New York City is the best example of a concrete jungle, but if you’re planning to head there for a vacation, buildings and skyscrapers aren’t the only things you’ll see. New York is actually packed with both public and private swimming pools that help you beat the heat in the summer, or enjoy a warm dip in the winter.
For the best spots for a quick dip or for simply chilling poolside, here are the best swimming pools in New York.
10 Best New York Hotel Swimming Pools
1. The Beach at Dream Downtown
The Beach is a 5000-square foot pool with a glass bottom and set amidst Dream Downtown’s towering structures. It offers the perfect mix of tropical and industrial, with its manmade beach with sand coming all the way from the Hamptons. An adult-only pool, hotel guests can use the pool for free while non-guests can enjoy a swim for $80 on the weekdays and $100 on the weekends.
The Beach at Dream Downtown is located at 355 W 16th Street, Chelsea. For more info, visit www.dreamhotels.com/downtown.
2.1Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Boasting jaw-dropping views of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, the L-shaped infinity plunge pool at 1Hotel is more for chilling than actual swimming. The pool is only 3 feet deep and is best enjoyed with a cocktail in hand.
1Hotel Brooklyn Bridge’s rooftop pool is located at 60 Furman Street in Brooklyn. For more info, visit www.1hotels.com/brooklyn-bridge.
3. Jimmy, Soho
A rooftop pool that’s exclusive for its hotel guests on weekdays, the pool is open to the public on weekends and is one of the very few rooftop pools with a large deck with unobstructed views of the city.
It is located at 15 Thompson Street in Soho. For more info, visit www.jimmysoho.com.
4. William Vale
The open-air pool area of William Vale boasts of being the longest outdoor pool in Brooklyn. Surrounded by a 5000 square foot terrace, the pool is 6o feet long and offers spectacular views of the Brooklyn skyline. It’s a heated pool so guests get to enjoy evening swims without feeling the chill of the night.
William Vale is located at 111 North 12th Street, Greenpoint. For more info, visit www.thewilliamvale.com.
5.SoHo House
Another heated pool on our list is SoHo House’s plunge pool. It offers overlooking views of the Hudson River and the meatpacking district, enjoying a chic and young clientele of creatives.
SoHo House is located at 29-35 9th Avenue, Soho. For more info, visit www.sohohouseny.com.
6. TWA Pool
The only swimming pool in New York where you can see airplanes as they leave the runway, TWA Pool is located at TWA Hotel at the JFK Access Road. The rooftop infinity pool offers a cool respite from the heat while it becomes a pool-Cuzzi during the fall and winter seasons. Rates for pool use vary depending on the season, with summer and spring requiring both guests and non-guests to pay a fee between $25 to $50.
The pool is located inside TWA Hotel at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, JFK Access Road, One Idlewild Drive. For more info, visit www.twahotel.com.
7. QC NY Spa Pool
An infinity spa pool, the QC NY pool offers spectacular views of Manhattan. QC NY is a spa located at Governors Island, which is only a ferry ride away from Manhattan.
The QC NY pool is located at 112 Andes Road, Governors Island, New York. For more info, visit www.qcny.com.
8. Manhattan Plaza Health Club
Moving away from hotels and spas, tourists can enjoy a private pool for the price of $25 at the Manhattan Plaza Health Club. Its rooftop pool features a retractable glass roof, and the day pass gives you access to the pool from 6 am to 11 pm on the weekdays, and 8 am to 9 pm on the weekends.
The pool is located at 482 West 43rd St. at 10th Avenue. For more info, visit www.mphc.com.
9. The Floating Pool
If you don’t want to pay a fee to swim in a New York City pool, but still want something with amazing views of the city, The Floating Pool is for you. Located in the Bronx, it is a unique 7-lane pool that’s 82 feet long and is located on a moving barge, thus, its name. The barge is docked at Barretto Point Park and frequented by locals.
Find the pool at the dock of Barretto Point Park, Bronx. For more info, visit www.nycgovparks.org.
10.McCarren Park Pool
And lastly, for the ultimate public pool experience in New York, nothing beats McCarren Park Pool. It boasts a total of 37,571 square feet of swimming area with ample sunbathing space. It’s open from 11 am to 7 pm and you also get access to an indoor recreation center with a basketball court and fitness equipment.
It is located at 776 Lorimer Street between Bayard Street and Driggs Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. For more info, visit www.nyvgovparks.org.
There you have it, a mix of both public and private swimming pools in New York City that has something for everyone. From public pools that are completely free to upscale rooftop pools with limited capacities, New York City offers vast options for all your swimming pool pleasures.
ls with limited capacities, New York City offers vast options for all your swimming pool pleasures.
10 Public Swimming Pools In and Around New York
Manhattan, New York is the quintessential image of the Big Apple – skyscrapers, office buildings, and giant flashing lights in Times Square. But while this is the image most people have of the city, Manhattan is but a small part of it, as New York is packed with parks in all of its 5 boroughs.
Wherever you may be in New York City, be it in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx, you are sure to find a public pool that will appeal to your swimming delights. Public pools in New York open from late June to September, offering locals and tourists the perfect way to beat the scorching summer heat.
All of the public pools mentioned in this list are free to use, so whether you live in New York or visiting, you’ll have your equal share of water to splash.
Here are 10 public swimming pools in and around New York:
1. Hamilton Fish Pool
Frequently mentioned as the best public pool in New York, there are two pools found here: an Olympic-size for athletes and adults, and a kiddie pool for children. Well-maintained, clean, and with plenty of lifeguards on duty, it is the public pool of choice on the Lower East Side.
Hamilton Fish Pool is located at 128 Pitt and Houston Streets, Lower East Side, Manhattan.
2. Lasker Pool
Lasker Pool is the iconic pool located at the northern tip of Central Park. It’s an outdoor public swimming pool in the summer, and doubles as an ice rink in the winter – yes, it’s that famous ice rink you see in many New York Christmas movies.
Lasker Pool is located inside Central Park, at 830 5th Avenue.
3. John Jay Pool
John Jay Pool is a family-friendly pool located on the Upper East Side. It had a $5 Million renovation in 2019 and offers modern facilities that include a diving pool, playground with sprinkler systems, and a snack bar inside.
John Jay Pool is located at York Avenue and 77th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan.
4. Highbridge Park Pool
Highbridge Park Pool is another Manhattan public outdoor pool, and it’s located in Washington Heights. There are two rectangular swimming pools here, a 50-meter main pool, and a 30-meter wading pool for kids. The pools are enclosed by a small brick wall, which offers some sense of privacy from the rest of the park.
Highbridge Park Pool is located at 2301 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan.
5. Jackie Robinson Pool
A public pool located in Harlem, Manhattan, Jackie Robinson Pool is an Olympic-size pool but the area does have a sprinkler park with hoops that shoot water, which is great for little kids. A playground is also found near the pool.
Jackie Robinson Pool is located at Bradhurst Avenue and West 146th Street, Harlem, Manhattan.
6. Lyons Pool
Lyons Pool is Staten Island’s largest public outdoor pool and it’s also the borough’s oldest. The main pool can accommodate a total of 2,800 swimmers at a time and there’s also a separate pool specifically for diving.
Lyons Pool is located at Murray Julbert Ave. between Hannah Street and Victory Boulevard in Staten Island.
7. Astoria Pool
Astoria Pool is the most popular public pool in Queens. It is an Olympic-size pool with stunning views of the Triborough Bridge and the Upper East Side. The pool’s claim to fame is that it was used during the 1936 and 1964 Summer Olympic Games.
Astoria Pool is located at 19th Street and 23rd Drive, Astoria, Queens.
8. Liberty Pool
There are two pools here, an Olympic-size, and a wading pool for kids. Liberty Pool is found at Detective Keith L. Williams Park, which is known for offering swimming lessons and sports classes to local kids.
Liberty Pool is located at 105-31 172nd St., Jamaica, Queens.
9. Douglas and Degraw Pool
The Douglas and Degraw Pool is Olympic size with a separate wading pool for kids. It is one of the family-friendly public pools in New York, which offer other facilities, such as a shaded sundeck, sprinklers for kids, as well as picnic tables nearby.
The Douglas and Degraw Pool is located at 250 Douglas St., Brooklyn.
10. Asser Levy Pool
The Asser Levy Pool is located within the Asser Levy Recreation Center. There are two pools here, an indoor and an outdoor pool. The outdoor pool is free to use and open during the summer, while the indoor pool requires a membership to the Center, with an annual fee to be paid. Aside from the outdoor adult pool, there’s also an outdoor wading pool for kids.
Asser Levy Pool is located at 501 Asser Levy Place, E. 23rd St., Manhattan.
Information about all the public swimming pools listed here can be found at www.nycgovparks.com. When you visit New York, there are great swimming pools found all over the city that are open to the public for free. Some public pools also offer indoor pools that are open all year round, but most of them require membership with annual dues, just like the Asser Levy indoor pool.
The next time you visit New York on a hot summer day, take note of these 10 public pools in the Big Apple so you can take a dip and cool down without having to pay a dime.
