Resolving Fitness Dilemma in Ward 7

DEANWOOD RECREATIONAL CENTER & LIBRARY

1350 49th Street NE
Washington, DC 20019United States 
202.698.1175

deanwoodlibrary@dc.gov

HOURS:    

• Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Sat 9am-5pm
• Sun closed

METRO:    Deanwood (Orange Line)  


PARKING: Small lot and street parking


COST:  

• Free for D.C. Residents 
• (Fitness Center requires a fee.) 
• Aquatic Center is free but there is a nominal fee for swim classes.

Ages:  All Ages

One big lifestyle change of moving to D.C. has been my gym rat reputation.  Moving from NOVA came after I landed a job in Baltimore, a residence in D.C., and a new 2.5 hour daily commute.  All effectively obliterated my 6-day a week workout routine and energy. 

Apart from the health consequence, there is a social consequence.  Gyms are important to human connections in a community.  At fitness centers, people meet other people to date, to network, to share common interests, and to develop business contacts.  It's also more economical than hitting the bar or restaurants and you're essentially getting the same social benefit with out the loss of the health benefit.
  

I still maintain my Gold's Gym membership, but it now takes 20-25 minutes ONE WAY to go the the SW Capitol Hill location from here in addition to the 2.5 hours on the road on weekdays.   Having to pay for parking is a pain since there is only metered parking.  And the facility needs renovations as compared to its other locations.        

What to do?  Suck up the loss of another 1 hour and 40 minutes out of long days and avoid human contact.  Forego Gold's for the Capitol Heights Bally's or District Heights' Planet Fitness.  Home gym?  

My friend gave me the solution after I told her about my dilemma.  She asked me if I had tried going to Deanwood yet. And sure enough there was my solution:  the Deanwood Recreation Center. I actually wasn't sure where it was.  After a little yelp and internet sleuthing, I found out a lot.

Deanwood, the largest recreational center in D.C., offers what can be found at the gym chains such as a fitness center and locker rooms.  But it offers harder-to-find features too. The 63,000-square-foot facility features:

• an indoor swimming pool and a first ever water slide, 
• a football field,
• a gymnasium
• a game room
• an area for senior citizens, 
• a music studio, 
• a fitness center, 
• study rooms, 
• a day care center, and
• the library.  

The library is a 7,500-square-foot area with 20 computers, a space for children's activities, and a 25,000 book capacity.  Did I mention the price?  As my brother would say, free is the best price. D.C. residents don't pay anything to use the pool and most of the other amenities.  But there is a small cost to use the fitness center.


My Test Run at the Fitness Center

Recently, I looked into whether I could supplement my Gold Gym's usage with visits to Deanwood's Fitness Center.  The cost for D.C. residents to use the center is $125 for the year.  Per visit, it's $5.  But all payments must be done through money orders made payable to the "D.C. Treasurer" because Deanwood is not yet equipped to take other payment forms.


I also worked out there.  The cardio machines come in sets of 3 - treadmills, Matrix ellipticals, and exercise bicycles.  There are also free weights and an exercise station.  Currently, not a lot of people avail themselves of the center.  So there is no wait to use the gym. The lockers are in the restroom, but there is no shower in that space.  Showers and more locker rooms are available in a room that's adjacent to the aquatic area.


Pool Shopping

Because I can't swim well, I just took a peek at the pool area.  You enter a corridor that allows access to the men's and women's locker rooms.  There's a family change room in the same corridor.  From the women's locker, I opened the entry way to find a huge water slide for the kids and a lap pool area for the adults.  Since Deanwood offers swim classes for adults and childrens (for a fee), I might just add that to my workout regimen. Residents and non-residents can get their swim on during the winter as well.


I think Deanwood achieves its goal well of being a community center.  I've been there for work (study room is outfitted with plugs and Ethernet connection) and exercise.  I see families of all backgrounds, seniors, and young people there taking advantage of a wonderful facility.

So get your workout on, your read on, and most importantly, your support on for Ward 7 at Deanwood Rec.