New York's Astoria Pool For Penny Pinching Swimmers

May 21, 2009 at 1:10 PM | by egw | Comments (2)

Last one in's a rotten egg! We're finding the best places in the world to stick our toes in this summer (or next winter) for our World's Coolest Pools map. Know of any pools we must check out? Let us know.

Our series so far has tended towards the exclusive, or at least the pricey -- pools where you have to be a guest to even think about sticking a toe in. But starting June 27 anyone observing the proper rules can jump into Astoria Pool, a stunning public facility which holds some 3,000 swimmers.

Originally built during the WPA by neighborhood-destroyer Robert Moses, Astoria Pool played host to Olympic tryouts twice in its history. (1936 and 1964). You have to bring your own lock for the lockers, but stunning East River views are free, and so is the use of the original Art Deco pool building.

Although its supremacy over other public pools is assured for this summer, Astoria Pool will probably face its stiffest competition in 2011 as Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool, used for the past few summers as a concert venue and hipster hangout, prepares to be converted back into a "resorty" pool. But as our grandpa always said, one pool in the hand is worth two dependent on funding which may or may not evaporate due to the economic downturn that touches all areas of life.

[Photo: victoriabelanger]

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