Somerset Hills YMCA

★★★★★Tarcísio Couto

We are absolutely loving our experience at the Somerset Hills YMCA! The variety of classes is fantastic, and the schedule is incredibly flexible, making it so easy to fit into our routine. On top of that, the entire facility is very well-organized, and the staff and instructors are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended!

★Jason Robert

I honestly have nothing bad to say about the staff or the YMCA organization as a whole. Facilities are nice. 10/10. Friendly staff. The equipment isn’t broken, and if it is, they usually fix it within a few days. So why two stars?? This gym has unfortunately been over run by teenagers. Not the good kind either… it’s Basking Ridge… so you know they’re all here on mommy and daddy’s money. They’re entitled, spoiled, smug, and think the world revolves around them. Most of them drive their mommy’s Audi/Benz. The final straw was when I heard a young male teen make a negative remark about a Rosa Parks picture hanging on the wall. Absolutely disgusting. When you try to work out, you have groups of them crowding one machine at a time. They barely work out. You can tell that they just goof off. They’re always on their phones preventing others from using a machine. Everyone else treats it like it’s a social hour or a place you come just to hang out. Further, I cannot express enough the frustration of trying to get through a workout and EVERY SINGLE MACHINE that you want to use is taken. Parking is a nightmare, and the local high school sometimes has swim meets here, making it impossible to work out. Needless to say, we will be canceling our membership. Edit: so yeah they make it really hard for you to cancel. Lowering my review from 2 to 1 stars. You have to fill out a cancellation form and it takes 30 days. They still charge you for that month. BUYER BEWARE!!!! New York just made laws to prevent this. Hopefully NJ will follow.

★★★★Ratan K

Pros: Neatly maintained Has a lot of swim lanes Excellent variety of gym equipments Water slide for Kids Cons: Drinking water must be better (now its like chlorinated) Steam room must be there for such a big facility (which is the main reason why i did not give 5 stars)

★★Danny Dolan

I’ve been a long-time member of the YMCA in Basking Ridge, and unfortunately the quality of this facility has steadily declined over the years. What once felt like a community focused organization now feels driven almost entirely by selling memberships, with little thought given to planning, maintenance, or the experience of families and kids. One of the most frustrating issues is the prioritization of adult pickleball over kids activities. On multiple occasions, the main basketball gym has been taken away from kids during winter months, when outdoor options are limited, so adults can play pickleball. When I raised this concern with a senior staff member at the front desk, the response was dismissive. I was told that “kids need to share the gym,” which is baffling given that adults have far more alternatives for pickleball than kids do for indoor basketball or free play. It’s hard not to wonder if this decision is driven by revenue at the expense of youth programs. Facility maintenance is another ongoing problem. In the men’s locker room, 2 of the 5 shower stalls have been out of order for at least 3–4 years, with visible mold building up on the tiles. This is unacceptable for a health-focused organization. The locker room itself is often dirty and poorly maintained. The sauna has also become a mess. There’s little to no enforcement of basic etiquette, kids on phones, people treating it like a personal yoga studio, and general behavior that makes it uncomfortable and borderline unsafe. Again, this points to a lack of supervision and standards. The Gym floor is packed with now many people who are frankly clueless (kids and adults). Staff also started giving group instruction during busy hours on the turf floor which is limited in space kicking out members. It’s not even functional for people getting the instruction. Lastly, the redesigned “social areas” at the front and back of the facility have effectively turned the Y into a self-regulated daycare. Kids run the space with minimal supervision, often crying, yelling, or acting out. At one point, an employee jokingly yelled “HELP” because of the chaos which says everything about how poorly thought out this setup is. This environment didn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of bad planning. Overall, this YMCA feels unfocused, poorly managed, and increasingly dismissive of families and long-time members. The mission seems lost. Until leadership addresses scheduling priorities, facility maintenance, and basic supervision, I can’t recommend this location the way I once did.

★★★★★Hemidell L

In the last 25 years I belonged to six different YMCAs in 2 states. This Y is heads above those others and compares favorably to university gyms I have visited such as the Sonny Werblin at Rutgers and the Leach Center at FSU. Check out the web site for all amenities but I have enjoyed the rock climbing wall and the children's pool where I bring my kids. Also the onsite cafe has fabulous coffee drinks (be careful not to add back all your calories burned). Finally I love the centrifugal bathing suit dryer, haven't seen one of these since Rutgers.