The Downtown YMCA is the heart of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse, which was founded in 1858 by pastors from seven of Syracuse’s poorest churches. The Downtown YMCA grew with the city, opening its current facility at 340 Montgomery Street in 1907. The association expanded the facility dramatically in the 1950s and has renovated the space several times since. Today, the Downtown YMCA stands as a cornerstone of Downtown Syracuse, serving as its community center for healthy living, the arts, and social responsibility. 

The Downtown YMCA features a pool, two gymnasiums, an indoor track, two group exercise rooms, a cycling studio, courts for racquetball and squash, and a boxing gym. It has four fitness areas – one for women, one for men, and two coed – each complete with cardio and weight-lifting machines and free weights. But the Downtown YMCA is so much more than the largest fitness facility in Central New York. It’s also one of the few places in Syracuse where one can find people of all backgrounds enjoying healthy activities side by side every day. Thanks to the generosity of donors, financial aid is available to all who need it, ensuring that everyone can belong.

More than 130 men, seniors and people with disabilities live at the Downtown YMCA in apartments which connect to the fitness facility through the main lobby. The 190,000-square-foot facility is also home to the Downtown Writers Center, Central New York’s only community center for the literary arts. Operated by the Arts Branch of the YMCA, the DWC hosts creative writing workshops, readings by poets and authors, and much more.

Downtown Syracuse has seen dramatic growth and it has faced slow decline. More recently, it has attracted new investments, new ideas and new people. Through it all, the Downtown YMCA has evolved to meet the needs of the people who live, work and play in Downtown Syracuse.