Lincoln Park Athletic Club

I got a massage at the Core studio across the street last week and WOW, by far the best massage Experience I have ever had. All I told the therapist was where I hurt and a little background and he was able to resolve my low back pain in like 15 minutes. My doctors been trying for over a year, then when he's working on my neck he asked me if I get headaches and proceeded to get rid of my recurring migraines. Haven't had one since. Thanks Neille, I'll be back soon. Pros: Great massage Therapists, People are friendly Cons: I don't like havind to bring my own lock more

I agree with the "shut up and sweat" post about this gym. The place just doesn't really care about the members. This is my first post like this, I just get so angry when I think about how much I pay at this place. I left LA Fitness to join LPAC because it was closer even though it was three times the price. I have regreted this decision since I made it. The trainers have no respect for regular paying members. They don't think twice about kicking you off a machine if they are with a client, which has happened to me mulitple times. Bottom line, this gym is made for housewives and nannies. No offense to either at all but the weight room is severely lacking compared to most gyms. And there is a basketball court but you can never use it becuase there is a class going on all the time. So, if you only want classes and treadmills this gym might be for you but if you want to swim, play basketball or lift weights, find another gym even if you have to drive further. For what you have to pay here it's the worse gym value wise in Chicago unless all you do is yoga and jog.(no offense to any one who do either but that's all I feel they really cater for, if that. Pros: location Cons: essentially everything that makes a good gym, a good gym more

Never join a club that asks you to sign a 1-yr contract. It's obvious that they're worried that you'll leave once you realize LPAC is not a very good gym, which is exactly what happened to me. The pool and basketball court (which is not even a full court) are always taken up with classes or kids programs, so forget about using those areas. You'll always have to wait for machines... especially the cardio machines, which is in a room that is so cold you have to wear a sweater to work out. Now that my one-year of being held hostage is over, I left to a much better club: Lakeshore Athletic Club. more

It's a good place to work out, BUT, it's expensive for the average person who happens to live in Lincoln Park but does not make a 6-figure salary! Staff is nice, management seems indifferent & they're probably just happy to be raking in the dough from all of us northsiders who are just trying to stay in shape mentally & physically during the Chicago winter! more

My family had a membership at LPAC for over 8 years. As with all clubs it has its pros and cons. On the plus side the space is light, and open with a good amount of both aerobic and strength equipment. And the Kids Club is the best in the area by far. My major con, and it is a BIG ONE, is that they don?t really care about membership satisfaction. And management is too thin skinned to handle complaints. Specifically if you are a swimmer do not join. My wife and I both find access to the pool to be very important, and throughout the year kids programs and lessons fill the pool. At the most extreme during the summer the pool is largely unavailable to members from 2-5pm on weekdays. No lane is reserved for member use (LPAC is unique in this and even most of their sales team is unaware of this fact). When I suggested to management that they seemed to be focusing on generating revenue from kids by limiting access to facilities for membership I clearly touched a very raw nerve. H more

My family had a membership at LPAC for over 8 years. As with all clubs it has its pros and cons. On the plus side the space is light, and open with a good amount of both aerobic and strength equipment. And the Kids Club is the best in the area by far. My major con, and it is a BIG ONE, is that they don?t really care about membership satisfaction. And management is too thin skinned to handle complaints. Specifically if you are a swimmer do not join. My wife and I both find access to the pool to be very important, and throughout the year kids programs and lessons fill the pool. At the most extreme during the summer the pool is largely unavailable to members from 2-5pm on weekdays. No lane is reserved for member use (LPAC is unique in this and even most of their sales team is unaware of this fact). When I suggested to management that they seemed to be focusing on generating revenue from kids by limiting access to facilities for membership I clearly touched a very raw nerve. How do I know?after dropping our membership to find a club with better kids access, I decided to re-join to have access to the very nice kids club for our children?s sake while my wife joined elsewhere with a better pool. We were not allowed to rejoin. Having spent about $25,000 in fees, training, and kids stuff we were very much surprised to find that our money was no good at LPAC. This is not a club who cares about its members, regardless of length of relationship or amount of money spent. Other examples?I asked if it would be possible to get LOOK toe clips on one of the many bikes in the spinning room. It took 3 requests and 2 months until I got a response which was NO. If you join LPAC and you get the feeling that they don?t care if you are happy you are right, they don?t. PS my wife is a candidate for double knee replacement surgery (one of the reasons why pool access is so important) but she couldn?t park in the handicapped parking spot because the owner parks there. Pros: great kids club Cons: no interest in customer satisfaction more

I've tried out many gyms, mostly downtown, and I really believe that LPAC up in linclon park is the best gym in Chicago. The equipment, locker rooms and ambience at most higher-end gyms in Chicago are all quite good, so what really makes LPAC stand out to me are their personal trainers. They do an excellent job of selecting the staff at this club, they are very intelligent, friendly and dedicated to helping you out. Every trainer is certified to work with you on all of the equipment at the gym, and they cover many different specialties. You can easily hire a trainer for a single session to answer questions you have and teach you specific things, so it's entirely up to you whether you want a whole package of sessions or just one. They have trainers focused on triathlon and marathon training, and I've found them to be extremely knowledgeable and unbelievably helpful when I go over my training plans with them. Even with my enthusiasm for it, I really don't think I would be doing triathlons if it weren't for the help they've given me, and it's been so much fun. They also have many pre-natal classes, which I haven't seen elsewhere, and a good swim training class, and I've heard their yoga classes are excellent but I haven't tried them yet. I'm just really happy with this gym! Pros: wow, the student rate here is cheap! Cons: it's a very popular gym, so it can be busy at times. But you can usually get on the equipment you need. more

Maybe I'm biased because when I was pregnant with my first child almost 2 years ago, there weren't ANY trainers in Chicago that worked with prenatal women EXCEPT at LPAC. I have since had a second child and have been working with the same personal trainer from 2 years ago. And, since Lehmann's closed it seems that there are less choices for gyms with childcare options. Yes, the crowd has become more techie and cell phones are sometimes seen while people are working out. But, if you just want to get in, work out, and get out LPAC can't be beat. Pros: Close to the El, Prenatal Trainers, Variety of Classes Cons: Can get crowded, Parking tough at time more

The atmosphere at LPAC is pleasant and not too "locker room." Good amount of cardio equipment and weights (especially free-weights). I set up a few sessions with a trainer to develop a weight routine and my trainer seemed very knowledgeable and listened to what I was asking for. more

This gym has excellent cardio equipment - always treadmills or ellipticals available. I've taken a few classes there (body pump was great!), but in general, I find that the class schedule is not terribly convinent for those working a 9-5 job. Many classes begin between 4 and 5pm, and to get there in time from downtown is impossible. There are also a lot of classes offered in the middle of the day. The gym is fairly expensive, but they do have a little-publicized "performing artist discount" program for dancers and musicians. more

They've got everything you could want in weights, machines, and programs. The outdoor climbing wall, undoubtedly their most visible feature, costs extra but is a lot of fun and a great workout in itself. PROS: Lots of amenities CONS: No pool more

LPAC has very solid equipment. Unfortunately, they do a poor job of labeling it when it's not working and do an even poorer job of repairing machines in a timely basis. At one time, it was was a top notch workout facility where people actually went to sweat. Now, you see people talking on their cell phones (yes, while "working out", if that's possible) and more makeup than sweat. The trainers disrespect other members (taking up more space than necessary in the sometimes crowded stretching area), setting a poor example others. Finally, the snack bar ... I workout 5 days a week during prime hours and the snack bar is a ghost-town. Makes you wonder just how fresh their food can be if they can't sell it. Overall, it's a good gym. If they'd lose the attitude, it'd be a great gym. Pros: Equipment, Classes Cons: Price, Attitude more

LPAC is a great club that creates an environment rather than just a health club. The staff of personal trainers cater to your individual training needs. The diversity of equipment and classes raise the bar for other clubs in the area. Great yoga for every level and a new Pilates core studio are great amenities as is the Kids Club, massage and even an outdoor climbing wall. The staff is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Great classes include a bootcamp, state of the art spinning and even a triathlon training group with coaching. A new health food snack bar is a great option for a quick cup of gourmet coffee and or sandwiches or smoothies. Pros: classes, personal training, environment Cons: cost, crowded more

In response to the other review, the equipment was ALL replaced about a month ago-amazing stuff! I love this gym for the community of people that go there-for the non-meet-market vibe-for the incredible options of classes-specifically, yoga-i don't need to supplement my yoga workout anywhere else because I have it all under one roof! Pros: Community/members, Class options, parking lot Cons: expensive, can get crowded more

At one time this club aspired to be an excellent facility with quality trainers. For some reason, most of the fine trainers have left and the quality of the equipment has declined as have the quality of the classes. Pros: Good pool in the city Cons: Pricey, Yesterday more