It’s swim time! New York City’s outdoor pools open tomorrow, and the weather couldn’t be more cooperative. Expect tens of thousands of cool, happy people drip-drying throughout the boroughs all weekend.
We lap swimmers have to wait until Monday, July 7, for our early bird and night owl programs to begin, but you may be able to get in some laps in pools with designated areas such as Red Hook or Sunset Park. Just be sure to know and follow the rules, lest you be denied entry to pool paradise for lacking a lock or liner.
I took this opportunity to register for adult lap swim at a bunch of pools to give myself added motivation for pool tourism. Registration is instantaneous and free if a bit cumbersome. Should you wish to register for six pools, for example, you will have to type in your name twelve times. It’s worth it. Be sure to check the box for award eligibility so that you can earn an invitation to the annual awards dinner, which is a veritable poolapalooza.
“New” pools I hope to hit this season include WPA gems Astoria Park Pool in Queens and Lyons Pool in Staten Island. My usual summer routine of mornings at John Jay Park has to change due to a new job location and schedule, so I may become more of a regular in Central Park’s Lasker Pool or East Harlem’s Thomas Jefferson Park Pool.
Here for good measure, are a few more possibilities to whet your appetite: Jackie Robinson, Asser Levy, and Hamilton Fish in Manhattan and the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park and of course lake Crotona Park Pool (pictured at left).
Even before it’s begun, pool season is passing too quickly, so get out there and enjoy immediately.
40 Pools 
Sunset Park. Tomorrow at 11. I’ll be the biggest kid in line when it opens!
I’ll be with you in spirit.
I hope to join you this summer…we may have some extra company though:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/27/new-york-today-pick-your-pool/
Enjoy! Love your poolapoolooza creation! If you wrote a book about all the pools you’ve visited , that would be a great title for it! X
That should have been the name of my trip to Australia!
Thank you for this heads up — an incredibly useful guide for an overly complicated system of pools, worth navigating.. I went to opening day at Lasker and they have so many rules about even how you walk to and from the pool area, yet they let people have catch flinging a wet sock around in the pool — whatever. I was able to swim a mile happily.
Hi! Thanks for a great and useful site. I am hoping to start swimming laps at Lasker in the mornings if possible. Do you know if a swim cap is required or is it ok to come without one?
Lasker is a good choice. None of the outdoor city pools require caps.
thanks!