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McCarren Park Pool.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

NYC’s 10 coolest outdoor pools to check out this summer

There’s at least one in every borough

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McCarren Park Pool.
| Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Summer is coming to an end, which means it’s time to get one last swim in before the season ends. But you don’t have much time left: the city’s outdoor pools close on September 8 (the same day that New York’s beaches close).

So how do you know which swimming spots are worth your time? We’ve got you covered: Here, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best outdoor pools in NYC. And if there are cool pools around NYC that you’re particularly fond of, let us know in the comments.

Looking for more ways to cool off? There are plenty of hotels with rooftop and indoor pools. If water isn’t your thing, check out our guide to places where you can enjoy free air conditioning in New York City.

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Tony Dapolito Pool

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The Tony Dapolito Pool, also known as the Carmine Street pool, has been a staple in the West Village for decades. The pool itself is pretty standard, but what makes it special is the wall-encompassing Keith Haring mural that overlooks it.

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Hamilton Fish Pool

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For a swim in a piece of NYC history, head to Hamilton Fish Park. When the Lower East Side park was overhauled in 1936, the intention was to make the Olympic-sized pool its main attraction. “The Hamilton Fish Pool was so highly regarded that the U.S. Olympic Team used it for practice sessions on their way to the 1952 Helsinki Games,” says NYC Parks.

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Lasker Rink

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During the winter months, this Central Park rink is a hotspot for ice skating and hockey, but in the summertime it is transformed into an outdoor pool. The pool opens toward the end of June and from there will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free and there are free swimming lessons and lap swim programs that are offered free of charge as well.

Claremont Pool

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This year, Claremont Park’s pool in the Bronx is part of a group of six “Cool Pools,” which means that there will be lounge chairs for sunbathing, cabana-style shade structures, and poolside activities including fitness classes and games.

NYC Parks

Floating Pool

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In 2006, Barretto Point Park opened up in Hunts Point and with it came the Floating Pool Lady. The floating pool is situated on a barge that was transformed into an 82-foot-long, seven-lane public swimming oasis that docks at the park each summer. It’s about the closest you can get to swimming the river without having to actually swim in the river.

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Fort Totten Pool

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Located at 338 Story Avenue, Fort Totten Park has a diving, wading, and intermediate pool. The park, which sits in the modernized Civil War fortress, has a “Greenway” area designated only for pedestrians and bikers, NYC Parks says.

NYC Parks

Astoria Pool

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The public outdoor pool at Astoria Park happens to be the city’s oldest, as well as the city’s largest. The Olympic-sized pool first made its debut on July 4, 1936, hosting the finals of the Olympic swim tryouts. Per NYC Parks, the pool has remained largely unchanged in the years since and is decribed as being “one of the most architecturally remarkable public recreational facilities in the country.” The pool reopens for the summer on June 27 and will be open daily from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m.

McCarren Park Pool

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First opened in 1936, McCarren Park’s pool has gone through several changes through the years, but it was reopened in the summer of 2012 after a renovation by Rogers Marvel Architects with a capacity for 1,500 swimmers.

NYC Parks

Lyons Pool Recreation Center

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Head to Staten Island’s St. George neighborhood and you’ll find this Olympic-sized swimming pool that has something for everyone: There are 14 lanes for experts, a diving area, and a small wading pool for the little ones.

NYC Parks.

Faber Pool

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Faber Park’s pool, which opened in 1932, was the largest in Staten Island at the time it was built, and provided “children with a safer alternative to swimming in the polluted waters of the Kill Van Kull,” NYC Parks says. And fun fact: Faber Park is located in what once was the home of the Faber family—the owners of the famous pencil manufacturing company which later on became Faber-Castell, Inc.

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Tony Dapolito Pool

The Tony Dapolito Pool, also known as the Carmine Street pool, has been a staple in the West Village for decades. The pool itself is pretty standard, but what makes it special is the wall-encompassing Keith Haring mural that overlooks it.

A post shared by Mark (@marknormand) on

Hamilton Fish Pool

For a swim in a piece of NYC history, head to Hamilton Fish Park. When the Lower East Side park was overhauled in 1936, the intention was to make the Olympic-sized pool its main attraction. “The Hamilton Fish Pool was so highly regarded that the U.S. Olympic Team used it for practice sessions on their way to the 1952 Helsinki Games,” says NYC Parks.

A post shared by jacob (@bluemenstein) on

Lasker Rink

During the winter months, this Central Park rink is a hotspot for ice skating and hockey, but in the summertime it is transformed into an outdoor pool. The pool opens toward the end of June and from there will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free and there are free swimming lessons and lap swim programs that are offered free of charge as well.

Claremont Pool

This year, Claremont Park’s pool in the Bronx is part of a group of six “Cool Pools,” which means that there will be lounge chairs for sunbathing, cabana-style shade structures, and poolside activities including fitness classes and games.

NYC Parks

Floating Pool

In 2006, Barretto Point Park opened up in Hunts Point and with it came the Floating Pool Lady. The floating pool is situated on a barge that was transformed into an 82-foot-long, seven-lane public swimming oasis that docks at the park each summer. It’s about the closest you can get to swimming the river without having to actually swim in the river.

A post shared by Sabrina (@sabrinalrivera) on

Fort Totten Pool

Located at 338 Story Avenue, Fort Totten Park has a diving, wading, and intermediate pool. The park, which sits in the modernized Civil War fortress, has a “Greenway” area designated only for pedestrians and bikers, NYC Parks says.

NYC Parks

Astoria Pool

The public outdoor pool at Astoria Park happens to be the city’s oldest, as well as the city’s largest. The Olympic-sized pool first made its debut on July 4, 1936, hosting the finals of the Olympic swim tryouts. Per NYC Parks, the pool has remained largely unchanged in the years since and is decribed as being “one of the most architecturally remarkable public recreational facilities in the country.” The pool reopens for the summer on June 27 and will be open daily from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m.

McCarren Park Pool

First opened in 1936, McCarren Park’s pool has gone through several changes through the years, but it was reopened in the summer of 2012 after a renovation by Rogers Marvel Architects with a capacity for 1,500 swimmers.

NYC Parks

Lyons Pool Recreation Center

Head to Staten Island’s St. George neighborhood and you’ll find this Olympic-sized swimming pool that has something for everyone: There are 14 lanes for experts, a diving area, and a small wading pool for the little ones.

NYC Parks.

Faber Pool

Faber Park’s pool, which opened in 1932, was the largest in Staten Island at the time it was built, and provided “children with a safer alternative to swimming in the polluted waters of the Kill Van Kull,” NYC Parks says. And fun fact: Faber Park is located in what once was the home of the Faber family—the owners of the famous pencil manufacturing company which later on became Faber-Castell, Inc.