice. The pools are bright and airy and the competition pool seems really clean. Lifeguards are friendly and seem to be paying attention to safety! CONS - For much of the year, there is a swim team that practices in the competition pool at prime after-work hours (often 4p-7p) and in the fall, there is the GUILFORD girls HS team, so it can be hard to swim after work. (But it is open at 530a for those early birds who want to swim before work!) read more

Been going to the Y in branford for years There is a big problem with people on the recumbent bikes for Longer periods of time There is only 4 bikes and some people are on the bikes for over an hour The Y should have a sign up saying 30 minutes Some days you can't get on a bike They do nothing about it when you tell them read more

My step daughter went here for camp. Was being bullied, people at the camp were made known of the issue, and nothing changed. Had to pull her out of camp weeks early because she would be so upset before dropping her off. Absolutely do not recommend this place if you care about your kids mental wellbeing. read more

I love the soundview (sound of you) calling my name. Telling me you wish I would take a shower. Well of course, since I'm a Y member, I can stop by Branford while driving from Beantown to The Big Apple (notice how these cities all have food nicknames), and use their shower. I only did a little working out here, but the equipment was fine and in good shape. The showers were nice, and worked perfectly. The people at the front desk were very busy and not too attentive, but I was able to walk right in easily without showing an ID card or anything. If I had waited around (and I did wait a couple mins), I'd have had to fill out all the forms and in one case, they even called the WNY location to make sure I was really a member. I was happy to skip that part and get straight to the shower. I hope I didn't do anything illegal. Oh wait. What's that sound. It's the cops. Oh well. I hope my cell has a nice view. read more

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I just returned to this facility and I am impressed with the remodeling that took place while I was gone. They added another pool, so if you are a swimmer, this is the place to go. I also like the fact that the treadmills all have a screen on them so that you could watch TV, Netflicks, etc. They really don't have bikes for individual use, but have them all in a spinning room. The seats are also uncomfortable. The place is clean and well maintained. I love the locker room. It has large lockers to store your clothes, unlike Planet Fitness down the road. The staff is friendly and they have plenty of activities that you could sign up for. They have a large area for kids, plus vending machines and coffee available. read more

When Soundview Family YMCA works to assist multiple communities on the CT shoreline to feed those in need, create after school care and wellness opportunities, offers day camps in the summer and year-round athletic opportunities for shoreline youth, I for one say "thank you, how can I help?" With two pools within their Branford campus, Soundview Family Y creates opportunities for both young & old to learn to swim safely or to just cool off. Great job, TEAM. read more

Cons: - Extremely gossipy ymca: I would call it a toxic working environment. I was told by 3 employees about abusive gossip. - I had to listen to numerous employees talk negatively about members, and other employee's bodies, genitalia, and life-habits on a nearly daily basis. - Front-end, and pool staff: DO NOT allow them to become friendly with you! ymca staff will attempt to use you as leverage against other employees and members. - I was sexually approached numerous times by homosexuals. These were intrusive unwanted advances. Pros: -Very clean Ralph does a great job with maintenance. Collen handles an intensely difficult job with aplomb. Jhonny keeps the weight room clean even with gym-bugs trying to interrupt your workout. I would suggest you contact a lawyer if you have been mistreated by this ymca...perhaps a class-action lawsuit is in order. I have been a member of the ymca, off and on, for about 35 years. I am a disabled veteran. I have attended gyms in numerous countries and states. Expect vindictiveness for imagined personal slights. - - - read more

I belonged to this Y since it opened and closed my membership because of covid 19. I enjoyed their Zumba fitness classes and the pool the most , but they never did sent me emails to update me on closings, etc.. The management staff is very helpful and the front desk people are friendly but not always informed about classes, etc... What I liked the most was the atmosphere, the cleanliness and the amount of activities they offer. What I disliked the most was the management of the pool. They often would close the locker room while I was in the pool. I would have to run in grab my stuff, carry it around to the wet family locker rooms on the other side, all while being in a wet suit. This happened more than once and it was totally not thought out by the management. It also is a bit expensive . read more

Pros: Nice staff. Nice clean facilities (custodial staff are great, maintenance is great). Good range of classes. Great kids programs. Really nice members; even reasonably diverse (for Branford CT). Cons: For reasons I can't fathom, they have a shower-optional culture, whimsically breaking the 'one must shower before entering a public pool' law. Its fairly disgusting that less than a third of the members take showers before jumping in the pool, and there is a distinct whiff and a lot of junk floating. And yes, one has to walk through the shower room to get to the pools. Staff seem terrified at the prospect of asking members to go back and take a shower; most other Y's manage to enforce showers, no clue why this one doesn't. read more

Extremely toxic staff. Three staff members said that it is a very gossipy and toxic environment. Both staff and members make snide comments about everyone. Wouldn't be surprised if there was a toxic work environment case against them. read more

Excellent gym! A newer facility with updated equipment. They only have one squat rack which kind of sucks. They also don't have a sauna which is another downfall but after coming to this gym vs the Hamden-North Haven one this gym is a god send. It's never really crowded in the afternoons which Is also nice. read more

Great facility, really nice staff and never too crowded. Has two pools, which is unlike any other club or gym around here. Membership is a little expensive compared to alternatives, but your health and happiness is worth a few extra dollars per month. Also, memberships are month-to-month here. read more

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Nice clean facilities. Never used the pool. Doesn't have an indoor basketball court though and close relatively early (not COVID specific)

If I could give negative stars I would. I signed up for Care4Kids for my daughters camp here. I got the letter showing I was approved right after my daughters sessions had ended, so I called to find our how it works. I was told since I paid in full up front the money would just automatically be refunded and should be on my card by mid august, and that was told to me by the girl at the YMCA front desk who answers the phones. But the end of August I still hadn't gotten a refund and I still hadn't heard anything. So I waited till September 8th and then called to see what was going on. I was told they put it "as a credit towards my account". I have no membership there, there is zero reason it's acceptable to do that without my permission which I stated and informed her what I was originally told about the money going back on my card, so next she tried to say "oh well, it went towards the unpaid weeks of camp" to which I responded that I had paid in full up front and she stopped in August because she was going to Maine so no it didn't. Then it was "well it was a fee from the town for going" I said noppppeee, paid in full remember, so try again. Literally kept giving me excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't get my money back until I was finally transferred to a woman who argued with me about what I was supposed to be given back, thankfully I had the paperwork in front of me saying exactly how much I was owed. So at this point I had zero trust in them so I told them I was calling care for kids to double check the amount and would call them back. I talked to them they informed me they sent two paychecks out to them and the amounts so I called back and let her know and she goes "oh well that's not right I'm about to call them!" And I said "please do, I just spoke to them and you obviously have no idea so please do!" And she was like "well then I'll call them right now!" To which I responded with the phone number. So she calls me back and says that I was write about both amounts and the second check had been mailed out from them a week before so "it takes time to process these things. But you'll get your first checks refund in a couple day, I can't provide a refund for the second cause we don't have the check" which I said was absolutely fine. I just wanted my money back but I had no problem waiting. A week goes by and still no refund so I call and get an email response letting me know it'll take ten business days. Which okay, you once again lied to me but at least I'm getting the money back. It is now September 20th and I called on the 8th and still nothing. I'm sure this will continue to be an ordeal trying to get refunded. Extremely unprofessional and astounding to me. I don't mind the wait, I mind the many many excuses I was given as to why they couldn't give me my own money back and the fact I STILL don't have my refund from the first check. Highly don't recommend going here! read more

Amazing facility. I love coming here to swim my laps and get my stress out. The membership here is very satisfying because it's based on your income. So if you don't make a lot of money, then you're not gonna have to pay an arm and a leg and you get a beautiful facility to enjoy. I absolutely love how clean both the pools are. Usually when you go to a public pool, you don't want to step foot into it. These pools are prestige with cleanness! When you get out you could most def smell the chlorine on your skin, but that's what it's for, to keep everything clean. The Olympic pool is huge and has 6 lanes and two shareable lanes. Also diving stands so it's like you're in the Olympics. They do offer a swim team as well. The locker rooms are also very clean and don't use bright lights at all! Very private when you go in and have numerous changing rooms for when you need to change out of your wet suit. Also a cool machine that spins down your suit to get most of the water out. The showers however have quite the pressure, and it's like your standing in a pressure washer, but it gets the chlorine off my skin, so that's all that matters. The facility also offers many classes that i am definitely going to try out, as well as child care, summer camp, swimming lessons and a family center. It's also a very calming facility, I feel very comfortable in this building. The staff is nothing but friendly. I'm very happy that I decided to rejoin, especially because it's only about 5 minutes from my house and I get to enjoy a pool since I don't have one! read more

Great accessable central location with many classes, big pool, and very clean compared to many Ys. Inconsistent counter staff; some super helpful and some bitchy. My advice? If you belong to another Y and the front desk gives you the hassle about "not being allowed to take classes here" nod, agree that you are only there to swim and workout, and then go do your thing. ;) Clean: Changing area and showers; Nice oversized showers with seats and hose shower extender attached. Good hot water pressure, clean, and newly renovated. Classes: Plenty of classes, inconsistent policy. If you belong I another Y, some staff will let you take classes and others won't. Lots of Yoga. I took a few classes with Jo who was very involved, circles the class, offers corrections! Facilities: Great big pool and Looks like there is an outdoor rock climbing wall for summer. read more

This Y does a lot of things right- great variety of classes, 2 pools, and clean facilities. For adults, this place is a perfect place to get in shape in a fun environment with friendly instructors and patrons. It really is a nice community. I have had several issues with their youth programs for some time. Our family has used a variety of their many youth-focused programs. The swim/class instructors are mostly nice folks but their instruction is inconsistent and often ineffective. The camp offers great activities but staff are not well-trained or well-supervised, often leaving kids to their own devices for too much of the day (esp afternoon). Young kids are mixed in with older kids and are hearing/seeing things that are not age-appropriate. The Youth Director is hard to reach and not very responsive or helpful when concerns arise. So, you are left to try to deal with it yourself. In general, the Y offers great resources for adults but we increasingly look for alternative programs/locations for our kids. read more

I truly enjoyed swimming at this facility in the beginning. However, as time wore on it became less enjoyable for me. The time I had to swim reduced due to to Covid. Their swim teams dominate lanes in the afternoon through evening so I could only swim one day per week. Some of the lifeguards were okay, but most don't care about the members, are unfriendly, nor do they wear masks around the pool. The aquatic director supports this unprofessional, unproductive behavior. Not to mention that he acts aggressively at times! He lacks professionalism and self-control! He took the joy out of swimming at this Y. He supports his lifeguards irregardless of their behaviors. He showed me that he does NOT care for the YMCA Members at all. This isn't a place I want to be. read more

YMCA management sucks as they are all into stripping your money without any consideration. A zero courtesy for members place where you can enjoy the facility as long as you don't get ripped-off by them charging your credit card secretively even when you are not using their facility. read more

I belong to both Planet Fitness and the Shoreline YMCA. Planet Fitness is cheap and crowded. The people there are just there to work out and leave. The YMCA has a friendly, professional staff and lots of programs. The staff couldn't be more helpful or friendly. I use the Y for the pool for laps (which Planet Fitness does not have), the spinning room (which Planet Fitness does not have) and the weight/cardio machine room. True, Planet Fitness is cheap, but it is limited. If all you want is weights and machines, then its for you. It competes with the Y only with the weighs and cardio machines. The YMCA is much more and offers much more for the family and the young and old. It really is apples and oranges. The Y offers diverse courses and opportunities. There are group programs and courses from young to old. There are spinning groups, mini triathlon groups, senior exercise groups and more. There are opportunities for children's groups and parties. To offer more as well as maintain two pools, costs more. The price is not over the top. Some people want everything for free. How do they expect the lifeguards, the staff and the group leaders to get paid? i used to belong to a gym prior to Planet Fitness which cost more than the YMCA with no pool and no programs. I use Planet Fitness when I just want to do cardio and nothing else, but when I want more, I go to the Y. Overall, I like the YMCA better, its more than just a gym. Its a place for families to learn, grow and exercise together. read more

I would not leave any credit card information on file with this organization as they make large fraudulent charges without your permission on a regular basis which you then have to dispute - a process that can take up to many weeks. read more

Wow, Soundview YMCA is OVERRATED and WAY OVERPRICED! I so happily paid a $100 fee to join and $74 a month for a family membership not including swimming lessons another $80 per 8 weeks or other programs like Judo, soccer $40 for 8 weeks. Pay this ridiculous extra prices for recreational sports on top of already $74 a month fee. Their should be one flat fee per family not go by how much we make that's BS. With the kind of services the Soundview YMCA gives they should charge $50 per family with everything included. The weight room itself is very limited with one leg press, one bench press, one AB machine one this and one that. The cardio room gets nice, hot, and nasty. Don't bring your 2-3 years old child into the pre school room. Nice breading ground for germs. My son was sick every other week for 2 months. The lazy staff does NOTHING to stop a child from putting toys in their mouths or laying on the ground. Then they want to get all the kids out before the times up to watch them. Tried the YMCA for 5 months we canceled our membership. I went back to Planet Fitness were I get a far better workout any day of the week over YMCA and even got a t-shirt when I signed back up! What did YMCA give us? What a joke. read more

Whatever you do, DO NOT send your kids to summer camp there! My wife and I signed up our kids there, and they absolutely hate it! Disorganized, to say the least. Kids may do an activity depending on the day, but get to sit out in the hot sun all day. Son went to a Bluefish Game, and was told he couldnt bring his lunch or water. Campers sat in the sun in 90° heat while counselors sat in shaded area. Surprised he didn't have heat stroke. Social services helped us pay for BOTH kids, yet YMCA only applied payment to ONE kid. Now we have to pay $500 in change for our daughter or she wont be allowed to go back next week. You tell me how this is fair when my wife and I have been members for over 2 years. read more