Nautilus Plus OC

Lived in Milwaukie for a few months and joined the Nautilus. The staff was friendly, was spacious, lots of equipment and I loved the pool, steam room and jacuzzi. Very reasonable rates. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is some of the equipment and décor are outdated. Overall great gym and definitely recommend.

Nice local gym, not too many people easy to do your own thing. I also like that there is a steam room.

I love this gym. They have separate areas for machines (upstairs) and free weights (downstairs), they have a class area and do offer lots of classes (less offerings in the summer). It is never super crowded so I never find myself waiting for a machine. The staff are super friendly and helpful. I’m super happy to have found this gym that is so close to my home.

If you go to the gym to workout, not to preen and check people out, you’ll like Nelson’s. Yes, much of the equipment is kind of old, but it’s all clean and working. Luckily for me, I’m able to go in the early afternoon, so it’s never crowded. In the weight room I’m often the only one in there, although more often it’s one or two others. It gets more crowded in the evenings obviously, just like any other gym, but it doesn’t get to the level of your LA fitness, 24 hour fitness type corporate gyms. The staff are really friendly and address you by name once they get to know you a bit. It has a therapy pool, a hot tub, a sauna, tanning beds in the locker rooms. Plus it’s a bargain.

Okay, first off, a disclaimer that I am not a big fan of «working out». It’s a chore and not one that I ever look forward to. On the other hand, it’s not one I ever regret doing, so there’s that. Having said that, Nelson’s Nautilus in Milwaukie makes this chore more bearable because it’s a quiet gym with ample equipment, some good classes, friendly staff (who try really hard to get to know you by your first name), and you feel better about not giving your money to some gross corporate mega-​gym.
Afternoons and early-​evening are definitely the most busy — not a shocker since most people tend to go to the gym after work — but since I’m currently under-​employed, I tend to go in the mornings around 8 or 9. At that point, it’s fairly empty except for a few retirees. That’s the best time to go if you want to use the free-​weights downstairs unimpeded or if you want to use the elliptical machines (of which there are 3).
Tory takes good care of the gym and they are always upgrading it. In fact, I’m pretty sure they would add equipment, given available space, if you ask them. I keep meaning to ask them about getting some kettle bells.
As Kenny H. mentioned, some of the clientele can be a little «off», that’s true, but this is Milwaukie and we do have more than our fair share of «facilities» and Section 8 housing in this part of town. No one is scary or anything. You just might have a weird conversation once in a while. I’m usually listening to my iPod and people tend to leave me alone. A polite wave or nod from me is often sufficient enough of an exchange.
Oh, and if you’re lucky, you might run into Elvis Nagel. Portland’s preeminent Elvis impersonator.

I am fairly shocked there isn’t a review for this place yet. It’s almost always got quite a few people.
I’ll try to go over just the parts I use within the facilities, as I cannot talk about the sauna, pool, etc., having never used them.
Let’s start with the staff. They’re great. Tory (I believe his name is) runs the place in a very well-​oiled fashion, and all of the employees are friendly, and seem like they’re genuinely interested in helping you. Even if they aren’t, maintaining that they are is important. Additionally, the employees are fit, and appear very interested in staying healthy themselves. Nothing is worse, or more off-​setting, than going to a fitness place and the person behind the counter looks like they don’t know a dumb-​bell from a doughnut hole; it’s important to have someone that looks like familiar with the facilities, look interested in the business they’re involved in, and give you something to work for. Nelson’s has all this working for them. So, the staff get five stars.
The upstairs has all the workout/​cardio equipment and the open, wood-​floored space for classes, yoga mats, etc. It’s all very well-​kept and clean, and there is a pretty diverse assortment of equipment to use. If there was something to change, I think they’re due for an audit of the cardio equipment. For example, the arms-​and-​legs ellipticals are always packed –every machine is in use, meaning that if that’s your favorite machine, you have to do something else. On the other hand, there are about 12 treadmills, and I rarely see more than one being used (I generally go in the afternoons or evenings, so I cannot present what the situation is like in the mornings).
The restrooms/​changing rooms are very clean and clear. They’re about what you’d expect from a health club.
The weight room downstairs is pretty well-​stocked. If anything, it seems a little cramped and has very low ceilings. I just always feel like I am surrounded. However, if you don’t care at all about your surroundings (the point is, after all, to use the weights, not enjoy the view), then it certainly shouldn’t be a problem.
The only thing I don’t like is sometimes the clientele can be a little, well, «Off?» I don’t know how to describe it. There was this really weird, scary dude whose very existence was offensive and objectionable, but I guess he’s a paying customer. Sometimes, however, a business must have higher standards than, «Does the customer have money?» to just excel.
Great marks all-​around for this place. If you live/​work in or near Milwaukie, you can’t go wrong with this place. It’s cheaper than Bally’s but has all the same fundamental stuff, the staff is friendlier with more one-​on-​one support, and I get the feeling people are there to work out, rather than just look good and use the health club as a location to find hook-​ups.