With all the sources of children’s programming in the city, it can be easy to overlook some of the most important family centers of all: our neighborhood Y’s. For decades they have been at the heart of communities throughout the city—but just because they’re tried and true doesn’t mean they’re not also forwardthinking. From competitive preschool programs to inspired after-school classes to state-of-the-art athletic facilities, the city’s Y’s are just as innovative as they are affordable—something we’re all looking for a little more of these days. Here, we’ve highlighted just a few of the local Y’s we think are notable, but keep in mind there are many more throughout the city.
14th Street Y
Walking through the cozy halls of the 14th Street Y, with colorful artwork hanging from the walls, friendly greetings from staff, and parents and kids shuttling to and fro, you get a true sense of connectedness. “This is not just a place where you come and buy a class,” says Kiki Schaffer, director of the Parenting, Family & Childhood Center. “We’re a place where you come and plug into a community.”
Though a Jewish organization, the 14th Street Y boasts a diverse membership—for instance, 14 languages are spoken among children enrolled in the Y’s preschool and members come from a variety of religious backgrounds.
And the 14th Street Y is growing in popularity. A recent renovation, including a modern lobby filled with cheerful yellow chairs and a new stateof-the-art fitness center, has caught the attention of many passers-by—many who didn’t know the Y had been there since 1996—and has sent new membership applications through the roof.
Though its preschool and infant and toddler programming make it a “hub” for young families, the 14th Street Y remains a place for families to return to as they grow older. A robust after-school program, covering everything from art to ballet to homework help, summer and holidays camps, athletic facilities including the fitness center, pool, and basketball courts, and senior classes mean both children and adults can find their footing here.
Fun Facts:
– Y staff pick kids up from neighborhood schools and bring them back to the Y for after-school programs.
– “Japanese Playday” is a class of crafts, songs, and games taught entirely in Japanese for toddlers age 22-36 months.
– The “New Moms Stroll-In” dropin class lets moms with newborns meet and discuss their early parenting concerns with other moms.
– The 4-lane heated pool offers free daily family swim times for members, as well as a women’s only swim time.
– “Tails and Tales,” a kindergarten and first grade after-school enrichment program, teaches kids about animals through real-life interaction with various critters brought in by a zookeeper.
344 E 14th Street, 212-780-0800, 14streety.org
—Kate Willard
92nd Street Y
A walk through the 10-story 92nd Street Y on a weekday afternoon is something like reading a lift-the-flap book—peek behind one door and you’ll find a piano lesson in progress; behind another door, kids gather around a pottery teacher in a room filled with bowls ready for the kiln; behind still other doors, children cook, sing, and sketch cartoons.
Founded in 1874, the 92nd Street Y has a simple mission: to enrich people’s lives and help them grow. As a Jewish Y, “all of our programs are based on the values that are part of what it means to be a Jewish institution—to enrich the lives of families and promote healthy development from infancy on up,” says Fretta Reitzes, the director of the Goldman Center for Youth and Families.
To that end, the iconic Upper East Side community center offers an array of programs to meet the needs of its families, like The Parenting Center, established in 1979—before the word “parenting” was even in the public’s vernacular. Other standout programs include The Nesher Program for Children with Developmental Disabilities, and the Teen Center, which brings in professionals from companies like Goldman Sachs, Derek Lam and Si mon & Schuster to offer career advice.
“It’s about supporting life-long learning and helping people find ways to be part of the community,” Reitzes says.
Fun Facts:
-The Parenting Center offers drop-in programs where parents can discuss important topics with specialists while their children play nearby.
-The 92Y’s Art Center boasts five fine art studios, two ceramic studios, four jewelry studios, three electric kilns, one gas kiln and 24 potter wheels.
-The 92nd Street Y has the only ozone pool in the city.
-At the 92Y’s Kaufman Concert Hall, tiny dancers perform recitals on the same stage where Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham once danced!
-Through the Feldberg Project on Political Perspectives, teens hear from guest lecturers like Cornel West, Henry Louis Gates and Mos Def.
1395 Lexington Avenue, 212-415- 5500, 92y.org.
—Shaina Gopen
McBurney YMCA
Sitting on the cusp of the West Village, Chelsea and Union Square, the doors of the McBurney YMCA beckon, “Enter here to be and find a friend.”
It’s a motto that the McBurney YMCA takes seriously. “We want to be able to provide a whole level of services— from a basic gym to a place to build better relationships with friends and family members,” says LaKeisha Harris, senior program director for Youth, Teen & Family.
Though the oldest Y in the city (it’s 139 years old), the McBurney YMCA exudes a welcoming modernity from its six-year-old home on 14th Street (it was previously located on 23rd Street). One of its main draws is the large, glistening pool that can be seen from the lobby through floor-to-ceiling windows. Its other impressive facilities include aerobic studios, a basketball court and a fitness center.
Affordable family memberships and relatively low-cost programming for members and non-members alike mean the McBurney Y reaches families of all economic backgrounds. For those who cannot afford their programs, the McBurney Y offers assistance; the Strong Kids campaign, offered at YMCA’s city-wide, ensures that no family is turned away because of the inability to pay.
And with childcare, a preschool, and programs for ages 6 months to 18 years—as well as plenty of classes for adults — there’s something for every member of the family to take part in.
Fun Facts:
-A preschool prep class for toddlers features active learning activities ranging from gardening to creating storybooks.
-Middle school students from 5th-8th grade can participate in the “Middies After- School” program, where time is divided between homework help, computer labs, culinary and visual arts, sports, and service projects.
-The Teen Center provides a safe, free and fun place for teens ages 11 to 18 to socialize, hold discussion groups and exercise every Saturday night.
-A free Single Moms Group meets once a month to offer support and discussion.
-In addition to summer camps, the Y hosts day camps during school holidays and vacations.
125 West 14th Street, 212-912-2300, ymcanyc.org/mcburney
—Kate Willard
West Side YMCA
Does your child want to learn how to swim? Act in a play? Speak Spanish? The West Side YMCA offers all these activities and more. Founded in 1896, it is the largest YMCA in the country and New York City’s largest private youth-serving organization, encompassing eleven floors and approximately 440,000 square-feet on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Says the facility’s teen director, Cassandra St. Vil, “The West Side YMCA offers opportunity, location, leadership programs, a beautiful facility, and so much more.” Centered on “core values” of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, it’s a place that offers both fun and educational programs as well as a chance to connect to community.
Its impressive facilities include two swimming pools, saunas, a gym, a track, six workout studios, six squash/ racquetball courts, a pottery studio, a stained-glass studio, a café, a theater, a teen center and lodging accommodations.
Perhaps most attractive to families, however, is its preschool. Founded in 1964 as a cooperative—an ethic that holds true today—it is a nurturing, play-based program that allows children to learn pre-K readiness skills in colorful, sun-drenched classrooms and playrooms.
Fun Facts:
-In addition to the preschool, the West Side YMCA offers an extended day program, Tender Care, for children of working parents, ages 6 months to 5 years.
-An after-school program serves children from pre-K to 12th grade, combining daily activities such as swim, sports, dance, and civic engagement projects with reading and homework time.
-It’s home to the Marjorie S.
-eane Little Theater, a 140 seat space with shows and programming for kids and families. Tennessee Williams ran lines on the historic stage.
-Free monthly Family Fun Fridays feature games, activities, movies and snacks for kids and parents.
-Offers free two-hour babysitting for children 12 months to 7 years while parents utilize the facility’s pools and gyms.
5 West 63rd Street, 212-875-4100, ymcanyc.org/westside G
-Hannah Rubenstein
A “Y” By Another Name
While it may not be a “Y” in the strictest sense, the JCC in Manhattan functions in much the same way—offering a wealth of community-building programs, activities and events to families on the Upper West Side and beyond.
“Our mission is to reach a broad constituency of families,” Heather Brown, director of young family programs, says. “We’re here to build a community, and our classes really are built around that vision.”
The center offers families, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, everything from cooking to arts to swimming to gymnastics to parenting classes. The JCC runs the Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School—which serves 180 children ages 2-5 years—and two pre-nursery programs, “Not Quite Nursery” and “Magic Clubhouse.” The center holds seminars for parents on navigating the city’s preschool admissions process, as well as regular community events like Family Shabbat Dinners on Fridays. The center also operates several wellregarded programs for children and adults with special needs.
“As a community center, we’re a place that serves people at all ages and stages of life, and embraces them regardless of their challenges,” says Dava Schub, associate executive director of programming.
334 Amsterdam Avenue, 646- 505-4444, jccmanhattan.org
—Katie Main
A New YMCA
Last month Brooklyn welcomed a new YMCA: the YMCA Sports Complex at Park Slope Armory. Thanks to a $16 million renovation, the old Park Slope Armory (built in 1895) has been transformed into a state-of-the-art athletic facility. It now includes 4 multipurpose courts for soccer, volleyball and basketball; 20,000 square feet of exercise space (including 50 pieces of cardio equipment); and a 1/8-mile track. Families will especially love the facility’s Toddler Open Art Space, guitar and keyboard classes for teens, and the site’s many sports programs.
361 15th Street, 212-912-2580, ymcanyc.org/armory.
—Brittany McNamara
