Best gym for weightlifting?

Since I'll be home over the summer, I won't be able to use my school's rec center to work out in. Using my dad's equipment is somewhat out of the question, so I thought I could join a gym. The only thing is that I've found that the websites for a lot of popular gyms don't include a list of equipment. Can anyone here, who either lifts in a gym, or goes to a gym that at least knows they have a nice free weight section, give any recommendations?

most conventional gyms have a free weights section (unconventional ones i can think of:  curves, lucille roberts).  gold's gym, equinox, ny/boston/washington/philadelphia sports clubs, planet fitness, crunch.  you'd really have to go to the local branch to find out if there are enough benches, barbells, etc., bec they're all different (like some branches may not even have a regular squat rack). 

Sadly many "convenience" gyms don't have a great selection of free weights due to limited space. Many squat racks stay sad, lonely and unused so they get ditched for 15 different ab machines or something

A. Why is using your dad's equipment "out of the question"?

B. It wouldn't be prudent to join a gym without first taking a tour.

Original Post by trhawley:

B. It wouldn't be prudent to join a gym without first taking a tour.

^ exactly.

I visited three different gyms at the time of day that I was going to be using them. Not only did I get a good idea of what equipment they have to offer, but how busy they were going to be as well.

 

My membership is at a gym called Fitness 19; mediocre place, but functional (and cheap!).

For me, the best gym is the one closest to my house.  Convenience greatly increases compliance.  But it sounds like that's not really your problem. 

I agree, you should take a tour and don't ever trust the websites.  A lot of gyms are huge corporations and the websites only describe what their *typical* locations offer.  Those typical locations tend to be the newest and nicest, so they aren't particularly representative.