Commodore Barry Park

NYC PARKS KICKS OFF THE 2019 OUTDOOR POOL SEASON AT WAGNER POOL, ONE OF THE CITY’S SIX NEWEST COOL POOLS

NYC PARKS KICKS OFF THE 2019 OUTDOOR POOL SEASON AT WAGNER POOL, ONE OF THE CITY’S SIX NEWEST COOL POOLS

A total of 11 Intermediate Pools have now received the Cool Pools treatment with new colors, art, games, greenery and lounge furniture

NYC Parks’ 53 outdoor pools will open for the season on Thursday, June 27, and remain open through Sunday, September 8. 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 summer, Parks has debuted colorful make-overs at six of our intermediate-sized pools, part of a program called “Cool Pools NYC” which debuted for the first time last year. The six new Cool Pools sites are:

• Wagner Pool in Harlem
• Dry Dock Pool on the Lower East Side
• Liberty Pool in Queens
• Claremont Pool in the Bronx
• Commodore Barry Pool in Brooklyn
• Tottenville Pool in Staten Island

Today, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, joined Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development Vickie Been, Chair of Community Board 11 Parks Committee Ryan Sheffield, Director of No Kid Hungry NY Rachel Sabella, CEO of Hunger Free America Joel Berg, and former NY Yankee and YES Network Broadcaster John Flaherty to celebrate the start of the outdoor pool season and debut the new Cool Pool at Wagner Pool in Harlem. After remarks, Commissioner Silver jumped in with the kids to celebrate the first splash of the summer. The season kickoff celebration featured music, refreshments from the School Food NYC summer meals truck, and demonstrations from NYC Parks swim team members and senior athletes.

“It is my pleasure to officially declare the city’s coolest spaces – our outdoor pools – open for the summer!” said Commissioner Silver. “Hot on the heels of last year’s five successful Cool Pools NYC locations, we are ecstatic to unveil six more this year. We know these modern oases, with their colorful art, lounge chairs, and new greenery, will keep New Yorkers in all five boroughs cool and in style all summer long.”

“Our focus on the health and well-being of young people continues throughout the summer months, and we want all New Yorkers to know that we provide free breakfast and lunch across the City,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “We’re thrilled to partner with Parks again this year to make meals available to anyone 18 and under, no identification or registration required—it’s that simple!”

“It is with tremendous pride that our community gathered here today to celebrate the reopening of the newly upgraded Wagner Pool and the opening of all of New York City’s outdoor pools,” said Chair of Community Board 11 Parks Committee Ryan Sheffield. “The opening of our beautiful city pools represents the resiliency, dedication and sheer hard work of our community collaborative. Thank you to the NYC Parks Department, our elected officials, and all of the community stakeholders that played an integral role in creating a warm, welcoming and truly inclusive space for all this summer.”

This summer, Parks is unveiling six new Cool Pools which have been transformed with a bright new paint palette, polar-themed art, new lounge furniture provided by Brooklyn-based global design company West Elm, greenery, games and more! Prior to Cool Pools NYC, none of these sites had a major renovation since they were built in the 1970s. Cool Pools NYC will improve the quality of life for people in the communities where these pools are located, and bring people together to interact with their pools – and each other – in a cool new way! After the pilot kicked off at five pools in 2018, attendance rose by 27%.

NYC Parks will also partner with the Department of Education to offer Summer Meals-- free breakfast and lunch at sites across the City, including Cool Pools. Meals are available to any New Yorker 18 and under, no identification or registration is required. This year’s summer breakfast menu features whole grain bagels, cheese omelets and waffles, along with cereal and seasonal fresh fruit. Daily menus and location details are available on the mobile app and website.

NYC Parks will once again install sunscreen dispensers to provide free SPF 30 sun protection at all of its outdoor pools and beaches. This important health and safety measure is being provided to the City for the third year in a row at no cost by Northwell Health via Bright Guard.

NYC Parks offers FREE Learn to Swim lessons at outdoor pools throughout the City. Registration is run by an online lottery hosted on the Parks website. In addition to swimming lessons, Parks hosts water aerobics, senior splash, lap swimming programs, adaptive aquatics, and more – all for free. For a full list of offerings, check out our Citywide Aquatics page.