Dowd YMCA,

400 East Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

"This YMCA is BEYOND worth it. I spent my entire summer here and let me tell you, get the membership (also, ask them about getting the membership based on your housing income, it makes it cheaper per month. I paid a very reasonable price for this gym). It was a little far away from where I lived but I always found parking, had plenty of exercise classes to choose from, and the rooftop view is crazy. I got to take a rooftop yoga class there and wow, breathtaking."

"I like the gym. The staff is nice & all. Members are chill. The only problems I have is lack of machines, space overcrowding, and sadly the ROACHES. I have seen roaches twice in less than a month. Me another member trapped & killed a roach in the main gym area during its most crowded time. I thought nothing of it like maybe it flew in or something that day. Today I was using the sauna and saw a roach crawl underneath the heater and I immediately left.I wish I could have taken a picture but it crawled underneath the heater very quickly. Keep in mind the sauna is in the locker room and this was during the day at 3:45 pm. So the facility could be dealing with an infestation and I’m just not into that especially in a gym. That’s unacceptable. Very likely will just switch to another gym."

"The gym is absolutely beautiful! The rooftop gym is my absolute favorite! I haven’t taken any other classes aside from hot yoga, but that was amazing. My only suggestion would be that the yoga instructor play relaxing/ meditation music."

"The cleaning lady harasses the gym patrons. Beautiful Gym despite occasional thievery. My locker has been robbed twice However I was promptly contacted by management who helped me resolve the situation. Thank you. The staff here is super helpful and friendly. Different work out areas insure you’ll never have a boring workout. Update: my locker has been stolen from again despite management increasing staff presence in the locker rooms. Hopefully you will have a better experience here than I have"

"This gym reminds me of Equinox in NYC so much. I feel at peace here because they have a cleaning crew that is on top of their maintenance like no other. Super clean especially during times like this however I agree with the reviews below that the mask requirement is pointless. When I first moved to CLT, my home gym was Gateway where I was a part of their CrossFit tribe however since Gateway is no longer - I decided to rejoin the Dowd last month. I have been to a ton of boxes and I really appreciate the conservatve approach amongst the coaches. As with many boxes, coaches will always vary however here they are super attentive, never on their phone at all and really care that you get better. Outside the gym rate, the membership price is relatively lower compared to other gyms yet, you definiitely get more bang for your buck at the Dowd. At boutique gyms, you are very limited however at the Dowd, I have a variety of choices from swimming, Barre, Pliates, Cycle to Functioning Training. Participating in Cardio Dance class after work reminded me how much I missed options. I totally forgot that I was in class as the playlist was filled my favorite Soca and Caribbean tunes - I felt like I was at a party. If you are like me and you dont want to do the same routine everyday when it comes to fitness, join the Dowd - they truly have some thing for everyone. For me, this is the best workout facility in Charlotte in terms of value, variety as well as networking. Plenty of equipment, cleaning stations, comfortable locker room's and friendly staff. While I miss my cozy spot, Gateway, I am also a huge fun of this YMCA location."