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#1317341 - 01/11/12 09:12 PM
GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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As a loyal member and supporter of the YMCA, who has belonged to many, I’m deeply amused and troubled by the administration now running Canandaigua’s branch. This new multi-million dollar construction blunder has no parking, possesses excessive interior wasted space, is designed like a rat maze, has cramped locker rooms, and classes that are overloaded. Despite these issues the Y’s current administration is running a membership drive and waiving the joining fee to add more people to an already overloaded facility. So as a loyal member, I accept this and pay my dues.
However, I cannot accept or appreciate the email below where I’m asked by the Y administration to learn how to “beat the crowd”.
From the Y:
Tips on Beating the 2012 Crowd It’s our busy time of year at the Y. The Y is bustling with New Year excitement and we’re loving it! We exist to strengthen the community, and this is when we see and help the most members. Together we have the opportunity to improve lives. While it truly is wonderful to see the Y booming, here are some TIPS on beating the crowd.
“No place to park”… One of our pillars is healthy living. We encourage everyone to live a healthy lifestyle. No matter if you are picking up your child or working out, parking a little farther away is good for your heart and health. It may be cold, but your body burns more calories in cold temperatures because it is working hard to stay warm! We challenge you to park on Main Street, West Avenue or Greig Terrace; you will add steps onto your day and burn more calories. And, parking at our Y is always free!
Beating the 5 o’clock crowd… Try a new exercise class or different time to work out to bypass the busy times. It’s good for your mind and muscles to explore other exercise routines. Join us during lunch for one of our new classes, Cardio Pump or Zumba! It is a great way to burn pre-lunch calories and finish your workout before 5 o’clock. You could also wake up before the sun, and join us when we open at 5:30 am. It is probably the best time of day to work out. Here is our group exercise schedule. Find something new! No matter what, hang in there. Don’t get frustrated at how busy it is here, be grateful you are a part of something huge and know we are always here for you.
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#1317425 - 01/12/12 09:07 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: snotnose]
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tubby
Senior Member
Registered: 03/12/08
Posts: 1114
Loc: N.Y.
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Wow I thought Canandaigua did everything right.
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#1317678 - 01/12/12 11:02 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: bluezone]
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BrendaBabe
Member
Registered: 03/16/10
Posts: 61
Loc: NY, Yates
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The way their cranking out membership sales despite hearing complaint from members, I see no efforts to define a reasonable membership capacity to this facility. As a 71 year old grandmother that must walk her grandson to preschool school clear from one side of the building to another in the cold pouring rain I struggle to feel "grateful for being part of something huge". I come to do the “Sit & Fit” class not “Slip & Fall”(to the hospital). The facility is a design blunder and the email sent out if an attempt to cover up a “huge” multi-million dollar community mistake. My hubby won’t even go to the Y anymore because he can’t get a locker and if he can, he can’t get to it because of the crowding. He says he does not like to "rub his tush" against other men.
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#1317714 - 01/13/12 06:11 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: BrendaBabe]
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GoSUhoops
Member
Registered: 01/13/09
Posts: 221
Loc: Geneva
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the geneva Y is also getting kinda crowded compared to the last couple months but it will eventually taper off..the new year always puts a few more folks in the gym to try and start doing the right things..i commend them..it is difficult to get off the couch, pack a gym bag, start the cold car, trudge through the elements, get dressed for a workout, and then hit the weights or treadmill and burn them calories!! but, when you leave that gym the feeling that you get can only be felt if you actually do it..it is so refreshing..in time your mind and body can be trained to eat right, exercise, and stay fit for years to come..i am living proof..
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#1317888 - 01/14/12 09:53 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: GoSUhoops]
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cRaZeD
Senior Member
Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 2493
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We once bought a family membership to the Geneva Y. Big Mistake. We went a couple of times and that was it. We couldn't get there until 5:30-6pm, the parking lot would be crowded, the machines we enjoyed using, were usually being used. I thought it was dirty and very pungent smelling in there, most of that turned me right off. However, I did like the Zumba classes with Michelle, that is actually the only thing I ended up doing. BIG MISTAKE we will never make again is to pay the ridiculous amount the YMCA charges for a membership. I have contemplated joining Planet Fitness in Victor, as that is where I work. They actually have so many more benefits for their patrons than the Y actually does. $9.99 a month you get a gym membership with use of the machines, $19.99 a month you get a gym membership with use of all the machines, unlimited tanning, red light therapy (proven for healing many different symptoms.) Use of massage chairs and classes. WOW, $19.99 and all that, it's unbelievable. Many people I work with have joined and absolutely love it. It is a no judgement zone, one grunt and they ask you to leave. Another reason I couldn't stand the YMCA, all those big tough guys who tried to prove they were something by grunting feverishly while lifting weights. PUKE, makes me sick  I really wish a Planet Fitness could come closer to Geneva, the perfect place would be the Big Lots plaza where Steve and Barry's used to be.
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#1317889 - 01/14/12 09:58 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: cRaZeD]
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cRaZeD
Senior Member
Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 2493
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Also, we were attending the Geneva Y March - June and it was very crowded. Even the Zumba classes that I enjoyed were way too overcrowded, you were on top of other people and bumping them constantly.
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#1317938 - 01/14/12 04:07 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: cRaZeD]
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awaken1
Member
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 33
Loc: Canandaigua, New York
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The Canandaigua YMCA is right back where they started before the expansion with an overcrowded facility, not enough parking, and unhappy members only this time they are millions of dollars in debt so expect more membership drives. A better plan worthy of our community would have been to build a new Y just outside of town able to accomodate the growth in membership needed to pay off the loan while having adequate facility space to meet the membership growth. The community is now stuck with this albatross and being asked to be grateful for inadequate conditions. Dissatisfied members seeking change should either quit the Y and find other places to work out at OR ban together through social media such as this forum, Facebook and the Messenger Post editorials requesting that the Board of Directors provides the community with strong innovative leadership to solve the problems created by the last administration resulting in the current "rat maze" you so adeptly described. Having been a former twenty year member of the Canandaigua YMCA, I now go to Planet Fitness and love it there even though it is a bit of a drive. It is spacious, clean, has adequate parking, lots of machines including seperate areas for a 30 minute express or abdominal circuit workout, innovative stretch "cages", adequate free weights with multiple Smith rack stations all for ten bucks a month. For ten extra bucks you get unlimited tanning and use of really cool shiatsu massage chairs while watching a widescreen TV. It's very enjoyable working out there and I don't miss the classes at the Y one bit.
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#1317963 - 01/14/12 07:12 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: awaken1]
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GoSUhoops
Member
Registered: 01/13/09
Posts: 221
Loc: Geneva
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i have to admit it is a bit higher for a family membership ($59)than i want to pay($39) but its what they charge..lol..we go mainly for the pool..my girls play in basketball leagues at the Boys and Girls Club so they don't get into the gymnasium at the Y that much..its always filled with a variety of different activities anyway..always good numbers too..we need people to keep these places open..its hard to get the perfect number of people at any given time..too many, people complain..too few, it risks shutting down..i would rather have too many people so it stays here forever and then can possibly expand with the added revenue..i personally love the weight room, the hot tub, the sauna, the hot spacious showers and of course, the pool..not big on the steam room but there's always people in it..i would love another option but its only a few miles from our house and seems to fit our busy schedule 
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#1317988 - 01/14/12 10:29 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: awaken1]
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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I fully agree. Crowding would not trouble me as much if the board had been knowledgeable enough to know that it was best abandon the "albatross" and build clean and new with expansion capabilities on a larger parcel. New construction could cost more but the potential for expanding membership sales revenue and maximizing member satisfaction is huge. What's done is done, we have a facility that we will all need to support and live with. However, when the Y administration sends an email without regard for the poor situation they created, this troubles me. I only wish the YMCA board had someone with enough development and business experience to head off this design and build blunder before it happened.
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#1318028 - 01/15/12 08:45 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: snotnose]
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awaken1
Member
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 33
Loc: Canandaigua, New York
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Well said. The sad part is the blunders are still happening by the same administration who created what the YMCA has become today and the members suffer. Yes "what's done it done" and admirable for those who continue to support the Y, but you all deserve much better than to be insulted by the untouchable adminstration who thinks nothing of insulting the members. Acceptance and complacency of inadequate conditions are the norm at the Y now so unless and until members unite and demand change nothing will change over there. I wonder what Richard Sands thinks of all this seeing as his Dad Marvin was such a strong supporter of the YMCA's mission?
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#1318032 - 01/15/12 09:31 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: awaken1]
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pinkrose21
Junior Member
Registered: 01/13/12
Posts: 13
Loc: Fingerlakes
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Interesting you should mention the "mission." How is the current administration following the core "mission" of the YMCA? They are not. The administration has adopted a "take it or leave it" attitude. Members should be grateful for the YMCA, grateful for no parking, a dirty facility, and a maze of a building? I think not. What happened to the Canandaigua YMCA? My family & I were members for years. Back then it was a caring, clean facility. The Director was present in the community.Wondering if the YMCA of the USA is aware of all the member concerns? Maybe the big Rochester Y should come in and help? I have friends that attend the Roch Y and they are very member-driven. Maybe I need to hop on the thruway?? Its a shame to have a Y in my backyard that won't get used by my family.
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#1318046 - 01/15/12 12:07 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: pinkrose21]
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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It is a shame. The Canandaigua YMCA could bring such value to a wonderful community like Canandaigua. However, you hit the nail on the head. The current administration conveys a degree of denial and arrogance that is unhealthy and anti community. I would much rather they acknowledge their mistakes and send those that made these mistakes packing (termination). To suggest that we should celebrate a parking design blunder is to deny reality.
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#1318047 - 01/15/12 12:08 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: snotnose]
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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Last time I was at the Geneva YMCA the facility was old and tired and they are trying to raise money to upgrade. When they do, it’s important they learn from Canandaigua’s mistakes and not throw good money into a tired facility. That they not try to make a post office into an athletic facility. That they acknowledge the complications of building on slopes. That they acknowledge what happens when the front door is not the door used and when the parking lot is on the opposing side of the building 300 feet from the entry door. Twenty, thirty and even fifty years from now, our community members are stuck with decisions that are made today. Stop and think YMCA, Canandaigua!
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#1318049 - 01/15/12 12:40 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: snotnose]
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awaken1
Member
Registered: 01/14/12
Posts: 33
Loc: Canandaigua, New York
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Yes Geneva would be wise to take note of Canandaigua's mistakes. In addition, the handicap ramp is ridicously long, the pool is frequently closed pool is dirty, the fancy lobby floor finish is peeling off, the lobby echoes like a canyon, they ruined the historical oak desk that was in the old lobby by building an "office" around it, there's a crack in one of the big lobby windows,the wasted space in the lobby costs lots of money to heat and air condition, the new locker rooms are not comfortably functional for their intended purpose and it is like a maze with all the hallways. Oh, and don't forget about the thirteen steps leading up to the grand lobby that is a total waste of space. How are these bad decisions getting approved?
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#1318056 - 01/15/12 02:24 PM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: awaken1]
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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Was in the pool yesterday and there was all kinds of crap on the bottom. Probably sunken hair balls. Yuck! I've never seen a dirtier pool. Take a look. Let's hope the chlorine levels are at par? Things could be so nice at the Y. By the way, the bushes, lawn and and the fountain rock have the best parking spots. What about opening the back and front door for member access from all the areas they want us to park. Usually, parking is situated close to the main door, not close to service doors?
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#1318784 - 01/18/12 10:03 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: bluezone]
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snotnose
Member
Registered: 05/23/11
Posts: 37
Loc: Penn Yan
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For the most part I'm critical of businesses or others. The sunken matter on the bottom of the pool I suspect is hair, Band-Aids and whatnot. Although unsightly, and clearly visible, I doubt this is a health risk. My big issue is that this facility was designed so poorly and some acknowledgement of these mistakes and the termination of the person(s) that made them would at best help prevent them from happening again and maybe give the Y staff some empathy for those that have to deal with poorly designed parking areas and a rat maze. I know this is wishful thinking but thanks to FL1, I'm able to vent.
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#1318789 - 01/18/12 10:41 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: snotnose]
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cRaZeD
Senior Member
Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 2493
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Like I stated in a prior post - we had a membership to the Geneva Y and I was just very turned off by the filth and smell of the place. The pool area was quite dirty and yes there always seemed to be visible "stuff" floating in the pool. I never once stepped foot in there and would never go barefoot in the locker room nor the pool area...GROSS!!! Also, many people think when they smell a strong odor of chlorine, they think it must be clean. Truth is a properly maintained pool should not have any visible strong odors of chlorine and if your eyes sting, it's not the chlorine doing it - it's the lack of chlorination usually.
http://swimming.about.com/od/earsandeyes/qt/Why-Do-My-Eyes-Sting-When-I-Swim.htm
Also, on another note - I believe the last time I attended the Y, the Women's locker room had feces on the floor. They didn't know if it was a child or what, but that is just uncalled for and super disgusting!!!
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#1318800 - 01/18/12 11:19 AM
Re: GRATEFUL FOR AN OVERCROWDED YMCA W/NO PARKING?
[Re: cRaZeD]
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fingerlakesdenizen
Member
Registered: 07/24/08
Posts: 209
Loc: new york
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Funny coincidence ... or not. One time, I found feces all over the men's locker room outside the sauna at the Geneva Y. We're talking ALOT of feces. I almost walked in it but fortunately I always wear flip-flops in the locker room and pool. More recently, the shower floors have been disgusting - large clumps of hair, etc. It seems to me that the Geneva Y has been deteriorating in recent months, not to mention ridiculous inexplicable cut backs on hours. For example, on Sundays, the Y closes at 5pm yet the weight room and pool close at 4pm. The latter may be more understandable because it's staffed (though one hour seems excessive) but there's rarely any staff, if ever, in the weight room so why does that need to be shut down an hour earlier than the official closing? I'm less and less happy there.
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