Review: Presidio YMCA of San Francsico

Address: 63 Funston Ave., San Francisco, Calif., 94129

Phone: (415) 447-9622

Web site: www.ymcasf.org/presidio

Amenities:
Cycling studio
Stretching studio
Fitness floor with cardio/resistance machines
Free weights room
Six-hoop basketball court
Locker rooms with showers, sauna, hairdryers and towels
Two heated pools with aqua weights, flotation belts and locker rooms
Spa
Six outdoor tennis courts
Personal training
Childcare (Additional charge)

Monthly Fees/Contract Information: $35 joining fee. $65 per month per individual plus children under 13. $99 per month for two adults plus children under 13.

Review:
Nestled in 1,480 acres of national parkland, you'll find Presidio YMCA members running obstacle courses through forests, doing crunches in front of the Yoda statue at Lucasfilm, playing catch near the Walt Disney Family Museum, and kicking up sand at the beach. From the elite athlete to the inactive, all fitness levels feel at home at the Presidio Y.

Set amidst the spectacular vistas of the sparkling San Francisco Bay, its sprawling campus includes six outdoor tennis courts, two heated pools with spa, basketball court, bike program and an outstanding outdoor fitness program with guided hiking, circuit games and Cardio Tennis.

Once inside the facility, there are three dedicated rooms for free weights, machines and stretching. There is also a very swanky cycling theater where movies are shown. The exercise studio with its beautiful hardwood floor is light-filled and pulses non-stop with zumba, NIA, Pilates, yoga, ballet, BodyworksBall and BOSU. Private personal training is also available on Pilates equipment.

Known as a haven for families, there are "Baby & Me" cycling, step and dance classes, swim lessons, sports leagues, camps, kids night out parties, a teen center and quality childcare. The social scene includes drop-in salsa evenings and fee-based ballroom dancing and bellydance clubs. The locker rooms are clean.

Although the posh surrounding neighborhoods of the Marina and Presidio Heights would like to keep it a best-kept secret, the Presidio Y stands as the crown jewel of San Francisco YMCAs.

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