Embarcadero YMCA

Good gym and pool, not too crowded, with nice staff and fantastic views

The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the facilities are great. It doesn't have fancy showers like the Equinox, but I don't really care about that - I care that for $78/month I get access to a 25m pool, a large array of cardio and weights equipment, and a ton of classes. Honestly would have to be one of the best value gyms in the city.

I recently joined the Y mainly because they offer affordable swimming lessons.Everything have been great so far! The staff and instructors are nice and knowledgeable. Showers and locker rooms are always clean and never crowded, same as the workout machines.

I love this gym and very much disagree with recent comments regarding price and work out space. To begin with, I lived in Monterey for over 15 years and the Monterey Sports Center 5 or so years ago was more expensive then at that time than this "Y" is now, and the Embarcadero Y is very comparable in every way, including a pool. In terms of location, granted, if you don't live in the City, it will be, like most any other place here, a bit of a challenge in terms of commute and parking. But if you live here, it's located in an excellent location with more than several transportation options, for example the 5 bus stops at Spear and Mission which is about 3 blocks from the Y, and the 6, 21 buses stop on Steuart, again within a block of the facility. You can also take the "F" train that stops as well within a block of the facility, and the 38 bus stops near Main a few blocks from the facility "...bad location...seriously?"...go to LA if you think this is tough. For a city of around 800K....you can't beat this. I very much recommend this facility.In terms of space, I never feel cramped or crowded and the free weights areas are plenty roomy, and all the equipment (as well as the facility) are well maintained, current, and very clean. I have been to gyms in LA, Seattle, and here in SF, and in terms of value, location, quality of equipment, maintenance, cleanliness...for the price....truly well worth it.

This Y is tough to get to (and expensive) if you drive to the city.On top of this, their free weights area is tiny and equipment is terrible.The focus of this Y is definitely cardio (as evidenced by a plethora of treadmills and 25 meter swimming pool).The always-booked basketball court makes it difficult to give them an "ok" rating.

staff is wonderful, very helpful and friendly. equipment is new and well maintained. locker room is nice and big - you never feel like you're on top of one another. Very happy with this YMCA

Membership costs $70 per month as of writing, but it's worth it if you attend the group classes at least twice a week. The variety of group classes is pretty impressive and there are usually 2-3 group classes going on during the weeknights: body pump, body kombat, core conditioning, cycling, boot camp, yoga. What really seals the deal for me is the access to a lap pool which most gyms don't have.The location is just a few minutes walk from Embarcadero BART, so it's accessible to those working or living in downtown. All in all, just like any gym, if you use the membership, then it will be worth the money you pay for.

Very friendly staff and knowledgeable trainers. It's easy to book a trainer or swimming lesson (in the Olympic sized pool). There's a huge class schedule and a decent weight room with upgraded machines. The best feature is that you can workout on a machine and look over the Bay - which no other gym in the city can offer.

Been a member of the Embarcadero Y for over 8 years and really love it.friendly staff (e.g, Dan & Jolson) and a pretty clean locker room. An excellent gym with all the amenities one would want (including a basketball court with hardcore players and a swimming pool). A lot of cyclists use the facilities here.

This is the first Y I've had a membership at. Before this one I'd always been a little skeptical about YMCAs and their cleanliness, but this one change my thinking forever. It is very clean, has really nice people both working and working-out there, and there are a lot of classes with excellent instructors.