Matt Story

Review of Reily Student Recreation Ctr

Best Gym that's Never Open. Great facility, antiq...

Best Gym that's Never Open. Great facility, antiquated management, expensive, closed at every conceivable opportunity.

When its open, its awesome. But if you depend on working out regularly, in the mornings or weekends: look elsewhere. (See the facilities hours page for the dates the gym is closed. Its for long spans: a full week at mardi gras? At every home football game. Two weeks at Christmas? Staff training? Abbreviated summer hours?)

I lift free-weights. In this, its just adequate: somewhat older nautilus-style machines, a few hammer strength, 2 leg presses, 3 squat racks downstairs, 2 smith machines. Not a lot of equipment, but just enough. Large functional fitness area for you if you like to foam roll while looking at your phone. Lockers everywhere (which they'll force you to use because its swat-team-provocation if you try to bring a bag into the work-out or cardio areas). This gym really has its priorities.

I don't swim here but if you do, it looks excellent: huge indoor pool. But it also looks to be highly scheduled, with student team's occupying much of the time. The outdoor pool is for family's potty-training their kids in the pool and freshmen training for skin cancer treatment at the perimeter.

Two huge, beautiful gyms, which seem rarely occupied if you like to play basketball. An excellent running track on the top level. Excellent, clean locker rooms.

The most striking attribute of this gym is the beauty of its architecture. The building just feels great. Open central staircases, lots of light, large open rooms, high ceilings. Its a pleasure to be in it.

But there's a nagging sense that management doesn't actually want you there. As if membership is an annoyance and they're really there to burn off their obligation to the students paying corpulent tuition for the "campus experience." I live adjacent, a neighbor, and the location is compelling. But I've had to join other gyms in the area just to have a dependable option to workout. This is expensive.

If you work out consistently, or if you work out before 6 a.m. during the week or 8 a.m. on the weekends (on which they happen to be open), then you'll need to maintain an alternative gym membership.