Millberry Fitness & Recreation Center

I don't typically review gyms/non-restaurants on Yelp, but I loved this gym so much that I think it'd be helpful to share some info with people who are considering this place. I personally stopped going to this gym after a couple months because it wasn't super close to where I lived, but if I lived in Sunset, this definitely would be my go-to gym.

- It's super clean! Everyone is always wiping their machines after using them, which I don't see at my current gym. The floor is pretty much spotless and there isn't trash thrown around everywhere.
- Their fitness classes are really fun! I attended their mat pilates, Spin, and barre classes and enjoyed them so much. You do have to sign up for classes starting 7pm the night prior, which is a bit of a small window, but you can set a phone alarm to remind you.
- They provide towel service. You can ask for big or small towels.
- Clean locker room. All of the lockers were working properly. Half of them are locked (which you can rent to unlock and use), but you can also use the free ones. The bathrooms and showers are also clean too.

This gym isn't the largest, but they have a decent amount of equipment. They have 3 olympic squat racks, 1 smith machine, and plenty of benches and dumbbells.

The gym would get a bit busier around 3-5pm, but even when it was busy, you can get a good workout in.

I like the convenience of this location but it is by no means a nice gym. They do give out free towels and have lockers rentals, but I feel like the equipment is lacking and old.

That being said, it gets the job done and even though this is way more than I would usually pay for a gym membership, I'm still happy enough coming for the 3 months I am here.

I started my membership years ago, when I worked at UCSF. Back then, the facility was spotless, staff was great, people were respectful of one another and we were all there to actually work out... they even offered free towel service. After resigning from UCSF, I continued my membership because it was that good. But after the pandemic, this place has become a dump: the staff are lazy and incompetent af, and the machines are taken over by entitled UCSF student members chit chatting with their friends and/or on their phone, instead of working out. There's a sign with rules posted on the walls, but no one follows them. The staff is so lazy, all you see them doing is sitting behind the front desk -- looking at their phones and/or chatting with each other. They even have us wiping down the machines, rather than have the staff lift a finger and doing their job. And we're paying +$100/month for this??? What's worse: during the pandemic, it was required that everyone wear a mask. But then, you'd see so many UCSF staff, students, and even faculty, with their masks down! I heard someone bring it to the manager's attention, and all he did was shrug and tell the guy that he couldn't do anything about it because the unmasked member was UCSF faculty. I saw the guy walk back in shock, and I looked at him and said "WTF... did he really just say that to you?!?"

I discontinued my membership a week after that, and chose to pay $10/month at another gym -- better quality machines (UCSF's are old and missing parts), and the staff actually work and have other skills than just checking members in.

*Typical -- the manager (Megan) responds below with a blanket statement just to cover their butts. None of her comments are true, and it only testifies as to why they have such a low Yelp score. And if she read my review, she would clearly see that issues were brought to management's attention and they did nothing because of staff laziness and terrible hierarchal culture of students/faculty. Lastly, if your machines are less than 4 years old, how about you get your lazy staff to keep them operational, wiped down and not missing attachments. Jeez... I'm so glad I left this place, as an employee and a gym member.

I was so happy for this place to re open. However , it's not what it once was. They added machines where there used to be space to workout and stretch down stairs, and because of that now there's little space to distance and stretch and do other workouts . Seems like a lot of people will sit on machines for a long time as well and use their phone or talk to others . Some machines squeak or wiggle when you use them .
Pros-
Staff is so friendly . I love how clean this place is and quiet .

Millberry is an epic gym. Take a look at the view when you walk in! The pool is small, but you may actually meet the love of your life, and live happily ever after. Just saying... from experience :) the place is magic with many wonderful stories.
There are terrific classes. The staff are people that have to juggle working , school, and surviving rent San Francisco.

Not a bad gym for the price if you're a current student in the UC system ($22/mo for the regular membership gets full access to all facilities; does not include access to classes). I've been coming here for about a month and I am pretty satisfied with the availability of equipment and machines.

I've had no trouble finding an elliptical or treadmill machine to use. There's always at least one free. The view overlooking the golden gate bridge is refreshing and really keeps you going on those lengthy cardio workouts.

Though the weight room isn't the largest, I usually come at night so it isn't too full anyways. They have your assortment of dumbbells, several benches, and everything else you need for dead-lifts, etc.

The locker rooms are clean pretty well maintained. I've yet to try the sauna and shower yet but they seem pretty well maintained as well. Overall not bad. This is probably going to be my go to gym during the summer and winter breaks when I come back to SF!

The view from this gym is nice. That is one of the reasons I keep my membership. However, it gets pretty crowded.
They have plenty of cardio machines and weights on two floors. I go here on a Saturday morning and it is not packed and I get my choice of weights and equipment. It is most worth it if you get a premier membership because you get to use the gym at mission bay too. Plus, with premier, you get towel service and classes.

I've gone to lot of UC gyms in my lifetime: Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego, and now San Francisco. Quick summary: UCI is the best and UCSF, the worst.

I think if I were a student, the rating would be an unequivocal 3.5, but as a postdoc, the monthly dues are robbery, especially since I only go to Millberry and not Mission Bay. The cardio + weight room is substantial but it feels dead. There's no music playing, the equipment is mediocre, and the ventilation is a bit lacking. The open windows help bring in the chilly SF air, but I do wish there were mobile fans we could use as I found the mounted ceiling fans to be weak. Then there's the fact that there is almost always a line if you need help at the front desk. Whyyyyyy. On the plus side, the locker rooms and changing/showering/bathroom facilities for the women are kept in good condition and are almost always very clean.

What is preventing this from being 2 stars is the personal instructors that work here. I got a free workout session with Heidi and a free Pilates session from Lorna and they are both absolutely amazing. If I had the money and motivation, I would totally hire both of them to help me get in shape for my wedding. But alas, I'm being paid according to NIH standards despite living in the Bay Area (which is another rant for another time).

I like this gym, friendly staff (if you are upset that the counter staff don't say good bye every time you leave, I'm not sure that physical exercise alone should be your focus)
It's clean, has plenty of machines and weights, at least when I'm there .
I haven't taken any classes yet, but I am going to give it a go.
All in all a gym that's been going since 1958 is in pretty good shape, I'll be here for a while.

My favorite place to go after work! It's conveniently located across the street from work, so there's no excuse for me to skip the gym. The membership fees are deducted straight from my paycheck which is great bc it's super easy to pay the monthly bill. I love the view of the Golden Gate Bridge while on the treadmill or the elliptical. It's a wonderful place to be rain or shine!

The staff are really friendly & I really like coming to this place. It's very clean & there's lots of equipment to choose from! I just try to avoid the busy hours from 5-7 pm. They have a sauna & a pool. They even have massage service, so there's lots of ways to kick back & relax at this place.

By far, my favorite gym! I like to workout out 2-3 times a week so I'm here a lot. I don't spend too much time working out but insure do love my cardio! The treadmills are great! They definitely do a great job maintaining their machines. I've been a member for a year & I really have no complaints other than maybe the hair in the drain while I shower. Other than that, I'm a fan!