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December 2025 by Alex Ramirez
Front Reception was super rude and not helpful at all. she seemed to hate her job and hated being there. I also tried calling in and they were also super rude and not helpful at all.
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December 2025 by Mo In DC
This is the dirtiest and worst run YMCA I have ever been to. I have never seen them vacuum, wash the floors, or clean machines throughout my membership. There is sweat and dust congealed on the machines and on the floor. A dead cockroach was on the floor for weeks before it was removed. They had a rat infestation and did not clean up the rat excrement. The cleaners are always in the locker room and yet the locker room is never clean. The fitness studio floors are also never cleaned. They regularly have leaks in their ceiling and do not fix them for weeks or months. Broken machines and equipment do not get fixed for months. Most of the front desk employees are unpleasant, unhelpful, and sit on their phones with their heads down. They would be better off working a job that is not member facing (maybe cleaning!).
Complaints to leadership are futile - if they respond and acknowledge the feedback, they do not fix any of the issues. This branch does not value their members or their wellness. A change in leadership is clearly needed.
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December 2025 by Gabrielle Wolff
DIRTIEST GYM IN DC. this place is foul. Dirt, dust, debris all over the floor. Cleaners don’t clean anything except the bathrooms. I have never seen a vacuum in this place and I’ve been a member for almost 5 years. Not sure why it’s so hard to hire a daily cleaning crew for a gym that has hundreds of members coming in every day. I once told them about a dead roach on the floor and it took them over a week to sweep it up. There’s been a leak in the weight room ceiling coming from the women’s restroom piping for over 3 years - their solution is a bucket on the floor. Sound system stopped working almost a year ago and they haven’t fixed it. There’s not enough free weights by a landslide. WiFi hasn’t worked for years but they gaslight members into believing “it must be an issue with your phone”. Heat isn’t working on the back half of the facility. Staff doesn’t care, manager does nothing to make changes. THIS PLACE IS FOUL.
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October 2025 by taye tadesse
Excellent equipment and respectful associates
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October 2025 by Jacob Hayman
Joined with my partner and had a mixed experience overall. Had some good classes and was able to use the gym for my workout needs, especially the kettlebells and heavy bag. No real spaces or equipment for Olympic lifting like clean and jerks. I’m not sure why they don’t let you use the classrooms when they’re not being used for a class because the areas for stretching and other simple workouts get really packed sometimes.
Ultimately it’s an overpriced gym in my book. I get that it’s a non profit in a hip area but for $100/month or so I think the members deserve some better equipment (for example, the kettlebells were old, cheap, and only went up to 45lbs), a fuller class schedule, and better service overall. However at least it’s not in the $175+ range like other gyms in DC, and you can get a good bang for your buck if you are able to use the gym for your needs.
Based on reviews I read I knew to be wary of their cancellation process. I gave a full 32 day notice of cancellation (the policy is 30 days before your next billing date, which is ridiculous), but when I called to confirm it went through, the initial customer service/front desk staff was dismissive and even a bit rude, and said I was going to be charged. She said the process happens “offsite” and there’s no phone number to reach the department that handles cancellations, which seemed deliberately opaque and convoluted to me.
When I finally got in touch with Tommie the head of member services she was much more professional and supportive and was able to process my cancellation, which I appreciated.
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October 2025 by Mildreth Morales
Ive tried to come to the gym 4 times and out of those only 1 time i could find the childwatch operating on its hours. I dont have no one to wach my children wich is the reason i enrolled here and drive 30 minutes to this place. They also stopped me every time to sign WAIVERS since they havent signed me on the system or gave me a card or anything im just not signed up even tho i brought my documents since 29th September and i have to explain myself about why im not on the system yet as well since they have no comunication between staff so after a lot of time spend explaining just to be send back due to childwatch not being open. Just awesome experience trying to come back to take care of my health after kids.
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September 2025 by Brandon wilkins
Absolutely abysmal service do not give these people your money if you ever decide to cancel it will be near impossible
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July 2025 by Shelby Watson
I tried to go to the YMCA Anthony Bowen to try it out to see if my girlfriend and I should get a couples membership. My girlfriend is a Nationwide YMCA member and couldn’t even get in without using one of her guest passes, despite being a member for years. They were trying to make me pay $30 for a day pass and wouldn’t even let me look at the gym first (and I had already signed the waiver) without paying that. The front desk staff was also very rude about it when I tried to ask about alternative options (eg, “$30 is pretty expensive to workout for an hour, could I pay for a week or month pass” and they looked at me like I was stupid and told me the day pass is $30 and that’s my option)
As someone who had paid for gym memberships at for profit gyms, that was not at all the way to get someone to join your gym. Almost every gym offers a free day pass for a potential new member to try it out to see if the gym would fit their needs, especially if that guest is with a current member. Since the YMCA is a non-profit, it’s even more absurd to me that they wouldn’t even let me look at anything without paying. I understand that this branch’s policies differ from other YMCAs, but I would strongly encourage the branch to follow the widely accepted nationwide member policies of a free guest pass. In my experience, no other YMCA that I have been to charges a day pass fee if visiting with a current memboer.
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June 2025 by Sebastian Jongerius
They let people get in the pool with their socks on
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May 2025 by Haus
The rudest staff I have ever seen I understand the need to finish your work before you leave but sheesh! Vacuuming and cleaning over people’s heads while they are working out and blowing dust all over them is crazy business. + Steam room always broken = D-
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April 2025 by Ian Kirkwood
Gym is okay. Definitely needs more bench presses. The steam room is always breaking. The members also need to learn gym etiquette (ie only occupy one bar at a time).
I’m writing this review because I injured myself pretty badly while lifting (requiring stitches). I asked the front desk for a first aid kit for gauze to stop the bleeding and they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. The guy then proceeded to very slowly feign searching the front desk with low effort. They did not have gauze and the first aid kit looked comical. This is a dangerously low standard of support for a gym to have.
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January 2025 by Kris Ratliff
Actually impossible to cancel this membership if you move away. The actual facilities and day to day experience was great. But I moved away in August and still can't get my membership canceled, this is insanity.
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October 2024 by Jas
I have been a member of the YMCA for over a year, and while I have had an overall positive experience, I would like to address a recurring issue with some of the patrons, specifically men aged 30 and above.
Unfortunately, a noticeable number of these individuals fail to adhere to basic gym etiquette, such as wiping down equipment, re-racking weights, maintaining an appropriate distance—particularly from women— and refraining from excessive staring. These behaviors create an uncomfortable environment for many female members, myself included. This is not merely an observation but an unfortunate truth that impacts the gym experience.
That being said, I want to acknowledge the YMCA’s exceptional staff, trainers, and maintenance crew — the quality of its locker rooms, and its strong commitment to community support. It remains a valuable facility despite these challenges.
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August 2024 by andrew roberts
I have no problem with the gym or the price, given it is central DC. The problem which has existed for years are the majority of front desk staff are rude and generally apathetic.
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August 2024 by Richard Gartenberg
Amazing location, some front desk staff border from apathetic to genuinely unkind. Finally switched to another gym, and shocked at how much nicer and human I can be treated? For less membership costs? Wild.
