Astoria Park

NEW YORK CITY's OUTDOOR PUBLIC POOLS OPEN TOMORROW

Intermediate and Olympic sized pools to stay open additional week, until Sunday, September 10

NYC Parks Expands Free Sunscreen Pilot to Outdoor Pools City-Wide

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Council Member Costa Constantinides, local kids and senior swimmers at Astoria Pool in Queens to celebrate the start of the outdoor pool season.

NYC Parks’ 53 outdoor pools open to the public on Thursday, June 29. Daily hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days a week. This year, NYC Parks will once again extend the swimming season by one week beyond the traditional Labor Day conclusion, at all Olympic and intermediate-sized outdoor pools.

“Today, we’re kicking off another fun and safe summer of swimming, at the City’s biggest and most popular outdoor pool,” said Commissioner Silver. “This year, our pools are open even longer into the season, so there’s more time to cool off or exercise. We’re also providing sunscreen, lunches for kids, and swim lessons for all ages – all for free!”

“Thousands of children and families across Queens look forward to the start of pool season every single year,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “Our city’s public pools are some of the most popular places in the summer months, and we thank the Parks Department for offering a fun, safe and healthy options seven days a week.”

Council Member Costa Constantinides said, "We welcome all New Yorkers to our city's pools this summer! Pools provide a space for children and families to cool off, exercise, and enjoy their time with others. I'm proud to open this year's summer pool season at Astoria Pool, one of the largest public pools in our city. Thank you to Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver and the Parks Department for providing a safe and healthy pool experience."

Water safety is a top priority for NYC Parks and we urge all New Yorkers – regardless of their swimming ability – to be cautious and alert in and around the water. As always, we encourage everyone to Be WaterSafe by following Parks’ Top 10 Water Safety Tips:

1. Only swim where lifeguards are present and follow their directions
2. Learn to swim
3. Never leave children unattended
4. Obey all posted signs and flags
5. Watch for dangerous waves and rip currents
6. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings
7. Wear a life jacket when boating
8. Don’t take unnecessary risks
9. Be safe in the sun
10. Know before you go

Parks is also furthering its sun safety efforts this summer by expanding the May-launched free sunscreen pilot to city pools across the five boroughs. Launched at beaches, for the first time NYC Parks will also install sunscreen dispensers and provide free broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen at its outdoor pools. The American Academy of Dermatology in partnership with Sun Shield, have donated 300 liters of sunscreen and dispensers for the pilot expansion. Now, New Yorkers can protect themselves from long, sun-drenched hours on pool decks in the city.

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, in June 2016, advocated for free sunscreen distribution in City parks and beaches to aid in combatting the national average of one in five who are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. Through the research highlighted in the Comptroller’s proposal, the report described successful programs in Miami and Boston, and included recommendations that the City work to implement similar efforts that would benefit sun-loving New Yorkers.

This summer at 79 parks and pools throughout the city, kids 18 and under are able to receive free, nutritious meals provided by the USDA through SchoolFood, New York City Department of Education. For a full list of sites, please visit: nycgovparks.org/programs/summer-meals.

NYC Parks’ maintenance and operations staff have spent the past several weeks preparing all of the outdoor pools for opening day. Prep work typically includes scraping, patching, and repainting the pool basins; designating lap lines and safety zones to indicate depths; and servicing filtration systems and water lines. In summer 2016, public outdoor pools received 1.9 million visitors.

At 330 feet in length, the Astoria Park pool is the largest of NYC Parks’ outdoor pools.

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