JCC of Greater Pittsburgh

This gym is decent. Nice facility and friendly and helpful staff. Parking is very, very, very hard to find. I’ve spent up to 35 minutes driving around in circles looking for a place to park. Pretty pricy and I don’t like that you’re locked in for a year contract. Also, the pool situation is pretty busy. There’s usually always something going on in there after work and the open lanes become very crowded. Overall, it’s not the best gym I’ve been to but it’s not the worst.

I really enjoy the facilities at the JCC, and they offer a great rate for young adults (under 30). While the JCC certainly retains its religious identity way more than the YMCA has, make no mistake that people of all backgrounds and affiliations are welcome to work out and enjoy the programming here. There are two tiers of membership, the higher of which comes with towel service and a nicer locker room. I have always gone for the less expensive option and have had nothing but positive experiences. If you’re driving in I suggest parking on Forbes ave closer toward Wightman street and walking. They do have a paid parking garage, but with a little bit of leg work you should be able to find ample on street parking even during peak hours.
Overall, the JCC is a very good fitness center, and it’s a really nice feature of the neighborhood.

I’m not sure why there are so many negative reviews about the JCC. I signed up about 2 months ago, and have very little to complain about.
The gym is relatively new, and all of the cardio equipment has personal TVs and charging stations. Unlike previous reviews, I have yet to encounter a broken machine, and have no problem working out during peak times.
The staff is really friendly and helpful. When I signed up with my boyfriend, they allowed us the married couple discount: $ 70 a month. I really appreciate the flexibility and savings that allows us. Since we spend a lot of time in the South Hills with family, the South Hills JCC is convenient for us as well. The facilities there aren’t as nice, but it’s fine for an occasional visit.
The JCC has a ton of classes offered, some at an up-​charge, but I have yet to go to one. The classes like spinning and yoga are cheaper than a regular studio, and I know the spinning classes are really popular.
My biggest complaint tends to be parking. I hate having to pay for the lot, and I often plan my visiting times around free street parking. On weekdays, I don’t usually get there until after 6pm, which means parking on the street for free. If I’m really in a pinch, I have parked in the Rite Aid lot and popped in for a quick workout.
For me, the positives outweigh the negatives. The facilities are super clean, every one is friendly, and beyond parking, I don’t have much to complain about!

Amazing — totally family-​centric.
Staff is totally attentive and accommodating, and facilities are great. My only «gripe» is the changing areas, where old guys feel the need to hang around without cover — cover up!
Pool and Gym are great. Ratings depend on what you are looking for, both religious and social. We wanted a great place for our daughter to learn to swim, and were not concerned with all the extraneous crap — go figure that we were pleased with it all…

You have to pay more to get a clean changing area free of children jumping everywhere. The showers in the «family changing area» are disgusting beyond belief. I can only imagine the horror of the Men’s room b/​c the Women’s area is gross. Yes, there is a nice changing area, that will run you 35 dollars per person per month extra, a total of nearly 85 dollars per month per person. The parking is not the JCC’s fault, but it is a paid lot and no one enforces it when an SUV parks across three spots. Sometimes there is zero parking available.
Machines break and you get the excuse that there is only one tech in the tri-​state area qualified to fix it so it will take a while. When I asked why they purchased equipment with no reliable repair personnel in the area they just shrug. Don’t even get me started on the pool or the weirdly scheduled classes.
I joined a gym at hte waterfront recently. Clean, better hours, and only 10 per month. Yes, no pool but I could build a pool for what I and my husband are saving.
Plus the JCC doesn’t give a darn about the Jewish community anymore. If you don’t have kids or aren’t a senior citizen they don’t engage you at all.

I have been a part of the JCC Pittsburgh basically since I was born and have NEVER found a reason to belong to any other organization. The gym has been recently remodeled and is fantastic. Caters to everyone needs. The Health Club, though a bit pricey, has basically everything you could want including a pool and ping pong table! The Staff are all very friendly and always willing to help anyone who needs it! I would recommend this place to anyone, especially any Jew looking to be welcomed into the community.

I recently purchased a membership here and have been impressed so far. This place has all of the basics and then some, and the hours are decent. The facility is always impeccably clean, and the scene here is the antithesis of a «24 hour fitness» or a «LA fitness,» meaning the clientele is a mixture of regular folks instead of muscle heads and pick up artists. Possibly the best gym I’ve been to in Pittsburgh.

I primarily used the JCC to play handball with a group of guys, and used their lifting equipment a few times as well. Overall, this is an OK place, not great, but not bad either. There are only 2 racquetball/​handball courts/​squash courts, so sometimes it gets really crowded. They have you reserve the courts in order to use them too, and unless you’re a platinum member, they’ll charge you for that.
There also isn’t very much space in the workout area, it gets kind of crowded sometimes. I didn’t ever use their pools or anything, and if you are a platinum member, you get a lot more, especially the MUCH better locker room, but it all comes at a hefty price.
I chose to go to this place simply because this was the only place I could find where others played handball at, and it was close. It is a very clean facility, but I have been a part of some better clubs for a lot less in membership fees.

These facilities are amazing. I was going to the gym at PITT and had to stop because of waiting in line and the crowds. I was so excited when I started using the JCC to work out at because there are never, EVER any lines for any of the machines. I usually work out at 5 or 8:30 ish major high traffic times for gyms, but never did I have to wait for a machine. This is a major benefit, I think, for any gym. Who wants to wait to get on an elliptical or treadmill? No one. I think most of the elliptical and treadmills have tvs/​radio inputs on them so you can listen/​watch while working out. This is good for me because my phone/​ipod is always almost dying so all I have to do is plug into the machine!
Downstairs in the weight area is very clean and brightly lit. There always have been people around to answer my questions about the machines, and to offer suggestions on what to use and why.
The pool is also very nice. A benefit in joining the JCC they have separate men and women’s swimming sessions two days a week. It has never been busy when I have been there to swim laps. Most of the people using the pool, while I use it, have been in the kiddie pool, away from me, and a plus, no splashing. The pool also offers free paddle boards and other swim equipment to use while swimming.
Over all, a great place to work out at.

Living right around the corner, this was the easiest and closest option for a gym. The membership is a bit expensive for a poor student like me. Luckily, they offer «scholarships» for people unable to afford the full price membership, which helps me out a TON financially. I like the facility, and it’s always clean, neat and never overly crowded. I’ve never, ever had to wait for a machine, which is great. Exercise classes cost extra and I’ve never tried one, so I cannot attest to their quality. It is irritating that the gym’s parking garage is metered and enforced til 10 pm, as it kind of defeats the purpose of a facility offering parking to its patrons. But there’s always free street parking available on the surrounding streets, so it’s not as much of an inconvenience as it could be.

Way too pricey for what you get– EVERYTHING costs extra, you don’t even get a towel unless you have the ‘platinum’ membership. And then you have to pay for parking! Much better and more reasonably priced facilities not far away.

I like working out at the JCC, although I do have a premier membership. The locker rooms are clean, and they always have clean towels on hand. The gym is never crowded which is a huge plus in my opinion. I’m not sure why it’s gotten such a low review from others. I’ve never had a problem there before, and the staff has always been super friendly and helpful. I’ve had several personal training classes there, and they always met my expectations. I love their fitness classes as well, especially zumba. The instructors are always motivational and friendly. I’ve been a member here for 2 years now.

The low overall rating, in my opinion, is a totally inaccurate summary of the JCC. They provide a TON of different services — having to swipe your card twice at the door or finding a broken treadmill should not be the basis for a bad review of a large organization that provides childcare, gym space, cultural activities, classes, lecturers, festivals… it’s so much more than what people are describing here.
I go to the gym at the JCC because I live extremely nearby. It is incredibly convenient for me. I think the price is reasonable, and you can get a couple’s membership that is cheaper than two single memberships. As a «young adult couple,» we pay $ 71 a month, only slightly more than a single membership, so that’s a great deal! Especially coming from Chicago, $ 35 a month is nothing.
We don’t have the more expensive upgraded membership, so we use the standard locker room (if you have the fancy membership, you use the adults-​only locker room with a hot tub and TV and couches and stuff) but it’s totally fine. Sure there are kids scampering around, but please remember this is a community center, not just a gym, so there are kids changing for swim lessons and things like that.
I think the gym facilities are great and I have no idea what anybody would complain about. Even at peak hours (after 5pm on weekdays), I can almost always get right on a treadmill. The only exception to this was the first months of the year, when New Years Resolution folks swarmed the gym. But that will happen anywhere, so it isn’t the JCC’s fault. Generally there is no line of people waiting for cardio equipment. Any gym where I can immediately get on a treadmill at 530 pm is a miracle in my book — in Chicago, not a chance. The treadmills (and ellipticals, I think?) have individual TVs, you can bring in headphones and watch TV while you run! Some of the audio outlets can get wonky at times, but you can almost always find a treadmill with one that works perfectly.
I think the weight room is well-​equipped. It isn’t the biggest ever, but honestly it isn’t ever crowded, so clearly they have all the equipment to meet the demand. I do a wide variety of upper and lower body exercises — there are several machines for all muscle groups, and lots of free weights. Occasionally a machine is broken, but not nearly as often as other commenters have said.
We like the staff at the JCC — one of the guys in the cardio room always remembers us and our names, and tells us when a new machine has come in so we can try it. I’ve never worked with a personal trainer — I have no idea how good they are. I know they all have various types of accreditation and degrees in sports medicine and exercise science — you can look online and see their qualifications. I probably won’t be trying their training, just because I’m confident in my workout routine as it is. I did take a group exercise class once ($ 5 each, unless you have a fancy membership) and it kicked my BUTT, in a good way, so my impression of the classes is positive.
Like with any gym, when you join there are rules about payment, early cancellation, that kind of thing. Just ask in advance, and get it in writing. Don’t try to cancel halfway through the year and expect them to stop billing you immediately — be smart, take the initiative and plan in advance if you know you need to cut out of your contract early. They told me upon signing that they prefer year contracts, but they are willing to work with people who need to cut out early for reasons that can’t be helped (like moving), but you need to be proactive about it. Just a pet peeve of mine when people complain about this — the gym I used to go to in Chicago had some weird rule where you had to write a letter to the corporate headquarters to cancel. Everyone on Unilocal was writing reviews like «I can’t cancel, they keep charging me, this gym suuuuucks!» but if you just read your contract, or you know, ASK a little in advance, you can learn how to do it without getting overcharged.
I haven’t engaged in many of their community activities since I’m pretty much an atheist and not super connected to Jewish culture, but we did stop by their Israel Independence Day Festival (they had a petting zoo!) and they’ve had lots of other cool things going on for community members. The JCC supports health, community involvement, child development… it’s way more than just a place for you to work out.

Although I’ve only been a member for a week, I’m quite pleased with the JCC so far. The facilities are clean and the other members are so friendly. It’s more like a family than a fitness center. I love all the Aquatic Classes and Open Swim time.
I haven’t had any interaction with my personal trainer yet, but there were many to choose from, and I’ve got sessions scheduled with a woman with a Physical Therapy degree. I applaud the JCC for hiring someone with such expertise since I’m rehabilitating a knee injury.
Also, this place rocks for families: cheap and/​or free babysitting, a family room, toddler classes, etc. This morning I worked out while my husband and my daughter hung out with the kids and mothers upstairs. Everyone had a great time.
Also, we find the membership prices very affordable. Of course, our gym in downtown Chicago cost $ 170/​person…

great new remodel, wonderful equipment (though it’s broken a fair amount). confusing staff loitering around for no apparent reason. some jagoff patrons, but what do you want. The price is excessive for Pittsburgh, but they do have sauna facilities that other places lack. The locker rooms are pretty clean but the steam room, showers and whirlpool need to be cleaned as they often smell bad.

I don’t normally write reviews. The equipment is nice, the staff are not knowledgeable though. Also beware. I called in to cancel my membership and left a message thinking it was a done matter.
4 months later I noticed my credit card was still being automatically billed. The only way to cancel is to write a signed letter informing them you want to cancel your membership. They were completely unsympathetic to the fact that I had called to cancel in Feb and said that I would still need to write the letter to successfully cancel even though I have moved since to NYC.
Seriously? Horrible admin, nice cheap place to work out in… I guess we now know why…

this gym is terrible.
don’t let the new equipment fool you, there are only a handful of people who come here who have any clue what they are doing. The staff knows very little, and is way to present, as in milling around doing nothing. However they are in no way the biggest problem, the problem is the patrons, I’ve never ever had to deal with a ruder group of people in my life, and i lived in NYC for christ sake, I’ve seen this rudeness manifest into confrontation, injury, and all in all unsafe practices. I’ve been a member for 2 years and cannot wait until a better option opens! don’t join here unless you enjoy being frustrated on a daily basis

I was in a car crash on 8÷10÷08 and came to Pittsburgh to do rehabilitation after my spinal cord injury. I decided to join the JCC to do additional rehab exercises.
The facility is very nice. They have many treadmills, ellipticals, 2 arc trainers, recumbent steppers & ellipticals. The have a room with Cybex weight machines. There is a walk/​run track on the 2^nd floor, along with a dance studio with a mirrored wall. There’s also a room with free weights, a pool, and racquetball court.
Like most exercise facilities, it is very crowded during peak hours. There is usually someone there to coordinate sign in sheets to make sure that people adhere to the time limits. I usually try to go during off peak hours.
With my recent disability, I found the facility to be very accessible and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
I would definitely recommend this facility to others.

So I’m visiting my home town, staying with the folks within walking distance of the JCC. This is the JCC that I grew up in. I left for summer camp on the front steps. I went to dances. I went to basketball games. This was a place of refuge for me growing up. I always felt like I could go to the JCC.
So my Mom handed me a stack of guest passes so that I could work out while I’m visiting. Again, there for me as refuge even as an adult.
So I go in on day one. I enter through the garage. Present my pass to the blond guard at check point one. Go ahead, back there to the right. I’m not familiar with the new configuration, so I wander down the hall and to the right, where I met with check point number two. My guest pass is scrutinized, but I am allowed to enter the locker room. I just needed a place to lock my jacket while I worked out. The locker room was quite nice. I like the built in locks in the lockers.
Ok — then on day two I make it past the first check point, I’m waved on ahead. I then approach check point two and continue in since I’d been there the day before and I know where I’m going. But I am stopped. Halted. Security at check point two scrutinized my pass, gave me the evil eye and let me into the locker room. Was this necessary? Why two layers of security? Why the evil eye?
Day three. I wake up early, and decide not to go the gym. I just don’t want to face these security ladies with their looks.
Day four… tomorrow…I’m not sure if I can face check point lady number two, so I’m hoping for a warm day where I don’t need to where a jacket, can fit everything in my pockets and don’t need to put anything in the locker room. Too bad. The locker room sure was nice. Thanks for the coffee.