Thelma Lovette YMCA (Pittsburgh, Allentown, Carnegie: sales, health insurance, home)

[Goodjules]

I desperately need to get back into shape. A few weeks ago I decided to do something about it. I wanted a YMCA with a pool. Turns out there's no YMCA in or very close to Crafton. The nearest one west of Crafton didn't have a pool so I looked east to the Allegheny YMCA and the Thelma Lovette YMCA, both a bit under 10 miles from my house. The Allegheny YMCA is on West North Ave. It was built in the 1920s and is showing its age. Everyone there was very friendly, but the pool was claustrophobic and street parking was problematic. I was concerned that I wouldn't be motivated to go because of those factors. I then went to see the Thelma Lovette YMCA. It's on the edge of the Hill District on Centre Ave very close to downtown. The building is one year old this month. The pool is HUGE. I joined immediately. I went for the second time today and the pool had double the number of people in it than my first visit, me and a guy swimming laps. On my first visit I was the only one in the pool for my entire workout. Both times I went at lunchtime. They tell me it's busier early in the morning and after work. If you live or work anywhere around there and want to swim at lunchtime, you can't beat this YMCA. The exercise equipment doesn't seem too crowded at that time of day either. Plenty of free street parking. Friendly people too. When I went in the locker room today a woman said to me "welcome to our YMCA, thank you for coming."

I belonged to a YMCA about a mile from my home in San Francisco. Also very friendly, but the pool was half as big as the one here. I would go after work and have to wait to get in the pool because it was so crowded that the lifeguards would make you wait until someone got out before you could get in. The difference is night and day.

I wanted to give my new YMCA a shout out so I went to their Facebook page and discovered that they have a campaign to fund their computer center for young people in the neighborhood. It seems like a very good cause.

Here's an article on the program: Pittsburgh Connect Hilltop Computer Center helps overcome the digital divide for youngsters - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Here's the link to the campaign: Help Keep the Doors of the YMCA Hilltop Computer Center Open | Indiegogo

Anyway, the point of my post is that people don't seem to be aware of this great new YMCA in Pittsburgh. I'm here to tell you to check it out.

[Herodotus]

Edge of the Hill District? That is in the heart of the Hill. It will take a lot of work to get people from outside the neighborhood to go there. It is located on a block that for many years was the absolute epicenter for drug sales in the Pittsburgh region. They had built a brand new Y downtown about 25 years ago, and it had a pool. Unfortunately, they sold the building to Point Park U, and moved the Y into the old GC Murphy building. I'm assuming there is no pool there.

[SteelCityRising]

When I first moved to Pittsburgh I relied heavily upon the Carnegie Library in the heart of the Hill District for job-hunting and printing off resumes. I've always been curious about the Y in the Hill District, and I'm glad to see it get a positive nod from a fellow non-neighborhood resident. Thanks for the review, Julie!

[greg42]

The PNC Y downtown (3 years old) DOES in fact have a pool. Must have missed that one in your search. Although parking there might also be difficult/expensive perhaps, although there is some metered street parking nearby. PNC Y is near Market Square on 5th Ave.

The "Hilltop" neighborhoods are south of the Mon River, not the Hill District. Think Knoxville, Allentown, Mt Oliver, etc. The programs you're linking to are not out of the YMCA you're talking about. Still worthy stuff but just to be clear.

And yeah, 2114 Centre is hardly the "edge" of the Hill! LOL That's pretty far into it. It's been a while since I drove through so I couldn't remember where they were building this. The downtown one is closer but may be more crowded and harder to park. That said, I'm not sure I personally would have a concern going to the Hill one in the middle of the day.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by greg42

The PNC Y downtown (3 years old) DOES in fact have a pool. Must have missed that one in your search. Although parking there might also be difficult/expensive perhaps, although there is some metered street parking nearby. PNC Y is near Market Square on 5th Ave.

The "Hilltop" neighborhoods are south of the Mon River, not the Hill District. Think Knoxville, Allentown, Mt Oliver, etc. The programs you're linking to are not out of the YMCA you're talking about. Still worthy stuff but just to be clear.

And yeah, 2114 Centre is hardly the "edge" of the Hill! LOL That's pretty far into it. It's been a while since I drove through so I couldn't remember where they were building this. The downtown one is closer but may be more crowded and harder to park. That said, I'm not sure I personally would have a concern going to the Hill one in the middle of the day.

Thanks for clarifying the location for me. As a newcomer, I don't know where I am most of the time. The reason I thought it was on the "edge" is that since I'm coming from the west I drive past all the high-rises and head up the hill past what looks like new housing and not much else before I'm at the YMCA. Coming from the west the streets that seem sketchy are east of the Y. I haven't been there at night, but during the day I'ver parked in front and gone inside. Never felt unsafe at all.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Thanks for clarifying the location for me. As a newcomer, I don't know where I am most of the time. The reason I thought it was on the "edge" is that since I'm coming from the west I drive past all the high-rises and head up the hill past what looks like new housing and not much else before I'm at the YMCA. Coming from the west the streets that seem sketchy are east of the Y. I haven't been there at night, but during the day I'ver parked in front and gone inside. Never felt unsafe at all.

Yeah, the western half of the Hill has pretty much been stripped clean. The Hill used to be built up all the way to Downtown. Urban renewal, the 1968 riots, and the abandonment and decay that followed, has pretty much stripped the western half of the Hill of all of it's structures.

The Hill as it was prior to 1955.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

Yeah, the western half of the Hill has pretty much been stripped clean. The Hill used to be built up all the way to Downtown. Urban renewal, the 1968 riots, and the abandonment and decay that followed, has pretty much stripped the western half of the Hill of all of it's structures.

The Hill as it was prior to 1955.

Holy cow, it really has changed! I thought that was the case because it goes from downtown to vacant lots mixed with new construction pretty quickly. I figured it must have looked more like the streets east of the Y at one time. In fact I have to get off this forum and head over for my lunchtime swim soon. I still can't believe I have a brand new pool all to myself. The only drawback is that one of my reasons for joining was to meet locals. Hard to do when you're the only one there! It really is a couple minutes from downtown with easy parking. Perfect for a lunchtime or before or after work workout.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I went for the second time today and the pool had double the number of people in it than my first visit, me and a guy swimming laps.

... they have a campaign to fund their computer center for young people in the neighborhood. It seems like a very good cause.

Here's an article on the program: Pittsburgh Connect Hilltop Computer Center helps overcome the digital divide for youngsters - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Here's the link to the campaign: Help Keep the Doors of the YMCA Hilltop Computer Center Open | Indiegogo

Yesterday the number of people in the pool tripled to three as compared to a few days ago. I guess I can handle the crowds. BTW, I've lost 5 lbs!!!

Please check out the campaign to fund their computer center and donate if you can.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Yesterday the number of people in the pool tripled to three as compared to a few days ago. I guess I can handle the crowds. BTW, I've lost 5 lbs!!!

Please check out the campaign to fund their computer center and donate if you can.

As a frequent battler of the buldge myself -- way to go!

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Tinare

As a frequent battler of the buldge myself -- way to go!

I have a long way to go, but at least I'm headed in the right direction. I have to get my cholesterol down so I can get health insurance. No one will insure me until it's below 200 or the pre-existing condition law kicks in, whichever comes first. Either way I need to get healthier.