A little gusto and bravado got me up the ladder and on the roof of The Y

This YMCA saved my life.. When I was lost in life it offered a loving guiding light that kept me on the straight and narrow path... Its a very small romantic YMCA unlike the bigger facilities of other Ys, but its that same small and intimate property that makes it so special to go to..

Extremely friendly staff. Everything you need. Facilities are always clean. If you’re lucky, you may even see Hook Shot Charlie!

Poor communication and customer service!

Staff and equipment are great however, there are typically kids hanging out in the weight rooms sitting on the equipment not allowing others to lift weights.Oh, good luck finding the pool. It is quit the journey and when you get there you are almost exhausted from the walk...

Friendly staff. Fitness areas are kept clean. It’s small, but has all the equipment you need for a good workout, plus they just replaced all of it for new machines! 😊

Absolutely despicable. I came here for the summer camp when I was eight, and we went on a hiking field trip to crowders mountain. when we went there, we had fun hiking up the mountain. but when we were walking back down, me and some friends were a little slower than the rest of the group, and we accidentally hung back. The counselors at the bottom didnt bother to take a head count, and me and my friends were abandoned.

I’ve been going to JOHNSTON YMCA for a few months now and recently had the worst experience and encounter with the Wellness and Health associate Jeff. Johnston YMCA needs to train their staff better when it comes to talking to families when at their facility. Jeff has no experience with customer service whatsoever and needs a little bit more training on how to talk to people and body language his communication skills are by far the worst, I felt disrespected and belittled in front of my child. By far the worst experience.

Love this YMCA location so much, that even despite falling victim to the $100 boot fee thing everyone is talking about, still 4 stars. Employees here are just the most friendly and encouraging.

If you park in the parking lot but cannot prove you have a membership at this YMCA location, it is $100 cash or $125 credit card charge to have the boot removed from your car. Having a valid YMCA membership at any other location will not stop this from happening. When the parking in front of other businesses is full, this is why. I hope they feel really good about themselves taking money from disabled people who just needed a safe place to park. Never again.

Great place.

I feel prey to the parking scam as well. It is indeed my fault for not noticing the obscure parking sign that was not even clear after I went looking for it....after paying $100 cash to get the boot off of my car.It was my fault but I noticed 15-20 cars around me all booted as well so I dont feel too bad for not noticing the sign. Sounds like the Y is more interested in making money off their scam than providing parking for their members.ymCa...is the C still for Christian? Is this how you want a Christine organization to be perceived by the public?

My wife and I are very new to the neighborhood, and to the city. The staff was very warm and welcoming. The facilities are more than adequate, and the clientele are wonderful. It is also easily acceptable on bicycle and is a staple of the neighborhood.

The Johnston Y is a great place to workout if you don’t want to leave NoDa. The pool is not always as clean as I would like and the water is kept too warm for lap swimming. The weight room has plenty to do whatever workout you want but the ceiling is very low.

We’ve been going here since our son was born. Child watch is great 👍they aren’t very quick to come get you if your child cries they actually try to console them. we usually come during the morning time but have come during the evenings as well. It has a nice and quiet workout environment that’s not overly crowded except after 5. The gym is also a nice size with two full court areas. only down side is the pool area. 😣 very old and outdated other Y’s have much nicer pools and some even have jacuzzis. They do have a sauna and steam room though. They have a lot of seasonal programs and classes for adults and children. also they just add a preschoo! we’re definitely looking forward to enrolling him this year 😆

Great YMCA branch. Nice staff. There are NO PARKING signs everywhere.. If you do not read them, that is not the YMCAs fault

Despite the fact that it is named after my family I am giving it 3⭐️⭐️⭐️. The reason for that is because the pool sides are so dirty I wonder why little bugs aren’t living in it. Plus in the swim classes all you do is hang on to the side of the pool and wait for the teacher to individually teach each kid how to do something then the class is over

I love this Y! I ESPECIALLY appreciate that they have been so diligent about booting people who use their lot as a free for all to wander NoDa. It was getting to the point where I wouldn’t be able to find a spot to go to the gym I pay for, so I’m very glad they have found a solution to manage their parking lot and the ridiculous people who think they have a right to park there whenever they want. I apologize to the staff who have to deal with the rude people who complain once they have to deal with the consequences of their actions! Stay strong, Johnston and booting employees!Their yoga and cycle classes are also totally awesome- great instructors! :)

The classes are active and entertaining to keep your body in great shape!

Friendly staff. They offer good classes and swim times. Wish the parking situation was better though.

This YMCA is terrible, dont even bother looking. The parking is a disaster and the people suck. Move on and your life will be better- disgusting

Family friendly. Diverse. Good amenities and nice staff! ❤️❤️❤️

I’m another one who fell victim to the $125 boot on the wheel after coming out of a nearby restaurant. This is nothing but a cash grab for the Y as there was plenty of parking in the lot for people going to a nearby restaurant as well as for members of the Y. There is no sign visible when pulling into the lot explaining this ridiculous and predatory policy. When i returned to my car and found my car with a boot on the L/F wheel i was in complete disbelief. 2 degenerates from “wheelblockers” came over and one of them was more concerned about eating his bojangles than explaining to me why there was a lock on my wheel. What a completely disgraceful tactic used by the Y to steal $ from people.

Such a great Y with a neighborhood, friendly feel where all feel comfortable. The staff is so welcoming especially Kenya every weekday morning. I definitely recommend this branch.

I guess this business is doing so poorly they have to pick on people parking in their lot after hours, they boot now. So if youre in NODA trying to give money to these locally run businesses, do not park at the greedy ymca. They apparently do not care about helping out their neighborhood, despite what their mantra may claim. Thanks YMCA, youre such a help in an area that has zero parking. But I know you do not care, you have that chain store backing. Charlotte has really turned into a residents first community...

Helpful staff and “normal” people who workout. I say “normal” because most who workout at the Dowd YMCA are just looking to meet someone and are not really working out. The Johnston YMCA is where you can get in a decent workout and get a swim lane at the pool.

My favorite Y. Friendly staff. Clean facility. Not to big and chaotic. For me, relaxing experience.

Front desk service is great.This place is up to date and has great equipment. I feel safe and at home here.

Outrageous parking measures, I was verbally attacked by a rough looking car parking attendant for not having my window ticket with me. Was aggressively immediately told that I had to pay $100 and that if I wanted to be a jerk it would rise to $450. I explained that I could go in and prove my membership, the young man being aggressive told me immediately that if I didn’t pay the $100 cash right now that I would have to pay the $450. He walked away mid sentence using profanities as he walked away and generally calling me white trash and milky boy. Disgusting that the YMCA would allow people like this to work on its property. BEWARE.

I love the upgrades! I have seen This ymca change over the years, and it only gets better. I love the childcare. The pool. Everything lol

I love the welcome lady in the morning and all the staff are so friendly and real. It has a great feel.

Everyone is extremely friendly, my kids love the daycare room and I couldnt be happier. All areas are always being cleaned, keeping it sanitized and sparkling!

The gym is great, and at times of scheduled classes, yes the parking lot gets full. Unfortunately, a good number of spaces are taken by MORONS who think that the posted YMCA Parking Only signs dont apply to them. I pay nearly $700 for my family to use the gym AND parking lot. You others do NOT. So for those who want to peruse the NODA area, all I can say is find yourself a LEGAL parking spot, and enjoy your visit. But I have to park a block away you say? Well then, perhaps you need to join the YMCA and get fit enough to walk that extra block. SMH (shaking my head).

Staff is really friendly and it never it really that crowed. They machines arent the most up to date but they get the job done. Overall I would recommend the location.

I had the misfortune of parking in the YMCA’s large and mostly empty parking lot, which is not close to the YMCA building and looks a lot like a public parking area. When I came back to my car I noticed that every car in the parking lot had a boot on it. In no time I saw some sketchy car pull up and shake me down for $125 to take off the boot that the YMCA authorized this predatory company to put on my car.I was visiting a friend at a restaurant in NoDa who was just getting off from her third job. We were meeting to talk about all of the stress she’s been dealing with as a single mom and not having enough money to put food on her table. When I saw the boot on my car I immediately went back to my friend’s car to find her in tears. She could not afford to pay the $125 shake down and was pleading for the guy to let her go in peace. There was no empathy from them and more importantly no empathy, no caring, no honesty and no respect from the YMCA.Let’s take a moment to remember the core values of the YMCA, as listed on their website: Caring, Honesty, Respect, Faith. I am a firm believer in practicing what you preach. If you say that you are caring, then you should care that you are facilitating predatory companies to make around $4,000 an hour by booting poor innocent people that happen to fall into the spider’s web that is the YMCA in NoDa.

I highly discourage anyone from contributing to this facility, they have shown zero respect for their customers and the general public. I am personally ashamed of them to be in such a people friendly environment such as noda

Helpful staff and nice facility!

I needed to off set all the bad reviews about parking. They have a small parking lot, barely enough to fit the people who actually PAY to belong to this gym. I dont know why people are complaining about getting a ticket or a boot when the signs clearly say its only for YMCA members. I went to the gym yesterday and there were no open spots, now how fair would it be if some of those people parking there did not pay to be a member. Your logic is wrong.My complaints with the YMCA:Their memberships are ridiculously expensive for the poor quality of equipment and lack there of. I walked In and immediately walked out because every single cardio machine was taken. Every treadmill, every elliptical, every bike.... going to cancel my membership

Great place. It is truly more then a gym it is a cause. Offering swim lessons for all age groups, afterschool enrichment, fitness classes for all and much more. Truely a pillar in the NoDa community.

We went to explore membership options and they booted my car since I didn’t have a pass when I parked.... haha ridiculous

Amazing staff and facility. Love the new locker rooms!

Much shame on Johnston YMCA to put citizens in an unfortunate predicament of having to pay $100-$125 to a untasteful company for the boots they put on your cars while enjoying the NoDA area. After parking in the lot you go enjoy a meal as you do every other time, not knowing that you are committing a violation because they posted a sign in July and here it is November, (I HAVEN’T parked here since July!) I come back to my park with my family to see to mischievous looking men who look as though they have willfully and knowing broken the law in the past, placing several boots on several cars in the parking lot! I was disgusted when they told what was needed in order for me to get the boot off. Thankfully I had the money but there was another young couple with a newborn that didn’t look so fortunate and they say there. YMCA should be ashamed. I will never hold a membership there nor will I be frequenting this NoDA area. Something must be done to stop this. YMCA and this crooked company are making so much money with this scheme.

If I had a half star rating, I would truly vote accordingly...The evening parking here was such an unfortunate situation and an unthinkable gesture of ill will...With no signage or a warning there lurks in the darkness a contracted hit team (towing company/parking attendence) who place boots on vulnerable drivers seeking parking... Understand that there is literally no place to park, if you are choosing to patronize any of the restaurants and business in NODA adjacent to the YMCA...The best way to describe this situation is guerrilla warfare mixed with the old bait and switch scenario...The towing company/young attendence are mercenaries doing the dirty work for the YMCA...I found this to be wrong on so many levels...They extort you for $125 (Credit Card) or $100 (Cash) in the name of the YMCA...As a young kid that grew up learning moral responsibility in the corridor of the YMCA playing sports, camping, tutoring and a camp counselor this situation goes against everything I felt I was taught as a youth leading up to becoming a middle aged law abiding man...Note that this experience I pray brings shame on the YMCA for not partnering with local businesses in simply providing parking to the public to create a less than desirable experience to the tune of never coming back to the NODA area...NODAs neighborhood association needs to reel there oldest and most trifling neighbor (YMCA) in and assist them in cleaning up their act...Never again will I patronize the YMCA...You suck to the core for living outside your original tenets of your organization...The Young Mens Christian Association...Go figure, ya crooks!!!...Do better!!!!

Serves the neighborhood well. Kids sports and camps are generally very good. Front desk service is sometimes a little questionable.

I used to go here back in 2003 to get my GED and the instructors were horrible. They took advantage of me and they were very disrespectful. I am a quiet person by nature and I feel like they were picking on me. I really worked hard in that program and I really felt I deserved to be treated right. Anyway I got so discouraged and frustrated I dropped out, I will never forget that terrible experience just to get a lousy GED.

Disappointed with the schedule of classes. Dont find it very convenient. I wish it was more like the Dowd. I will probably end up going to Dowd for classes even though I live in NoDa.

Parking scam. Shame on you.

My 10 year old son attended summer camp at the Johnston YMCA. Last week he was physically assaulted by 2 different staff members on 2 different days. The senior director called me to make me aware of what happened. She did absolutely nothing about it outside of say you know you not suppose to put your hands on the children and send him to a class with younger children. My son was called a dumb ass. Then I was told that my son couldnt come back to camp the last 2 days but the 2 guys who harmed my son still has a job! And to top if off I get a call from someone who represents the CEO saying that they will not release the name of their staff that assaulted my son so that I can go press charges. I thought this was a christian environment. Please dont send your children there!!! No child should be treated this way!!

Its fairly disappointing to me that a self proclaimed community service organization goes out of their way to inconvenience the community it serves. While I understand the need to provide parking for their customers during business hours, summarily booting and towing vehicles in an area that is strapped for parking during off hours seems a bit heavy handed - especially given the random enforcement. After arriving at 7:30 PM (on a Wednesday night) to celebrate a new job with my wife, I returned to my vehicle to find a boot being applied to my vehicle at 9:30 PM (after hours mind you). After being charged 50 bucks by a guy in the parking lot in a stickered up, run down, unlabeled, un-maintained, unmarked and generally extremely unofficial vehicle I realized just how frequently I will return to NoDa (enjoy the dripping sarcasm - I will be avoiding contributing to the businesses in the area at every opportunity given the dearth of parking in Noda and YMCAs efforts to restrict and shrink accessibility).Net result is Im out 51.50 - dont forget the surcharge for processing my payment - and will go out of my way to avoid going to NoDa again and enjoying any of the fine establishments offered in the area simply because of the lack of parking (Noda leaders, take note - you have a MAJOR issue here). Maybe the YMCA would consider charging a nominal fee for parking in the ONE lot available in NoDA? I would happily pay a few dollars - even hourly - to utilize the parking establishment that effectively serves ALL of the businesses of this small community. What a ridiculously selfish organization that gains nothing except resentment of their organization and punishes area business by chasing paying customers away - although I am sure it justified is the name of protecting their paying customers. The absurdity of their logic is beyond me. They would do well to make an effort to serve their community better and be a better neighbor by finding creative ways to make the one parking lot that is leveraged by area clientele to serve their financial needs or moral principles or whatever justification it is they have for their draconian protectionism. NoDa clientely beware - stay the heck away from this lot. And good on you if you can find parking in Noda.To the proprietors of the YMCA: please consider adding another revenue stream vis a vis charging guests to use the lot - you might mind yourself helping the small businesses in the area while making a few bucks on the side (bonus right?) and simultaneously avoiding people walking away from the area permanently and negatively impacting the community you serve while spreading negative press on your business practices.

Good location, friendly staff, great activities. Just, I expected to find something more to do with the little ones.

Fantastic! The whole family loves coming to the Johnston Y!

Good customer service, usually not too crowded

Got stuff stolen out of my locker. Facility also doesnt have nearly enough weighlifting equipment. On top of all this, it smells bad.

In the arts district, close to town,diverse and friendly staff

They boot cars if you park there during business hours without a permit! It’s $125 to get it off!! Just thought I’d share for the people. This gig parking lot taking up space and they hardly get business!!!!!

I love this Y!

Worst ymca. Dirty. Poorly managed. Awful smell.

Its my gym

Suck