Member Testimonials
I have not had a chance to use the gym or the pool yet, but I liked what I saw when my husband and I toured the facility on Friday, March 15. The staff was friendly and informative. The facility was clean, well equipped, and inviting.
It is a very pleasant space to be in, as well as offering several activity options.
My daughter likes the afterschool program. She's been excited about the "theater club" that they've been doing lately.
I like how the counselors take time to get to know my child. There is great communication about how my child is doing in the program on a daily basis.
Friendly and caring staff, inclusive and creative environment.
My daughter has been at the Salem Y since she was 4.5 months old. Her teachers have been consistently fantastic, and left me confident in entrusting her care to them. They’ve worked with me through food allergies and intolerances, EI interventions, and were true partners in supporting her development. All of the Y staff were phenomenal in working through Covid restrictions- I know how challenging that was for the teachers, management, cleaning staff, etc. She’s now in Pre-K and I’m amazed at how much she’s learned. We’ve taken advantage of the reduced family Y membership benefit throughout our time at the ELC, including the free parent-child classes and reduced class prices for swim and gymnastics. We’re a Y family, and leaving this wonderful environment for kindergarten this fall will be bittersweet. I fully expect that we’ll continue to be a Y family with after care and summer camp- we love our Y and the ELC especially.
There are various things to do with the children not just playing on the playground.
I love that my child is gaining confidence in the water weekly with a trained swim instructor. I am extremely happy with the curriculum implemented in each of my children’s classrooms. All lesson appear to be fostering age appropriate skills!
just a great experience overall
The classes are made flexible for the students and the students needs. The teacher makes the classes fun and welcoming for all of the participants.
The staff is always friendly, the equipment works, and it's clean.
It is clean, has great equipment, resources and the staff is very friendly.
All YMCAs need a steam room they’re great!
The building is very clean (thanks to Ramona). The people at the welcome center are friendly and kind, which is something I didn't feel at other Y's on the North Shore. I tell people to try the Salem YMCA all the time.
I participate in aqua fitness classes and have recommended them to several folk (some of whom have attended) I DEPEND on Pauline's classes on MWF and have attended for several/many? years. I would love to see another class in the Thursday a.m. slot (to fill in after Lori's deparutre last summer)
Great place to meet people!
Staff is professional, helpful and fun!
Clean. exercise room is full of windows
Good equipment n great staff
New equipment in the workout area which is most welcome! The staff is very welcoming. There is something at the YMCA for everyone!
Convenient location. Friendly staff. Great equipment in the gym. and hours that work for me.
Great atmosphere, good friends, nice facility, it's up to you to make it beneficial for you, it's has everything you need to make it happen!
The Salem Y staff seem to like feedback & act on what they learn. Recently, there was a shortage of 8# weights in the group exercise room - we asked for more & the 8# weihgts were quickly stocked up. Similarly, new water rowers were added so that more members could join the popular rowing class.
I am officially a member of the Beverly Y which is outstanding in most every way, but I also enjoy coming to the Salem Y. I have found it to be convenient, pleasant and friendly in every way. The front desk ladies I’ve met are lovely people, very friendly and welcoming! I have only used the fitness floor in the building, and it’s always clean and neat and I’ve enjoyed my workouts. One frustration is that it’s a small room and there seems to be only 1 of each machine in the weight lifting area. That is frustrating, because so often 2 or 3 people have to wait for the same machines. It’s frustrating, because when you want to work one muscle group at a time and need to use multiple machines in sequence, you are forced to interrupt the benefit of keeping that muscle group engaged when the next machine(s) needed are too busy with people waiting. Being forced instead to go to other muscle groups hoping you don’t have to wait for those machines. It does disrupt the benefit of completing the muscle you want to focus on before going on to another. Members are polite and friendly and that enhances the Salem experience.
Owen is the staff person who seems to be on the fitness floor the times I’ve come, and he is a terrific representative of the Y with a genuinely nice personality – always says hello, always friendly and helpful when I’ve asked questions. Terrific guy!
The locker room is always clean and neat, as are the showers, toilets and sinks. I love the sauna, the temperature is always great, and always clean. But it is way too small. I am a small man in frame and stature, only 5’3”, and it is tight with 3 guys sitting next to each other on the bench. And only two men with larger frames and stature would be comfortable sitting next to each other with no room for a comfortable third. More than that and you feel like you’re intruding on their space. Plus, there is only room for one man to stand if the seating is taken.
Another negative to the small sauna room size involves the sauna heating unit. It does not have a safety guard around it, and it is too close to the door frame as you enter. When I opened the door and stepped in, I moved too close to the hot unit hitting it and burned my leg. I ended up needing to go to an urgent care clinic and was told I had first- and second-degree burns. It was painful and took two weeks to heal enough before being advised to use the sauna again. It’s still red and my leave a scar. It was no one’s fault but my own, but I was angry that there was no guard around the hot unit to prevent such an accident. It would not have happened if there was a guard. Other Y’s I’ve attended do have a simple wooden guard that works well. I’m surprised there’s no code requiring one, but I can’t believe the Salem Y doesn’t see that as a potential hazard. Until a guard is not put in place, I suggest changing the way the door opens to the other side. That way when you step in you are not so close to the unit. It currently opens on the left right next to the hot unit. Why not open the door on the right instead away from the unit?
I also love the steam room. It’s terrific and I noticed you did some repair work to the floor. It looks clean and wonderful. The room is a good size and gets a lot of use from many men. I’ve been in it when six men have sat there comfortable at the same time. Excellent! And the hose on the wall to hose down the seating is a great idea that is used often. Most Ys don’t have a steam room, so it makes Salem Y extra terrific!
I wish closing would go back to 10:00 pm again like before Covid or at least to 9:30 like the Beverly Y does currently. Those of us who come at night are being penalized by closing earlier than 10pm. Are the members who come in the morning being penalized by the facility opening later? If not, it is not fair to penalize the night members only.
I do love the Greater Beverly Y of the Northshore and all that it offers members and the communities. I have only been to Beverly and Salem, but I would like to try the other Ys, also. And Chris Lovasco does a great job managing it all and hiring wonderful staff!
So, that’s my feedback. Hope it helps. Any questions, give me a shout.
Thank you!
Jimmie Morrocco
Cell Phone number removed
A great faculty to work out
Fantastic community, energy is inclusive.... love the yoga!!
Great facility
Great classes
Great staff!
Staff, mostly Jimmy(front desk), wonderful lifeguards.
Mainly for child related benefits. We have mo gamily nearby, so finding last minute care/something to do was very hard before we joined. Kids club is an amazing benefit, and then access to good kids classes, sauna, gym equipment etc… made it more than just a child care cost. Very happy with what we gained by joining and recommend to all our friends with kids