If you went to the Y in 1937 you’d be heading downtown, because the YMCA was located on the south side of Park Avenue West between Walnut and Mulberry, just east of First Lutheran Church.
There were dances for teenagers every Monday night, and the gymnasium had all the latest equipment, even though it was built in 1898.
The building had to be abandoned in 1954 when a gas line exploded, so a new Y was built farther out Park Avenue West at Bartley Avenue…a modern facility including, for the first time, both the YMCA and the YWCA.
Both of these facilities on Park Avenue, from 1898 to 1999 were traditional urban Y centers that included living space amenities, almost like motel rooms, where—like the song said—You could stay at the YMCA.
In 2000 the new Y was opened on Lexington Avenue where state-of-the-art resources promote a healthier lifestyle for the community.
