Best Gym/Fitness Club

Opened in January 2001, the South City YMCA attracts a wide array of hard, semihard and, yes, soft (but soon-to-be-hard) bodies. It's nestled between a fire station and police substation, so it the attracts off-duty police officers and firefighters, as well as a diverse mixture of singles, couples and families. This sparkling Y, built new from the ground up, provides the exercise essentials, of course: weightlifting room, gym, track, exercise rooms and a huge swimming pool, complete with a spiral slide. What separates it from other clubs, though, are the details: Separate locker rooms are available for adults and parents with kids -- even special changing rooms, complete with showers, for parents who need to help young children of the opposite sex get into their swimsuits. The YMCA offers a variety of classes, including aerobics, yoga, swimming and karate. Ballet lessons, gymnastics and organized sports for kids and adults are available as well -- even pingpong, Foosball and pool. It's a fantastic one-stop complex, as fancy as any high-tech "fitness center."