(Photo: Karine Laval for New York Magazine)

Public Pools

JOHN JAY POOL
E. 77th st. at Cherokee Pl.
The Scene: Kids get the run of the main pool; parents take over the diving pool.
Hours: Opens June 27; daily, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Cost and Caveats: Free. No poolside chairs or bleachers.

THE FLOATING POOL
Viele Ave. at Tiffany St., Hunts Point
The Scene: Pool-starved Bronx residents get their turn with the roving, 280-foot barge.
Hours: Opens June 27; daily, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Cost and Caveats: Free. The adjoining sludge-treatment facility befouls the air a little.

RED HOOK POOL
155 Bay St., at Clinton St., Red Hook
The Scene: Your standard mash-up of Brooklyn families, teens, and tanners.
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.– 3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m.
Cost and Caveats: Free. As always, getting to Red Hook can be a pain.

ASTORIA POOL
23rd Dr. at 19th St., Astoria
The Scene: One of the city’s largest swimming holes, the WPA-era pool is crammed with Queens kids.
Hours Daily, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m.
Cost and Caveats Free. You can’t move two feet without bumping into someone.

Private Pools

HOTEL GANSEVOORT
18 Ninth Ave., nr. 13th St. 212-206-6700
The Scene: Wealthy foreigners, business travelers, and locals who live to lounge.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 7 a.m.–11 p.m. (hotel guests only on weekends)
Cost and Caveats: $250 per day (Mon.–Fri. only). The scary day rate is offset by the throw-ins: a 60-minute spa treatment, a cocktail, a towel, some gossip rags, and designer sunblock.

EXCELSIOR ATHLETIC CLUB
301 E. 57th St., at Second Ave. 212-688-5280
The Scene: Palm and ficus trees make cubicle refugees feel like they’re on vacation, not a lunch break. The retractable roof lets you work on your tan and your swimmer’s abs.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 5 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Cost and Caveats: $25 per day. If you’re child-averse, steer clear of family swim on weekends from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

STUYVESANT H.S. COMMUNITY CENTER
345 Shambers St., nr. North End Ave. 646-210-4292
The Scene: On weeknights, a wide range of Tribecans not lucky enough to have a pool in their building. The kid contingent takes over on weekends.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 3–8:45 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m.–5:45 p.m.
Cost and Caveats: $12 per day, $300 per year. Though fairly empty, it still gets hit with a big-crowd dose of chlorine daily.

Related:

• Archive: “Guides”
• Articles by Michael Alan Connelly
• Table of Contents: Jun 30, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!