Wells Avenue YMCA in Newton

"The Mara class at the YMCA Ave is undeniably popular, and for good reason. The energy and instruction are excellent, clearly loved by all participants. However, the sheer volume of attendees creates a significant problem. My first experience was marred by extreme overcrowding, with an estimated 25 people packed into a space that felt far too small. In the current climate, with ongoing concerns about COVID-19, this level of crowding is not only uncomfortable but also concerning. The YMCA needs to address this space issue immediately. Moving the class to a larger area is crucial for the comfort and safety of its members. While I understand the desire to expand workout facilities, as evidenced by the conversion of daycare space, it shouldn't come at the expense of existing popular classes. Prioritizing member comfort and safety, especially in high-demand classes like Mara, is essential. In summary, while the Mara class itself is fantastic, the YMCA's management of space and member comfort needs significant improvement. Until the overcrowding is resolved, I'm hesitant to recommend this class, despite its inherent quality."

Friendly staff and a well maintained pool. Plenty of exercise equipment.

A beautiful fitness center with 2 floors next to many other things like 3 schools and 2 mini hospitals. With it being right of the highway, you drive in, scan your badge and walk into the locker rooms, with locks. Also pickleball and basketball courts. All clean.

Have great basketball courts, solid newer facilities, only thing missing is a sauna. Very fair billing practices, and friendly staff.

Right down the street from where my wife works so it makes the perfect excuse for both of us to meet there after work. Staff is great and plenty amount of equipment available. My wife enjoys the personal training sessions and has gotten a lot of good tips and encouragement

Quick update: The fitness director, Nikita, is no longer with the YMCA on Wells Avenue. No notice. No statement from management. Nothing. He's just gone. It seems as though he has been gone for about 4 months or so. Nikita was a good trainer and an excellent employee. I stopped by here over a month ago to check out the facility and to see if it was worth the monthly membership fee. My partner is a member at a women's only facility in the area, so, this is exclusively for my physical benefit, though I do plan on bringing her in for a guest workout. I can say that when I showed up for a tour of this YMCA location, I was not disappointed! I was greeted at the front desk by a nice young gentlemen and another young female employee, each of whom were wearing YMCA attire and name badges. These two employees were friendly, cheerful and respectful. I was very politely greeted by each individual and offered to be taken on a tour of the facility. The young gentlemen took me through the reception area and then through the pool area and explained to me everything about the YMCA and the various programs which they offer. The pool was very nice and very well maintained. It appeared to be twenty five meters in length with lane dividers for the four lanes. The water was crystal clear and exceptionally well chlorinated. There were a few older members swimming laps and I believe there was a lifeguard on duty. I also noticed that the pool area was clean and free from debris which was nice to see. I am an avid swimmer so, I plan on getting maximum utilization of this amenity. We toured through the rest of the facility and the kind gentlemen showed me all of the equipment and locker room facilities that were available at the YMCA. We toured through many Precor fitness machines and apparati. There were squat racks, power racks, bench presses, individual benches for dumbell presses, incline benches, smith machines, cable crossover machines, lat machines, shoulder press machines, abdominal machines, abdominal crunch machines and a dumbell rack that had plenty of dumbells that went up to at least eighty pounds. There was also a section near the front of the training area that was used for specialized or personal training. They have medicine balls, plyometric equipment and other apparati for personal and specialized training. It appeared that there was a young gentlemen that was a personal trainer that was working with an individual while I was touring. It is good that the YMCA offers personal training. There were two big screen TV's, one on south wall and one on the north wall. There was an office where, I believe, the fitness director maintained his quarters. As we left the training area and entered the gymnasium, I was absolutely awestruck at the immense size of the gymnasium! I could not believe how large it was. It was massive. There are four FULL SIZE basketball courts. Unbelievable! I counted twelve fiberglass backboards with four additional side courts. I have been to dozens of YMCA's all over the East Coast (including Florida) over the past 60 years (yes, I am an old "geezer", ) and I have never seen anything like this gymnasium; Very impressive, indeed. There is also a large "staging" area just before you actually step onto the basketball courts where people can stretch and prepare for a game. There is a large office area off to the left where they keep some of the basketball equipment. I believe there is a gentlemen that supervises that area. We then went upstairs (I had the option of taking the elevator, but, my vanity precluded me from doing so, lol) where I was shown the cardio equipment which included many bikes, elliptical trainers and treadmills. There is a hat encircles the entire cardio area. 17.5 laps around the track equals one mile. There is also a "stretching" area at the top of the stairs along with a massage table. I doubt they offer massage therapy, but maybe it 😊

New facilities and friendly environment. 4 full basketball counts makes it easy to find a hoop to practice.

My wife and I are members at the West Suburban YMCA, also in Newton, but we decided to stop by and look at this facility, which just opened recently and is also available to us. First impression: MODERN! Nice and bright, and open feeling. All is on one floor. At the far end is an expansive area with lots of individual areas for sports - basketball, pickleball, etc. Very high ceilings. Nice feel. Workout area is closer to front desk; lots of great machines, nicely spaced. A lounge area near desk for doing laptop work. Changing rooms very modern and expansive - a nice change from our usual. These lead to the pool. Very nice, but half width (4 lanes). Sloped ramp with railings too - much appreciated by older crowd! Front desk welcoming and efficient.