Vanderbilt YMCA

About

The Vanderbilt YMCA, located at 224 E 47th St in Midtown East, New York City, is a comprehensive community and fitness center. It offers a wide range of amenities including a well-equipped fitness center, multiple swimming pools, group exercise classes, sports courts, and various programs for youth and adults, serving as a hub for health, wellness, and community engagement.

The Vanderbilt YMCA typically features at least two swimming pools. The main lap pool is generally maintained at a temperature around 80-82°F (26-28°C), suitable for lap swimming. A secondary, often warmer, instructional or family pool may be available, usually kept at a slightly higher temperature, such as 84-86°F (29-30°C), though specific temperatures can vary.

What are people saying (AI review summary)? The Vanderbilt YMCA no longer offers traditional rooms, with former guest floors now serving as a shelter. Its gym facilities are generally considered good, featuring multiple floors for diverse training, a running track, basketball court, and studios for classes. It notably offers two swimming pools, a rarity in NYC, though they are described as somewhat claustrophobic due to low ceilings and lack of natural light. Locker rooms, recently renovated, are already showing age and no longer provide towels, despite offering steam rooms and saunas. Service quality for the gym has reportedly declined significantly post-COVID, while prices have increased, leading to a perception of only just below average value compared to other midtown alternatives. However, some members highly praise the friendly staff, cleanliness of the swimming pool, and courteous community, even traveling long distances to use the facilities. In stark contrast, the YMCA's summer camp program receives overwhelmingly negative feedback, criticized for unfulfilled promises of field trips, minimal and unengaging activities, lack of basic amenities, and inexperienced counselors, resulting in boredom among children. Attempts to address camp complaints through customer service were also deemed generic and unhelpful. The YMCA's location is considered excellent for those near the United Nations or other Eastside midtown areas.

Location

Gallery

Amenities

• Good for Children
• Street Parking
• Accessible Entrance
• Accessible Restroom

Reviews

Listing Reviews

September 23rd, 2025

WorldTraveller 1960

The Vanderbilt YMCA doesn't offer rooms anymore. The floors that offered rooms have been turned into a shelter for homeless or low income people. There are relatively good facilities. There are four floors of different type of aerobic and weight training facilities, a short running track, a basket ball court, and rooms for numerous membership included yoga, pilates, etc. There are two swimming pools of 20 and 25 yards, but they are a little claustrophobic as there's no natural light and low ceilings. However, it is one of the few NYC gyms with swimming pools. The locker rooms (men's and women's) have steam rooms and saunas, but no longer provide towels. Although renovated recently, they already seem aged. The service has fallen significantly from its pre-COVID level. At the same time, the prices have increased. In September 2025 a week membership was $54 and month to month membership was $150 a month, plus a joining fee. This is competitive with other gyms, but some other midtown alternatives have better facilities. The location at 147 Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is excellent for the United Nations or other Eastside midtown locations. This gym has good facilities; the price is high, but competitive; and the service patchy at best. This gym is only just believe average value for money.

January 23rd, 2025

Wien Loo

Love this location of YMCA, though it is my first YMCA ever, but the staffs here are nice and friendly. Mainly use their swimming pool, it’s always clean, always have a life guide on duty, though one of them was a bit too “aggressive” over their policy but it did not ruin my overall experience. The members there are also nice and courteous and would ask when sharing a lane, I really appreciate the overall experience I have at this location thus far, that’s why I continued to travel from Brooklyn all the way to this midtown location.

March 31st, 2025

Michael RH

This review is about YMCA summer CAMP at the Vanderbilt location. Our experience was -very- ba, with broken promises of field trips, camp counselors who did little more than day care, and limited facilities. My father grew up around a YMCA in Indiana in the 1930s (reallly), I went to a Y on Long Island sometimes -took swimming lessons there and more. But this Y...is really not geared for kids. They haven't thought it out. Its relatively safe day care, and that's all. My son is attended their 'camp.' Really, it doesn't succeed as any form of day camp. The activities are de minimis. They congregate in a gym most of the time. They promised field trips and excursions to the park(s) but these have been very few, if at all. They provide no amenities at all -no lunch, or snack, or towels for the swimming pool (one day a week at most, unless you sign up for the swimming camp -we've moved over. Maybe it will be better). There does not seem to be much thought put into their activities and the 'counselors' seem young and mainly untrained. My son is usually an optimist. But both he and a friend from school who is in the same camp say the same thing: bored. Forget any intellectually challenging activities. We ran into another friend of his, Josh, on a bus there one day. He had gone to the YMCA last year and was at a camp across the street (I was told). His mom said he didn't dislike it while there, but then realized how much better camp could be at the other camp. One day, one of the few 'crafts' projects, they did 'tye dying' and my son brought home a plastic bag with a small green-dyed cloth knapsack in it. The counselor gave it to me. No one mentioned it was still full of wet dye. And then, on the way home, there was a leak... Not happy. My hands were green for a day and a half. They are not really much good at arts and crafts. My son missed the day they painted a cheap wood slide whistle (he had a nosebleed in the morning). So, rather than spend 10 minutes with him to help makeup and to make a nice painted whistle the next day, he just got the plain unpainted version to take home. Altogether, just kind of a flop as a place. The city is full of opportunity. And there are camps throughout the city that do interesting things. It seems this YMCA.... is not one of them. Update: I received a response from them. An unknown representative asked me to 'contact' them with more information and that they are very eager to respond and improve their services, EXCEPT..... (1) they don't provide a contact person or number, except "Vanderbilt YMCA Team" (go team!); (2) the response is perfectly generic and does not even show that they read the critical review but asks for "specific details" (-itself a sign they don't read -anyone doubt I was ?specific?") (3) generally, seems about as insincere and mindless as one could expect. (4) Originally I gave them 2 stars, we're now down to one. Anyone agree? (5) They told me they were sorry and asked me for more information -but I had provided all of this as a critique. Isn't this detailed enough?

August 31st, 2024

Lantie Foster

August 22nd, 198*, my first night in NYC ever. I arrived at this Y in a stretch black limo(no lies) and stayed for 1 month as there was no student housing left at FIT and the Y rented out rooms to some college students. I arrived in the lobby and rang the desk bell for help w/my luggage. Yah, no help. (I was a clueless Cali girl)The price was $400 per month for a room which was about 4'x 8". There was a twin bed, a tiny desk w/a chair and 1 small tall dresser. The room was so narrow, the chair did not fit between the bed and the desk. I piled up my 9 pieces of luggage on top of the dresser to the ceiling. There was 1 payphone on the floor (creepy men in bathrobes would stand and stare at me on the tel) and a shared unisex shower/bathroom. Shower did not lock and I was worried every time using it. I cried a lil' every week but would not tell my parents I was scared staying there. I was not going to leave NY. A few weeks later I met another college student in the Y's weight room that had previously stayed there. Mark from Irvine Calif. Mark said, "Hey, we are looking for another roommate, come over and meet everyone" Within a week, I moved into Mark's huge 3,000 sq. ft loft w/5 of his other college friends down in Wall Street. We are all mostly still friends to this day. Whenever I pass by the Vanderbuilt on 47th today, I smile and think of Mark..:) R.I.P. Mark, I miss and love you..xxx ~Love your NYC sister

January 30th, 2021

Albina Albina

The overall experience was pretty well. The room was clean and they were changing the towels every day. We went in November and the weather was very cold but in our room we had a heater which was working well. Sometimes it was even too hot in the room. There are 2 showers and restrooms in each floor and we never had any problem with it. Now the cons. The hotel staff seemed a little bit unorganized and not professional. The rooms don’t have safety boxes, so if you want to leave your documents, you can leave them at the administrative desk where they have a small safety box, but they won’t let you to take it and you will need to disturb the staff every time you want to put in and out your stuff. And the last one, they charge 2$ for a piece of luggage to look after it after your check out.