Oakland YMCA

About

The Oakland YMCA, located at 2350 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA, serves as a comprehensive community hub focused on health, wellness, and youth development. It offers a variety of facilities and programs including a modern fitness center, diverse group exercise classes, personal training, and an indoor aquatics center. The YMCA also provides extensive youth and family services such as child watch, youth sports, and summer camps, fostering a supportive environment for the entire Oakland community.

The Oakland YMCA features an indoor heated pool. While a specific temperature is not publicly stated on their website, YMCA pools are typically maintained at a comfortable temperature suitable for general fitness, lap swimming, and aquatic programs.

What are people saying (AI review summary)? This YMCA location generally receives high praise for its excellent, clean facilities, which include a sauna, pool, and a diverse range of activities, classes, and a well-equipped weight room. Members consistently highlight the supportive and friendly community, along with good gym etiquette. Instructor Ankur was specifically lauded for his professional and motivating teaching style. However, there are significant areas for improvement, particularly concerning customer service. While some staff are described as welcoming, others at the front desk have been perceived as unfriendly, dismissive, or lacking in respectful communication when addressing schedule confusions. A particularly concerning incident involved the termination of an 80-year-old member's membership due to a cultural and linguistic misunderstanding, with management accused of insensitivity and refusal to apologize or offer cultural sensitivity training. Suggestions for improvement include enhanced front desk training, more membership promotions, free guest passes, and family/couple discounts to encourage wider participation, as the day pass is considered somewhat expensive.

Location

Gallery

Amenities

• Accepts Credit Cards
• Accessible Entrance
• Accessible Restroom

Reviews

Listing Reviews

June 27th, 2025

YULIYAKERIDA

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ I really enjoy being a member of this YMCA location. The gym has an excellent range of facilities — sauna, pool, and a great variety of activities and classes. Its convenient location is another big plus. The community here is very nice and supportive, and it makes working out much more enjoyable. I especially want to highlight the amazing instructor, Ankur. After attending one of his classes, I immediately decided to join this gym. He’s professional, motivating, and brings great energy to every session. I highly recommend him! However, I do have a few concerns. Sometimes the front desk staff can be a bit unfriendly or dismissive, especially when they seem unsure about class schedules. Instead of handling confusion with patience, they occasionally speak in a rather disrespectful tone, suggesting that I might have checked the wrong schedule, even when it turns out to be a mistake on their end. I believe even front desk staff should be well-trained in the gym’s operations and able to communicate respectfully and professionally, especially when resolving issues. I also think the YMCA could improve its marketing and membership engagement by offering more promotions and incentives. For example, it would be great to have occasional free guest passes or shorter trial passes (like one or two hours) so friends or family members can try the gym before committing to a paid membership. Paying $15 or $20 for a single visit might discourage potential new members. Additionally, introducing family memberships or discounts for couples would be fantastic, encouraging more families to embrace a healthy lifestyle together. Overall, I love being part of this gym and look forward to coming back each time. With a few improvements, it could truly be the best fitness center in the neighborhood.

July 3rd, 2024

Alison M C

A maze inside, but overall fantastic, clean facilities. I did not see anybody that wasn't here specifically to work out (as mentioned in past reviews). I went for lap swimming today. At 9 am on Wednesdays they start a water aerobics class in half the pool so ended up lane sharing, which is understandable. $20/day to use the pool or $45/month for membership. Pricey for a day pass but I don't mind as a trial, especially for the nice conditions of the locker rooms and the pool. Lanes divided by fast, med, slow, etc. which was more or less adhered to. If you compete (2'44"/100m or faster), this is probably not the best pool for you. There are lots of seniors and water walkers. I swam around people--NBD for one day. Beginners or intermediates would probably be happy here on a regular basis. Full shower facilities and lockers available for free--just leave an ID to borrow a padlock.

April 19th, 2025

Jam Hen

I love this Y. The front desk staff are so nice and welcoming, especially the lady with the beautiful gray hair. The gym is always clean and the equipment is always put away; this means other gym goers know and follow gym etiquette.

April 4th, 2025

Jing Strell

My 80-year-old mom has been a member of Oakland Downtown YMCA for over 20 years. She only speaks Mandarin Chinese with a few English words like 'how are you,' ‘good,' and 'ok.' Recently, Oakland YMCA management made a quick decision to terminate her membership because their employee reported that my mom used the racial slur 'N-word' toward her while my mom spoke Chinese to her. In Chinese, there is a filler word widely used in oral speaking which sounds very much like the N-word. It's an honest misunderstanding caused by cultural and language barriers. But the management not only ignored this misunderstanding but also tried to be language police; the executive director told me and my husband firmly that my mom is not allowed to speak any Chinese words related to the N-word sounds at her YMCA during our meeting in her office. Our request is simple: please apologize to my mom since the management made a mistake by accusing her of using derogatory comments toward their employee while she only spoke her own language, Chinese. And please provide cultural sensitivity training to the employees. Almost two weeks have passed, and we still haven’t heard back yet. YMCA represents diversity and culture in our community. I’m very sad to see this had happened to my 80 years old mom.

July 19th, 2025

Stardust

Quality service, they have their hi’s and goodbye’s down. It’s a friendly, clean, functional place to workout. Hella classes if you’re into that and great weight room