New York's best public pools
Fifty-something years later, and still the Lovin’ Spoonful says it best: “Hot town, summer in the city / Back of my neck getting burnt and gritty.” The rest of the song describes the wonderful breezes at night, especially on rooftops, but neglects to mention the easiest, most fun way to keep cool during brutal New York City summers: public pools.
Before you call us crazy and click away, consider this: Temperatures in July and August hover around 90°F (32°C), with humidity so thick the whole city seems swollen. Most apartment buildings and hotels don’t have swimming facilities. The beach is a long car-, subway-, or bus-ride away. Air conditioners eat up the ozone . . . you get the picture. New York’s 54 outdoor pools are either free or super-cheap, conveniently located around town, and generally open every day from the end of June to Labor Day. Naturally, you’re required to wear appropriate swimming attire and supply your own lock; we recommend leaving your high-tech gadgets, heirloom jewelry, and wads of cash at home. For up-to-date information about the city’s parks, call 311 or (212) NEW YORK.
What follows are a few of our favorites. We’ll see you there!
Hamilton Fish Recreation Center Open daily, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Hamilton Fish has two pools: a tiny one for the kids, and a vastly bigger one (330 by 165 feet) for the adults, both staffed with lifeguards and both free. The Beaux Arts gym with changing facilities is the only survivor of the original nineteenth-century park. We can thank Robert Moses for the 1936 renovation: As parks commissioner, the former college swim team captain took time away from his pro-car agenda to advocate for the construction of a pool, thereby giving generations of Lower East Siders and their friends a place to cool off. 128 Pitt Street, between Stanton and Houston Streets. Stay practically down the street at the Thompson LES.
Red Hook Recreation Center In the early seventeenth century, Dutch settlers gave the area its name, due to the land’s unique color and shape: Roode Hoek. Today, Red Hook is a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, with a vibrant farmer’s market, large Ikea complex, and awesome, rarely crowded outdoor pool, open Monday–Friday, 8 am to 9.30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 am to 5.30 p.m. When you’re done swimming, walk a few blocks to the Red Hook Ball Fields and snack on stuffed pupusas, tacos, and grilled corn. The carts and food trucks have become must-visits for anyone who appreciates, or wants to learn to appreciate, freshly prepared, authentic South American specialties. 155 Bay Street, between Clinton and Henry Streets. Brooklyn’s Nu Hotel is close to the F train, which stops within walking distance to the pool.
Riverbank State Park For some folks, summer simply isn’t hot enough. These souls need to make themselves even hotter by playing softball, handball, tennis, or soccer. If this sounds like you, check out Riverbank State Park, where you can play yourself sweaty, then cool off in the indoor or outdoor pool. The park’s location — almost 70 feet above the Hudson River, atop a wastewater treatment facility — guarantees extraordinary views of the Palisades’s leafy cliffs and the George Washington Bridge’s steel lines. Open daily, from 9 am to 6 p.m.; free for kids under the age of four, $1 for kids five to 15 and adults over 62, $2 for everyone else. 679 Riverside Drive, at 145th Street. From the Marrakech Hotel, you can take the 1 train uptown or walk north, through Riverside Park.
Astoria Park Pool Moses and his fellow city planners named this pool -- New York's largest and oldest -- for the surrounding neighborhood, not the intense rapids in the nearby East River. After all, "Hell Gate Park" doesn't have quite the same ring as "Astoria Park." In addition to fantastic views of the Triborough Bridge and the Manhattan skyline, the pool has two so-called mushroom fountains, which shoot water 25 feet into the air, and underwater lighting that was revolutionary when the pool opened in 1936. There's also a separate diving pool with a 32-foot-high platform --- that's Olympic regulation, for those of you keeping track. Free and open daily, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. When we called to verify the hours, the operator called it "the most popular place in America." Be prepared to wait. 19th Street at 23rd Drive. The Loews Regency is close to the N train, which stops near the park.
Washington Square Park OK, we’re cheating here a bit, since the newly renovated Washington Square Park doesn’t technically have a pool. What it does have, however, is a ginormous fountain, and it is awesome. A recent renovation aligned the fountain with the Washington Square Arch, which means you plant yourself along the rim’s tiered seating area, stick your feet in the cool water, and stare straight up Fifth Avenue. Full-on swimming might be frowned upon, at least by anyone over the age of 10. That said, the famously bohemian Greenwich Village does tend to pride itself on a live-and-let-live attitude. The park is open daily from dawn to midnight; the fountain is weather-dependent. West 4th Street and Waverly Place, between MacDougal Street and University Place. The Washington Square Hotel is nearby.
––Jessica Allen and Garrett Ziegler of We Heart New York
[Photo Credit: Flickr/ericskiff]