Outdoor pools

I guess the only pools I am aware of are all attached to gyms. What's the verdict on public pools in NYC? Seems like a scary, over-chlorinated thought.

@JenMac How's the one in Astoria?

It's a public pool. But, I'm always desperate for swimming in the summer. So, I'll take what I can get.

I have an aunt who works for the Hilton and a former neighbor who works for the Marriott and both get really great discounts on hotel rooms for friends and family. I think I might check out a few hotel pools this summer. Or just join a new gym for a few months.

Oh, summer and pools. My girlfriend has been looking for a good pool that isn't dirty. Hopefully, someone in this forum may find one and pass it on so I can relay it to her.

@everybody here's the list of all the public pools in the city-http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools
folks in my building use the outdoor pool at John Jay Park at Cherokee Place on 77th street and York and its supposed to be clean enough..

Here's another helpful list-http://manhattan.about.com/od/governmentandpolitics/a/swimmingpools.htm

Thanks, Uptowngirl. I'll pass the list on and see what my girlfriend thinks.

My roommate belongs to some pool in the city, but I really wouldn't trust his judgment. And I'm kind of iffy about public pools to begin with, no matter what city they're in. Has no one in this forum been to a public pool! I think that is saying something, too.

My girlfriend went to a public pool once last year, and an infection developed in her ear. It was quite painful until she went to the doctor and got an antibiotic for it. She never went back to the pool again. She didn't tell me the name or place of the pool.

This isn't an outdoor pool, but the Red Hook Recreation Center is quite a place. The building is old and the pool is huge and gorgeous and free to the public. The scene feels like something between a spa and a jail, with a crazy mix of hipsters and kids from the Red Hook projects mixing it up in the water.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters/B126

@DBlack That place even has indoor pools! And it's so close to me! Why did I not even know it was there? Would you say it is overwhelmingly jail-like, or just sort of jail-like?

Oh, nevermind. It looks like the closest indoor pool at an NYC park is... in Brownsville?

@ NeverSleeps Not true. Most of the pools are closed now because the season hasn't started yet. But there are a lot of public pools: in Red Hook, in Williamsburg, etc. Look at the bottom of the list here, under Brooklyn. The pools listed in grey are not open now but will be soon:

http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools

@DBlack Ah, yes I think I should've spent a little more time on the website...

I'm seriously considering joining the Red Hook pool. I had no idea that it was so affordable! And, yes, @DBlack just how jail-ish is it? Can you swim laps, or is it really crowded all the time?

The pool is huge but you could only swim in part of it when I was there. You should just go have a look. I can't say I frequent the place, so I don't know if it tends to be full or not most times. It was okay when I was there, not so crowded that you couldn't have your own space.

@DBlack it's on my to do list of things I need to accomplish after it stops raining.

We've often discussed the whereabouts of the city's swimming pools , the Daily News today has a list of some of the coolest pools in NYC and I can vouch for the pool at the Parker Meridian though I dont think it is open to the general public.
http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/galleries/coolest_nyc_rooftop_pools/coolest_nyc_rooftop_pools.html

@uptowngirl Those are some fabulous photos. I'm especially a fan of the bar pool at the Grace Hotel - if only it weren't in Times Square!

Yes @BroadwayBK aren't they quite Fab even the Empire Hotel Pool deck on the UWS is a wow!!!