Forrestal Village Fitness

Reviews 3

A

Anonymous User

Ive been a member for nearly 3 years and I love this place. Sure there are points where it could improve, but for the most part the facilities are great, the people-staff & members are friendly and its CLEAN. I used to work out at one of the best gyms in NYC, so my expectations are high, and I believe this is the best gym in the area. Classes are fun & current, and theres a good variety of them. There are all kinds of cardio machines, and weight machines as well, pilates studio, etc. The machines are clean, and most members are good about cleaning up after themselves, and the staffers will routinely clean as well. I would love some more channels on the cable/satellite TVs however. The gym is beautifully spread out--you never feel cramped, and there are lots of windows, making it feel airy and relaxed. Theres definitely NO gym odor. The locker rooms are clean, sauna & steam are clean and efficient, and the housekeeping staff is just as friendly as the trainers & front desk. Yes some of the lockers need to be fixed, and I hope for new towels, but overall there are always available lockers and the area is CLEAN. The front desk staff always greet me and my children warmly and they have even run things out to me at my car if Ive left something behind! They are a fun, energetic group, and if you take the time to be nice to them, theyll do the same. My children take swimming lessons, and the instructors are skilled, dedicated and friendly. The pool/pool area is clean too. (and warm for the kiddos!) Also, theres an onsite medical group, I was able to see a podiatrist right there. Very convenient. (and hair salon) Childcare is excellent. The staff who work there are a mix of older moms who miss the days of rocking a little baby, who happily care for your children while you work out, and younger college girls, many of whom are in school studying elementary education/psychology, etc. Ive been bringing my children since they were several weeks old, and now theyve made friends w/the other children and enjoy coming day after day. The staffers are warm and nurturing. Ive heard many parents say how bringing their young children to CanDos childcare helped their adjustment to kindergarten. Its really sweet to watch older children play w/the younger ones. Many of the staffers take time to do puzzles, coloring, games and creative play w/the kids. (and when you want to check in on them, all you have to do is tune in to your TV on your cardio machine) It can definitely get crowded during school holidays, but the staff do what they can to juggle the surge. If anything I wish they could expand the childcare area, and perhaps add more toys/games for the older kids. There are also occasional "parents night out," halloween activities, etc. There are also martial arts classes. Lots to choose from! My children love it there and theres a really nice mix of parents & children that come at various times. This gym is great. Certainly the best in the area!

A

Anonymous User

This is overall a good, clean gym with nice facilities and a nice layout. I use the gym primarily for the pool (I wish there was just a pool membership so I could pay less each month). It is a fairly small pool, with just 3 lanes. If you get to the pool at the right time on the right day, you can get a lane to yourself and enjoy a good swim/workout. However, they seem to be offering more and more lessons for the kiddos, and using up at least 2 lanes for those lessons, which usually means at least 3 people sharing one small lane for lap swimming (all swimming at wildly different speeds, of course). When I joined the pool, I was told that there would always be at least 1 lane open for lap swimming, so I was surprised (and a little upset) to find all 3 lanes closed to lap swimmers a few weeks ago (on a weeknight at 6:00, the most common time of day for lap swimmers getting out of work), so they could all be used for lessons. Apparently this was a mistake by the pool manager and the schedule should be fixed soon, if not already. The child care is one of the things that drew me to this gym. However, unfortunately, my two kids hate going there. They say its boring and other kids in there are mean to them, and the young women who work there apparently dont step in. As a result, I dont take my kids there any more, which makes it more difficult for me to get there when I want. The locker room facilities are fantastic - electric locks built in to each locker, the showers are great, and towels are always available. I would suggest they use email more often to communicate with their customers. For example, if the pool is going to be closed due to maintenance or a swim meet, email customers to let them know (it is frustrating to drive all the way to the gym only to find out the pool is closed). Also, the front desk seems to know almost nothing about the pool schedule. I have called there several times to confirm that the pool is open, or to find out what time the pool will open or close, and they never seem to know. They say they will ask the "aquatics department," but then they cant track anyone down to get a real answer. Over the phone I was never able to get an answer to the question "what time does the pool actually open?" On the plus side, the pool, and the whole gym is always clean. And as long as the kids swim lessons dont take over the pool its a good place for a workout. 3.5 stars (but I cant justify 4 stars).

F

F Fea

I have been a gym member for almost a year. My experience is getting worse. It started with broken machines and TVs on the machines that couldnt get certain channels. Also, extremely filthy locker rooms and broken lockers. Now I have switched up my workout to include swimming. It seems right at 5 oclock, when everyone is getting off work to go and exercise, the fitness center decided to have children swim lessons. Being that they only have 3 lanes, 2 of them are designated to the children swim lessons, while the adults have to share 1 lane. It wouldnt be such a problem, but there are various levels of speed, causing individuals who want to complete their workout regimen as quickly as possible is not able to. We pay extra money for the availability of the facility and higher quality machinery. I feel at this point I may need to just complete my contract and switch to a Planet Fitness thats coming into the area. No difference but less money! Just spoke to the new GM 2 days ago. While I was swimming, I was asked rudely to move to another swim lane. I asked to speak to a manager, and waited for 15 minutes. Still no manager. Fine! Walked to the front in my bathing suite to get a manager. Well, again waited for them to find someone. Finally, spoke to a manager who said he just started 7 days ago. He said he will look into the situation and will call me "tomorrow". "Tomorrow" has come and gone and still no call. For a new manager, he is a poor example for his staff. Just his lack of follow-up tells you the kind of staff and place he will be running. I have already found somewhere else to bring my business.

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