An 11-year-old boy was "completely blue and unresponsive" when a nurse saw him by a Staten Island YMCA pool, so she told lifeguards, "I am a nurse, I know CPR," and was able to help revive him after two minutes. Pamela Glennon told the Advance, "His color came back immediately." more ›

It's been a confusing year for The Village People: last summer, the YMCA dropped the MCA part, which left the band "deeply dismayed". And now they're being sued, for a second time, by their original "police officer"—Victor Willis is suing his former group for $1.5 million in royalties for writing hits such as "YMCA", "In The Navy" and "Macho Man." Might as well just give in and change the name to The Litigious People. more ›

The War on Christmas isn't just being waged outside the Lincoln Tunnel; it's taking place at the YMCA (oops, we mean, The Y) now as well. According to the Post, the 14th Street McBurney YMCA has kicked Santa Claus to the curb for their popular annual holiday luncheon, and instead turned to the religiously ambiguous duo of a a talking snowman and his sidekick, an anonymous penguin, to entertain kids. more ›

Just a friendly reminder to watch yourself at those public pools: a Catholic high school teacher pleaded guilty today to using a hidden camera to record the girls' locker rooms at the Lasker Pool on 110th Street the YMCA pool at 224 East 47th Street last summer. "Peeping" Tom David Canela—chairman of modern languages at the private, all-girls St. Jean Baptiste High School and a part time lifeguard—faces up to a year in jail. We bet this never happens at the dumpster pools. more ›

Remember that $16 million YMCA that opened in Park Slope this past winter? Well, it would like to be called "the Y" now, thank you very much. The 166-year-old institution is re-branding, and it's taking a cue from its biggest fans: “It’s a way of being warmer, more genuine, more welcoming, when you call yourself what everyone else calls you,” said Kate Coleman, the organization’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Yeah, unless what everyone is calling you is "Prince of Darkness" or "Numbnuts". more ›

In his State of the Borough address tonight, Borough President Marty Markowitz will lobby to turn two Brooklyn armories into recreation centers with gym facilities. Currently the huge old buildings—located on Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights and on Sumner Avenue in Bed-Stuy—house homeless shelters, and, like the recently-opened Park Slope Armory YMCA, they may continue to do so. "The [YMCA] in Park Slope is just beginning, but I have a hunch in a few short months it's going to be jam-packed," Markowitz said. "Bedford Stuyvesant deserves it as much as Park Slope, and so does northern Crown Heights." more ›

Did you know that author William S. Burroughs lived in a partially converted YMCA at 222 Bowery? He called the apartment "The Bunker," and it's still around today. Brooklynite Peter Ross recently took a series of photographs documenting his items in the space, which in 1997 (when Burroughs died) was taken over by their mutual friend John Giorno. more ›

After many set-backs a new YMCA celebrated its grand opening in the 115-year-old Park Slope Armory yesterday. The 140,000 square foot space, which used to be a drill factory, will now host separate track, soccer and basketball events as well as weight rooms, fitness machines and exercise classes, according to the Brooklyn Paper. “It’s ginormous!” said Tess Lovell, a first-grader whose school will use the new facility as its gym. As for how the renovation was financed, NY 1 says The Department of Homeless Services gave $8 million, since a women's shelter shares the space, and the rest came from the borough president's office and the City Council. The new Y opens to the public on Jan. 30, and the best part? Like all Brooklyn YMCAs individual memberships costs just $40 a month or $72 for families. more ›

Hey, pretend it's the '50s and you're reading this article in a newspaper titled "Who’s That With Baby at the Y? Why, It’s Daddy." Wait, shouldn't daddy be at the office with his briefcase while mommy is with the baby at the Y, or preferably in the kitchen making dinner and starching shirts? more ›

There are some really cute quotes from kids who got to swim with Michael Phelps at the McBurney YMCA yesterday. A little girl who told the Sun that Phelps is "the fastest swimmer in the world" said of her own speed, "I don't swim fast or slow — I'm just medium." The NY Times overheard children saying, “I want to ask him if he can make more medals, really" and “He was like a person who was as great at swimming as a shark" while an instructor said, “This made, like, all of our years.” Phelps himself informed reporters he had a snack before the press conference (he was presenting a check from Visa to the Y's youth swimming programs), "How much more American can you get than having a hot dog, drink and a pretzel?" more ›

Michael Phelps, 14-gold medal Olympian and future SNL host, was at the McBurney YMCA earlier today to encourage swimming at a young age. He helped present a $20,000 check from Visa to the YMCA of Greater New York. The money will go to expanding its aquatic facilities in Brooklyn and Queens as well as its 2nd Grade Swim program. more ›

The man believed to have shot his estranged wife at a YMCA in Montclair, NJ--in front of his daughter--was apprehended in Brooklyn yesterday. Police had been looking for Kenneth Duckett for the past 12 days, and a tip was called in leading them to an apartment in Flatbush. Duckett is awaiting extradition to NJ; Essex County prosecutor Paula Dow said, "He's been formally charged with murder and various weapons offenses. Bail has been set at one million dollars." more ›