Meet me at the YMCA

The Green County YMCA has long been a popular place for Monroe area residents. The facility has done a great job with keeping up with our community's needs. Their latest project was another renovation.

Started mid-summer, the project is now complete.

Members have often questioned why the main entrance was not the doors by the parking lot, and the YMCA has listened. With this renovation, the front and back spaces have been flipped. Members and guests now use a bright and airy entrance that is right next to the main parking lot. The offices are here, along with a large window into the gymnastics room. Parents can sit on the comfortable sofas while while waiting for children in gymnastics instead of making due with spots on the floor at the edges of the room.

The youth center and childcare rooms have been moved to the former front of the YMCA. The babysitting room is in the same place, but now the childcare room is right next door, a much more logical set-up. The youth center is called the Y Lounge, and it now occupies the entire space once devoted to the front entry and offices. This expanded space has air hockey, foosball, games for youth, a Wii, Net Nanny protected internet access, a homework area, and sofas to lounge on. The doors to the gym are still there, which is a great idea given the way that many teens utilize both spaces.

This remodel has made the Green County YMCA a much more intuitive space and more user-friendly for those of us living and working in the Monroe area. All the great Y programs for children and adults are still in place, including partnerships with many of our local employers and health insurance companies.