The gym is hot & stuffy with little to no cooling in effect. It s so hard to breathe. As a result, it smells horrible with a bunch of sweaty people mixed in. The building is vertical. I feel like it was not really planned to be a gym. There is not a lot of variety for weight use. The equipment is fairly older. Granted, the Y will move to a new building in about 4~ years. The staff is okay.
Whatcom Family YMCA is a true gem for the community! I don t just say that because my name is Jim ( gem and Jim get it?).
Whatcom Family YMCA is not just a gym (another one) it is community hub. I won t start listing off all the programs because my thumbs will tire before I would get done. The Y brings everybody together and we all need that...right?
Also, the Director of Fun, Tammy Bennett is awesome!
I've been working out at the downtown Bellingham YMCA for over a decade. This is a gym for people who have come to work out, and they do offer many different types of workout programs. As one who wants no more than a good, solid, and stable, weightlifting environment, not a fancy, expensive or trendy gym, this gym is ideal for me. I can go in, perform a given day's workout regimen and shower, or sauna and shower, and leave. The staff are courteous and helpful. I love the Y!
I been to various YMCAs throughout the country and this one lives up to the expectations people like in a full service gym. It's a less modern one than most but all the equipment is in top shape. There's the pool, locker rooms, full basketball court with regulars, dedicated racquetball court, exercise machines to cover every area of the body (more than one for some exercises), plenty of free weights, a yoga floor that can hold 100 people, kickboxing area. I only been to this one once but it exceeded my expectations after reading some of these reviews. The only con is the parking if your vehicle is big since this is obviously in downtown bellingham, and the price is higher than other gyms since the YMCA is simply way better than any other gym in almost every city. It's a full service gym so you get what u pay for. I prefer the Y because it's more than weights and treadmills and I can trust their billing and professionalism since it's a nonprofit that goes back 100 years. I never had a horrible experience at a Y location and you won't get tired of the same old things because there are multiple ways to exercise here. The demographic is also balance with young and old. It doesn't attract creeps like some gyms because it's an established organization with policies that are reliable.
Could use a bigger pool, and a couple more classes. Also the first Y I ve used that doesn t give you excess to the spin room when no ones there. If you travel a lot the Y is the place to join because you can go to them all.
The Y is as good as history during covid19. Ferndale location is closed forever, Lynden is closed and I'm not sure they ever plan to reopen it. And the Bellingham location is completely closed on Sunday, which doesn't really matter because you need an appointment to even go, and need to wear a mask between switching machines, a serious health compromise. Ironically the Y has become bad for your health. If you feel energetic and like going, well you can't because you need to make a reservation 24 hours in advance. Many of the amenities are closed so your membership isn't giving you all you paid for. Gymnasium closed, just not worth it. If you workout later rather than early in the day it will be closed. I realize many gyms are like this but they're as good as history unless they stand up as an organization and quit waiting for a day that may never come.
Steam Room/Sauna/Bathroom Stalls/Shower area-
I have tried many times to get this YMCA to cleanup these areas. They are absolutely disgusting. Hair floats on the floor, mold/mildew soak up the wood and grout on the tile. The smell inside the locker room alone is frightening and the sauna and steam room smell like they haven t been cleaned for ten years. I have reached out to front desk, maintenance personnel and given written complaints. I seen a man about 65 years of age fall in the shower because it is so slippery. He said he didn t want to say anything because he loves the gym, but I am not going to let that slide. This is unacceptable and if something isn t done about this I can guarantee someone will get hurt/sick and we all know what ll happen after that. Let s pray the YMCA takes some responsibility and gets these issues resolved and maintained ongoing.
Lots of broken equipment in the weight lifting area. They changed their cancelation policy to make it more cumbersome and there s no way to get a refund.
Their parking lot is very small so it s unlikely to be able to get a spot at a reasonable hour. This is not a huge deal if you don t mind paying for any street parking you can find.
At one point in time, this gym used to be okay, but the prices have since increased while the quality of the gym has declined.
I'm from Blaine and I think this gym is the best I've found in the area. They don't require an inordinate commitment and the price is right for what you get. I like the city feel of this YMCA and the fact they have a rock climbing wall if you want. I was coming from a different YMCA in Louisiana and Tess helped me have a seamless transition to my new YMCA community in Bellingham. Boy am i proud to be living out here and have a solid gym i can go with my wife. The only downfall for me is its not a short drive from Blaine and sometimes it gets overcrowded. That being said, i like the competitive spirit and have never had an issue getting a workout in!!
The doors have an accessibility feature but they get stuck a lot and become difficult for anyone to open. The rock climbing area is non-accessible, which is unfortunate as everyone should be able to access all areas and activities.
whatcomymca.org