posite sentiments, but I couldn't find anything dirty about the place, and believe me, I looked. The carpeted area around the lockers as well as the shower and bathroom areas were spotless. There was not a dirty towel to be found lying around anywhere. Nothing was out of place. And, had I forgotten my soap, shampoo, Q-tips, mouthwash, hair spray or body lo- tion, the locker room had an endless supply of these products. The only thing about the locker room that really bugged me was that instead of benches, the JCC had individual stools, about three in each row of lockers, making it hard to find a place to put my clothes. I can't remember the last time I went to the gym be- fore work, but I wanted to experience the Center at var- ious times throughout the week. I arrived at the JPM building by 7:40 a.m. It was empty. I saw maybe two or three other women in the locker room and shared the health dub's exercise room with three or four others. As a member of Vic Tanny (I joined because I bought out a friend's membership), I'm not used to seeing too many Jewish faces in the Um. Today I had to laugh as I over- Tanya Mazok- heard heard two women talking about in- Posner doesn't have a problem termarriage termarriage and how so-and-so's finding a free child was marrying a gentile. While treadmill. there is nothing inherently Jewish about working out, being in an all or mostly Jewish environment helps foster a sense ofJudaism when you least expect it. Despite complaints by members and the JCC itself that there aren't enough young people using the club, I saw someone I knew, a young at- torney, and two other women who looked like they were in their 20s or 30s. Again the television was blaring. This time, I watched ESPN while also trying to read Snow Falling on Cedars (a great book by the way) as I rode the exercise bike. By the time I showered and was ready to leave, it was 9:15 a.m.. I glanced in the workout room. It was actually crowded by JPM standards. There must have been five-seven people working out. • Throughout my two weeks at the JCC, I noticed that the times I ex- pected a crowd were actually the least crowded, and off-times — late mornings and early afternoons — were busier. It's funny. I keep hearing Julie Edgar talk about how helpful the staffis at Maple-Drake. I happened to work out there with my dad and found her observations to be true. I can't say I've had that experience at JPM. Today I briefly saw one older gen- tleman walking around wearing a JCC staff T-shirt, but it was hard to tell if he actually worked at JPM or just happened to have a staff shirt. During other visits, the staff rarely left their offices unless ap- proached for help. rm starting to wonder who Barbara, Nancy and Su- san are. As a creature of habit, I always gravitate to- ward the same locker in the women's health-dub locker room. It's in the same row of lockers as some of these women. But while I can tell you their names by heart now, I have yet to see them at JPM. As far as I know, the JCC is the only health club that allows its members to keep workout clothes in a locker. Most gyms have signs warn- ing members that locks are cut off every Friday or that they shouldn't leave their belongings overnight. rve asked myself whether I would join the JCC. It's hard for me to answer that question because rm leav- ing the area in a few weeks for law school. I've been to several area clubs, almost exclusively as a guest, and for the most part, they are all the same. Sure, some are fancier and more expensive than oth- ers, but the bottom line is as long as the equipment is up-to-date and working, the facilities are clean and the. price is right, there really is little difference. I wasn't crazy about the JCC's equipment but, like I said, rm a creature of habit. I found the health club to be neat and clean. And, as for the price, rm paying what amounts to about $12 a month — a price no one can beat. I haven't ruled out a future JCC membership en- tirely, but for now it's a non-issue. ❑ Sports Club of West Bloomfield • General membership: Initiation fee of ap- proximately $150 (varies), plus $60/month. •Aerobics: 55 hours per week. • Equipment Trotters and Star Trac treadmills, steppers, recumbent bicycles, rowing and climb- ing machines, NordicTrack, full circuits of Cybex strength equipment, free weights, Cardio The- ater. • Water 25-meter lap pool; 20-by-40-foot train- ing pool; 50-by-60-foot children's play pool. • Courts 14 tennis courts; 1 squash court. • Hours: 5:30 am.-11 p.m. weekdays; 6 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends. Franklin Racquet Club • General membership: Initiation fee of $400, but specials are common. Monthly fees are $95. • Aerobics: 35 classes a week, plus hydrotone and yoga classes. *Equipment Cybex Strength System equipment, Gravitrons, THefitaess circuit equipment, free weights, bicycles. Water: 20-yard indoor'lap pool and 25-yard outdoor lap pool. • Courts: 16 tennis courts; 8 raquetball courts; 3 squash courts; 2 basketball courts. • Hours: 6 am.-11 p.m weekdays; 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 6 a.m.-9 p.rn. Sunday. Beverly Hills Racquet Club • General membership: Without specials, fee is $350 for a one-year minimum, plus $88 monthly. • Aerobics: 40-50 classes per week. • Equipment: Treadmills, sthpmills, 2 Reebok Skywalkers, 2 cross country ski machines, bikes. Cybex and Cybex free weights. •Water 25-yard lap pool. • Courts: 7 tennis courts, basketball court, ra- quetball court. • Hours: 5:30 am.-11 p.m. daily; 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends. Jewish Community Center Health Clubs • Membership: With current 30-percent off cam- paign for new members, annual fees range from $269-$294 for individuals 18 to 24 to $1,252 for whole families. No initiation fea •Aerobics: 45 to 70 classes per week, including body toning and stretching, Hydrotone, yoga and boxercise. • Equipment: Gravitrons, Cybex and lc.arion strength machines, NordicTrack, Trotter tread- mills, recumbent bikes; Precor EFX 544 cross- training machines, Stairmasten. • Water 25-yard indoor and outdoor pools and an indoor-outdoor pool for children and individu- als with special conditions at Maple/Drake. In- door pool at JPM. • Courts: 5 indoor tennis courts; 3 outdoor ten- nis courts; 8 racquetball courts, 8 squash courts. • Hours: 5:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thurs- day; 5:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; 1-7:30 p.m. Satur- day; 5:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (7 a.m.-6 p.m. at C.0 JPM). CT) 0, Powerhouse Gym • Membership: $100 initiation fee, plus $30 to 7 $39 monthly, or $399 annually without an initia- tion fee. • Equipment: Cybex and Hammer Strength 021 machines and Bodymaster equipment. Tread- mills, recumbent bicycles, Stairmaster 4000 Fr series, free weights, weight-assisted machines. • Aerobics: Limited number of classes. • Hours: 24 hours daily; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. week- e.nds. El 'al 51