-
September 2023 by Michelle Flowers-Taylor
Our family has benefited greatly from being a part of the Stroum JCC community.
-
March 2023 by David Rogers
I love the variety and that I can go at my own pace. The coaches are also some of the most encouraging and inspiring people I know!
-
November 2022 by Simon Karavai
Only vaccinated can be at the gym.
-
August 2022 by S G.
It's a shame that what used to be a community treasure has degraded terribly over recent years, and especially over the last year. The physical facilities have rapidly & continuously deteriorated with apparently little interest and attempt to fix (locker rooms, parking lot, fitness center, hallways, gym, classrooms). In some cases, this extends to safety issues. Rules are made and changed without proper justification or much member input and are often unnecessary or unnecessarily damaging to members' experience. Amenities have been cut back, perhaps for cost reasons, but the false excuse is often "Covid". Other bad decisions are apparent. While there are many motivated and friendly staff, there are also ones who seem to have little care for members and who like to assert their power. This includes both employees who are responsible for specific functions as well as top leadership who are unresponsive to member feedback and who do not respect, much less value, those who have supported the SJCC, whether for a few months or for a few decades.. It's not too late to properly run the organization and reverse the harm. I have heard many complaints , including that it is not worth complaining because no one cares. I truly wish for SJCC to succeed, but it won't if the current path is not changed.
-
April 2022 by Jake G.
I still frequent this place multiple times a week but it feels like a business that's either going out of business or has been bought out and doesn't really care about the member experience. It really doesn't matter (at least in my experience) what aspect of the facility you intend to use there is not one piece of it that is fully functioning and/or thoughtfully structured. Just for kicks if you (Amy, maybe if you're reading you could try it just to see how poorly it all works) ... try calling to find out whether or not your kids can swim at the pool, it'll be 15 minutes of your time you'll NEVER get back and you'll have no option other than to just show up in some swim trunks and hope you can get in. I recently had a very expensive bike stolen from out front and waited with the police for hours to review the footage (which never came to be) the officer was also disappointedin their lack of follow through. It's a hot mess down there and despite rooting for them to pull it together, it's trending the wrong direction.
-
April 2022 by David Patteson
The JCC, like all facilities of this nature, is in the process of recovering from the pandemic isolation which I think they handled very well. If you want to exercise on Mercer Island, this is the best deal in town for sure. I sign up mainly to use the exercise equipment which I find to be impressive. However, when not bogged down by a pandemic, they have a thriving arts and entertainment program, many different classes and several alternatives to keep you fit.
-
May 2021 by Tori W.
This is a disgustingly TERRIBLE business. There is absolutely no respect for the employees. Schedules are adjusted with very little notice, checks are often days late causing a variety of financial issues for the employees in which no one shows any kind of empathy, and certain staff members have made racist comments without seeing any disciplinary action. There are numerous ways they put everyone's safety at risk in the midst of a pandemic; whether some employees and patrons have been vaccinated or not, it is still extremely dangerous to the classes of young children that come in. I've had issues with another patron pressuring myself and others to give up our swimming lanes early. I know an employee there who's child passed away and he was forced to use his own sick leave and paid time off to have something as simple as a few days to grieve because no one cared to make the proper accommodations. As a patron, I've taken the time to just chat with some of the employees every now and then. They are overworked and underpaid. I feel it's irresponsible as a business to treat the bottom of the pyramid like crap while the board gets the luxuries. As much as I loved the facilities themselves, I can't stand to give my money to a place that doesn't redistribute the benefits properly.
-
August 2020 by Emjay Byers
Best Gym on Mercer Island
-
March 2020 by Roshandala
I used to go to this gym every day, I lost 50 pounds in here ?The facilities are great, and the staff are friendly
-
February 2020 by Michael G.
Catch up review. Really a great St. Louis community facility. It offers everything. We came here for a visit and we made a lot of friends. Son was living in STL and we were cruosing the community. But it really needs a redo. However, we are big fans!
-
November 2019 by Julie P.
I enjoy the gym facilities here. Basic workout equipment. One thing that is really perplexing is the fact that they fill the soap dispensers with LISTERINE. Why? I'm so confused and never heard of this. I thought it was a mistake so I brought it up to the attention of 4 different people because month after month there was still listerine instead of soap. I asked this week and they said they did it on purpose. This is strange to me. Now a days, businesses should be using soap should be unscented and dye free due to sensitivities and allergies, but this place uses blue minty fresh listerine in the soap dispenser. ??? So confused. Businesses ( especially a gym) should not be making there own soap concoction.
-
June 2019 by Scott A.
I joined this gym mostly for the basketball court which seemed great at first, however, over the past couple of years I have become more and more disappointed with the poor maintenance and complete failure of the staff to respond to multiple complaints. Specifically, this court if always filthy. A dirty court is a dangerous court. Even with brand new basketball shoes you will be slipping and sliding all over the place. A strained muscle is almost guaranteed. This court gets a lot of use by kids programs all year round. The kids bring a ton of dirt and dust on their shoes and no one bothers to clean the court when they are done. They also leave behind food crumbs, sticky candy remnants, glitter, etc. Leaving it dirty puts people at risk. This place is asking for a lawsuit. And clearly this has been a problem for years as you can find another review here written back in 2013 saying the same thing (add to evidence for said lawsuit). Myself and others have complained multiple times and the staff acts like they will deal with it and then nothing changes. So, finally, I am resorting to yelp. Added to this issue is the lack of child supervision. Parents come and use the gym as a playground. They drop the kid off in the gym (very small kids) and walk away to go work out or chat with friends. Or worse yet, they are just staring at their phones and not paying any attention to the fact that their kids are being rude and unruly. Meanwhile grown men and women are trying to work out or play a game and little kids are getting in the way. There is zero respect for others who are there using the gym. As a comparison I have played hoops over at the Mercer Island Community Center a few times and I have to say that that place is wonderful. The gym floor is spotless. There is zero dirt or dust and your shoes will always find tons of grip. Also, there are not a ton of little kids running around unsupervised. The SJCC needs to send their staff over to this gym so they can see how things are done properly.
-
May 2019 by Donna Reitz
Super rude front desk staff (woman named Charlotte), like TSA (fine and unfortunately understandable given how there have been recent threats against Jewish synagogues and facilities) but where only I am singled out for extra security complete with eye rolls, tone, refusal to answer my questions and overall histrionics from Charlotte. That part is not like TSA. Also, a woman outside asked me to ask Charlotte a question as she said that she was scared of her and scared to ask
-
February 2019 by Jacob Hanan
1 star
-
December 2018 by Carolyn K.
The SJCC is outstanding in every way....from pre-school program to young adult programs to senior programs. They really do cover the gamut of life experiences and needs. I am impressed with their new association with OSHER from the University of Washington and applaud their partnership. It provides more opportunities for seniors like I am to be part of the full community and at attend stimulating and interesting events. As a native born and bred in Seattle, I am delighted with the growth of the SJCC to represent all segments of our community. My children went to the JCC pre-school programs (before it was SJCC) and they were great! Thanks for all you do to provide Jewish identity and recreation in our community!
