About
The West Side YMCA, located at 5 W 63rd St, New York, NY, is a historic and iconic institution offering a blend of affordable lodging, extensive fitness facilities (including two swimming pools, a gym, and exercise studios), and community programs. Situated steps from Central Park and Lincoln Center, it serves as both a temporary home for visitors and a vibrant community hub for New Yorkers, promoting health, well-being, and social responsibility.
The West Side YMCA typically maintains its two swimming pools at comfortable temperatures, generally around 80-82°F (26-28°C), suitable for lap swimming, aquatic fitness, and recreational use.
What are people saying (AI review summary)? This accommodation is highly praised for its excellent, central location near Central Park, subway, and amenities, offering great value for budget travelers, solo guests, or those accustomed to a basic hostel-like experience. Positive aspects include surprisingly spacious rooms, 24/7 check-in, and facilities like AC. However, common drawbacks include unhelpful or unwelcoming staff, a mandatory fee for luggage storage, and infrequent room cleaning. Shared bathrooms, while often cleaned, can be busy, lack amenities, and occasionally have maintenance issues. The atmosphere and perceived safety can also vary significantly based on the behavior of other guests.
Location
Gallery
Amenities
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Accessible Entrance
Reviews
Listing Reviews
August 1st, 2025Kat B
This is an excellent place to stay for solo travellers or travellers who do not feel that they need a luxury experience or prefer to travel in a more simple and basic way. Excellent location and very close to a Target for late night convenience shopping. The facilities here are great. There is a water fountain on the ground floor and on the fourth floor. If you book a private room with a semi private bathroom, you will have a nice room and the bathroom facilities are very good. The shared bathrooms can be better or worse and can be busy. I personally really enjoyed my first day here and it felt very safe on my floor . However, during my second day, there were many teenage boys on my floor who were behaving very badly with their school on a foreign school trip. It was uncomfortable being in the elevator with them and walking to the bathroom with them hanging around. This is why I believe that the safety at the YMCA depends on who is visiting and who is on your floor.
September 15th, 2025Anayelli Dumé
This is a great option for budget travel. Close to the Subway and central park, comfy enough bed, each room with AC and heater. The shared bathrooms do have a couple of issues: no place to put your stuff while showering, WC stalls are tight and at the morning will be ran out of paper, but overall I had a good experience and Will stay again.
August 4th, 2025André Fernandes
Great location, but service could be more welcoming. I stayed for one week in March 2025. While the location and value for money were excellent, the service could definitely be improved. Some of the front desk and luggage storage staff came across as unapproachable and not very helpful. When I showed a translated message on my phone asking for assistance, the receptionist seemed visibly impatient, which made the interaction uncomfortable. I believe the experience would be much better with staff trained to be more welcoming and customer-oriented. Also, during my stay, the room wasn’t cleaned, and neither the towels nor the bed linens were changed throughout the week.
May 27th, 2025Nikolina Antoniadou
Decent and okay for a budget stay. I wouldn’t stay there again though. It feels as if you’re in some kind of a prison ward or a hospital ward. The rooms were unexpectedly spacious for the price. The shared bathroom was far away. They CHARGED US just to keep out luggage for a few hours! Never during my travels have I experienced this again. But on the plus side, check in was open 20/7 and we had no problem checking it late at night
July 24th, 2025Polly S
The room was neat and clean and also the bathrooms got cleaned several times a day so they weren't dirty, just one bathroom lock didn't work and one toilet didn't flush for days which was kind of annoying. the restrooms and showers are shared which can get a bit crowded at certain times of the day but i never had to wait in a queue. Apart from that, the location is amazing with central park right there and you won't find anything comparable to the prize with that kind of excellent location. It's honestly the best spot for sightseeing. and if you're used to hostels, you won't have any problems staying here. storing luggage is 4 dollars per item though and i never had to pay for that at any other hostel. but overall i'd recommend booking this:)
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Opening Hours
| Sunday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Monday | 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Thursday | 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Friday | 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM |