EVANSTON ATHLETIC CLUB

I have had a good experience with them. It is a nice athletic club. They have a pool, sauna, equipment and classes.

Love this gym for equipment, classes, cleanliness.

EAC is a great environment. It's large, spacious, clean, and the other customers are respectful of your time and space. The showers are spacious, though you have to pay extra for a locker (I never have). There's a sauna and lots of clean, fresh towels. I used the cardio machines and weights, and was trained by one of their trainers as an introduction to the club. There are so many options --- many classes and a lot of equipment. I always had a great experience there and appreciated the clean, well-running machines. The hours work well, too --- they're almost always open. I have the highest praise for Molly Maiers, the membership coordinator. She is a wonderfully pleasant, cheerful, welcoming person, a great public face for the club. She did a great job orienting me and addressed all of my specific questions and needs. And, over the years, she has gone out of her way to help coordinate medical or vacation leave (ask about this when making long-term plans!) that kept my membership going but knocked the price down if I couldn't be at the gym working out for weeks in a row. EAC offers different discounts for students, teachers, and other corporate partners -- be sure to ask about those. I am taking a hiatus from the gym now because of a serious medical condition but hope to return again shortly. Otherwise I'd still be attending! Thanks, EAC, for a great experience.

The classes the offer are great and it is a very low key environment which I like. Another thing I like about Evanston is their child care service. I will continue to use them in the future.

The facility was fine, but the billing has been a nightmare. I signed up for a 12-month contract. After nine months, I contacted their office to notify them that I wanted to cancel the contract and to ask if I could cancel early. The staff said there was no way to get out early, but led me to believe that my membership would indeed be terminated at the end of the required 12 months. However, the company continues to charge my credit card monthly! They have charged me a $65 fee for four months beyond the end date of my original membership. I contacted Kathe Biondi, the Membership Director, and she said that they can reimburse me for one of the months, but since they did not receive a written cancellation from me they will not reimburse me for the other months.

I've been a member for over a year. They've remodeled and made a much lighter and larger space. The equipment is kept up, everything is clean, but it's the classes that really get me going back. The variety and quantity are great, as are the teachers. The yoga teachers rule!

Arturo is a fabulous instructor and is very easy going yet firm. He won't let you get away with slacking off (or talking too much). He knows his stuff, and is great at showing you right from wrong. He has only been in town awhile, but seems to know everyone in the place. It must be his easy going, friendly personality. And yet, when you're in a session with him, he knows you are the focus. It's your hour, and he will make it worth the trip. The price is very reasonable; especially for members.