Buckhead
Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA
If you don’t win acceptance at Cherokee Town and Country Club, you still have options for fitness and club-like socialization. Specifically, the Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA at Buckhead is a remarkable deal. Curled in a leafy nook where Moores Mill meets the interstate, it has all the weightlifting things you’ll need, plus full-court basketball, tennis courts galore, fitness classes, an indoor track—Jesus, they’ve even got a hot tub, a sauna, and a steam room. AND: To complement the indoor lap pool, an outdoor pool is open during the summer, and it includes a two-story twisty slide that is from the land of kid (and dad) dreams. The architecture lets in ample light and leaves room for motivational signs and views of the trees. And they’re expanding!