Berkeley Parents Network: Oakland YMCA

Berkeley Parents Network

Oakland YMCA

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Classes & Lessons > Oakland YMCA

Joining the Oakland YMCA
Swimming Lessons
Childcare

Joining the Oakland YMCA

Re: Racially mixed swim club around Oakland (Sept 2004)
Have you tried the Oakland Downtown YMCA on Broadway (between 23rd & 24th). They have great swim classes and have a very diverse group of kids, adults, etc. Hope this is helpful

Sept 2002

I am seriously thinking about joining the Oakland YMCA. My main reason is to get my 2.5-year-old into swim classes, which I enjoyed as a child and I think he'll enjoy them. At a tour on Friday, 9/13, though, I found the Oakland Y had even more to offer than I had thought. Plus, they're having a special where, if you join by 10/31, you get a huge list of discounts & free things. If you're a current member, what do you think of the Oakland Y? The childcare situation seems good. Any feedback on that, esp. for a toddler? What about the Friday 'family nights'? Anyone considering joining soon? Also, I'd love a workout partner or just a friendly face, someone to know as I visit the Y. Thanks! Jennie

Hi, We have been members of the Oakland Y since our son (now 22 months) was 3 months old. It's not glamorous, but I like the Y, and work out there about twice a week. Our son likes the childcare (usually two adult women work in the mornings and some afternoons and more teenage types work most afternoons and Saturdays), especially ''Pin'' who works weekday mornings. The childcare is never too crowded. My husband has been taking our son to the Y swim classes on Sat. mornings for 16 months. ''Water appreciation'' is a more apt name for what they do in class, but our son loves the water and has had a lot of success on vacations in pools and in the ocean, so we credit the swim classes for that. The Y has some good aerobic and Pilates classes and a ''kindergym'' on Saturday mornings for toddlers (basically, it's one of the raquetball rooms outfitted with padded equipment and slides for crawling and tumbling). I think it's a good value and our son enjoys it too! Laura

My husband has been a member of the Oakland Y for a couple of years. Automatically, our kids are members too. Though I am not a member, I take the kids there. Our whole family enjoys the Y very much. The children's classes are very good. The facility is comparable to a high end private club. They have special programs throughout the year, too. The Friday family nights are fun, especially if you have friends who are also members. The childcare is a good value and they have Saturday morning programs for school age children. I highly recommend it. Naomi

Hi, We belong to the downtown Oakland YMCA (Broadway and Grand). The family membership is about $100 and the initiation fee is reasonable, I think. If you're a Kaiser member (which I am), it's really cheap--$35, I think. They have a moderately sized weight room with free weights and machines--I used to belong to Club One in City Center, and the Club One facilities are a lot better, but it was getting to be too expensive. The Y has daycare ($1/hour, or something like that) that is quite good, and spinning classes (can't vouch for them). Good luck! Michael

Swimming Lessons

Re: Swim Lessons for 6-y-o in Oakland (Apr 2004)
The Oakland YMCA in downtown Oakland has a huge pool and lots of different swim lessons for different ages of children. Love to swim

Re: Swim class for 6-month-old (Nov 2002)
I took my six month old son Bradley to the Oakland Y for a few lessons. The goal at this age is to get them comfortable in the water. The teacher advised that kids will become proficient swimmers by the age of 3 if you actively work with them. The American Assoc. of Pediatrics recommends against swim lessons for infants. Appears their are differing points of view about making the kids too comfortable around water without the supporting skill set to ensure their safety. Laura

Re: Swim class for 6-month-old (Nov 2002)
The Oakland YMCA has ''Skip'' swim classes for 6 months to 36 months. The next session is October 21 - November 23. The classes are either twice a week or once a week on Saturdays. They are $18 for once a week or $36 for twice a week classes; for non-members (you pay a $35 annual fee & are excluded from general use of the facilities) it's $27 or $54. Unfortunately, I can't direct you to a website; last I looked, they had *very* little info online. You can get a tour by just dropping by, though! Please drop me a line if you do sign up; I think we'll be in the next class and would love a 'swim class partner.' Jennie

Re: Swim Lessons for a 1st grader (April 2003)
The Downtown Oakland YMCA has classes that fit your requirements. http://www.ymcaeastbay.org/Downtown/down_programskids.html#swim It looks like your son would be a Polliwog, and there are several classes offered on Saturdays from 9:35 till after 12. The next session starts soon. You can pay a yearly facility fee to be able to just sign up for swim lessons. Happy Y member

From: Linda

My son takes lessons at the Oakland Y, which has an ongoing program. The lessons are good. Once or twice a week. You have to join for $35, and the lessons are $37.50 for twice a week. All sorts of different times. Parking is not bad. The Y is at 23d and Broadway, easy to get to. Parents watch from a "window" above the pool.

Childcare at the Oakland YMCA

Nov 2003

Re: Gym with Infant Care

My friend was very happy with the child care at the Oakland YMCA on Broadway. Rebecca

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