#48: Greenwich Family YMCA Wren Weisenburger Pool

Location: Greenwich, Connecticut

Configuration: 25 yards by 50 meters, give or take a ramp

Fee: Free for indeterminate reasons while in the company of a Rye Y member

Fees to Date: $191.87

The very first follower of my blog got right into the spirit of my project and immediately suggested three pools. I made it to one of them– Hommocks–in the dead of winter and have returned a bunch of times but hadn’t ventured to the other options so kindly offered up. With the end of the year fast approaching, it was time to take action on JGH’s recommendations.

My office was closed on Election Day, making it a good time to travel across state lines for a swim at the Greenwich Family YMCA. The aquatics center is new within the past several years and presented many naming opportunities to the town’s wealthy denizens. The pool itself was funded by the Wren and Weisenburger families–though whether they funded the Y out of default or just the initial estimated cost I couldn’t tell you–and elements such as locker rooms and the timing system (above right) recognize their respective donors. I just hope that none of their cars were parked in the garage underneath during the unsuccessful test of the pool’s ability to hold water.

Another goof was a miscalculation regarding the length, such that the wheelchair ramp has to be removed for the full 50-meter length to be swimmable. We were there during 25-yard time, and there were a plethora of lanes available even with the diving well sectioned off and some lanes taken up by a youth team.

Between the ample space and the sunlight pouring in, the visit was quite enjoyable. Despite the rich Zip code, this is still a Y, with all the friendliness and community programming you’d expect. The unpleasant surprise came later when a rash in the pull-buoy-contact area of my legs broke out. I diagnosed this as cooties. Fancy, Greenwich-variety cooties, specifically.

Earlier this year, another 50-meter pool opened nearby. It does not allow drop-in visitors or trial memberships, and the masters coach did not reply to an inquiry about a trial workout. For occasional 50-meter training in southwestern Connecticut, the Greenwich Y is the place to go.

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