“It’s summertime and the living is easy….” Or so the famous line goes… New York living is never that easy. But even in New York summertime there is relief: pools, pools, pools! There are outdoor pools, indoor pools, wading pools and olympic pools to jump into in our borough. We are lucky enough to have 54 outdoor pools in Brooklyn. All outdoor pools will open in late June 2009 and close in September. Indoor pools remain open year-round. General hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call individual pools for more specific information.  By the way, only one third of them look to me like they are handicapped accessible, which also means dreaded steps for your strollers. A full list of pools and info is below.

An insider tip: I have heard that the Red Hook and Sunset Park pools are fantastic. They are both olympic size. The NYC Parks site doesn’t say where the The Floating Pool will be located this year, but let’s cross our fingers for Brooklyn. I personally like the PS 20 mini pool in Fort Greene too. A kid/baby can only go in accompanied with an adult, so the teenagers don’t get totally out of hand at this pool. (Go during the morning hours for the least busy time).

Safety & Pool Rules
Pool Rules – Rules to know before using Parks swimming pools.

It is New York, so some of the rules are necessary (I guess), but some of them are downright annoying. No hats in the pool (completely ridiculous for my kids’ fair skin) and no t-shirts other than white ones (ditto here too). The rumor is that both of these rules were instituted due to gang members showing their stuff with hats and tees.
Here are the other rules: Men’s bathing suits must have mesh linings. Hats may be worn on the deck for sun protection but are not allowed in the water. Sneakers are not permitted. Rubber flip flops or water shoes are permitted. The best take on this last rule: Birch was 2 years old and loved throwing all the shoes in the pool- I had to go and retrieve them each time he threw some inunder the glare of the guards.  Luckily, the shoes WERE all water shoes and no sneakers, so no shoe-wearers seemed too upset. Lucky me.

Swim Programs Learn about Parks’ free swimming programs for tots, children, teens, and adults. Call Parks’ Citywide Aquatics at (718) 760-6969 for more information. All 54 Parks outdoor pools have closed for the season and will reopen in late June 2009. Indoor pools remain open year-round. General hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call individual pools for more specific information.

Please note that recreation center membership ($75 per year for adults; $10 per year for seniors; free for children and teens under the age of 18) is required for the use of our indoor pools.

After School Swimming Lessons
Parks & Recreation’s tradition of free swim instruction continues with this winter’s season of After School Learn to Swim. Swimming lessons for children ages 6-14 will be offered at nine pools throughout the city. All classes will be held on weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Dates vary from pool to pool. The program is free, and, as space is limited, children will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Free Saturday Swim Lessons
Parks & Recreation’s Learn to Swim Program is free and offers classes for toddlers ages 3-5, children aged 6-14, and adults of all ages. Space is limited for this free program and children will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Swim with the Best: Join a Parks Swim Team
The Parks swim-team training program trains swimmers and organizes teams for the annual Citywide Borough Cup Championship swimming competition. Youth between the ages of 6 and 18 who can swim 50 yards in reasonably good form will be able to participate. Locations and training times vary depending on the borough and pool.

= Indicates that the pool includes a handicap accessible ramp or lift.

Brooklyn Outdoor Pools
Betsy Head Boyland, Livonia and Dumont Avenues (718) 965-6581 330′ x 165′ x 4.25 (Olympic)	Bushwick  Houses Flushing Avenue and Humboldt Street (718) 452-2116 75′ x 60′ x 3′
Commodore  Barry Flushing and Park Avenues, Navy and North Elliot Streets (718) 243-2593 75′ x 60′ x 3′	Douglas and DeGraw Third Avenue and Nevins Street (718) 625-3268 75′ x 60′ x 3′
Howard Glenmore and Mother Gaston Blvd., East New York Avenue (718) 385-1023 75′ x 60′ x 3′	Kosciusko Kosciusko between Marcy and Dekalb Avenues 718) 622-5271 230′ x 100′ x 4′ (Olympic)
Red Hook Bay and Henry Streets (718) 722-3211 330′ x 130′ x 4′ (Olympic) More Info	Sunset Park Seventh Avenue between 41st and 44th Streets (718) 965-6578 259′ x 162′ x 3.5′ (Olympic) More Info
Brooklyn Indoor Pools
Brownsville Linden and Mother Gaston Blvds. and Christopher Avenue B077 (718) 485-4633 75′ x 30′ x 8′	Metropolitan Bedford and Metropolitan Avenues (718) 599-5707 75′ x 30′ x 8′
St. John’s Prospect Place, between Troy and Schenectady Avenues (718) 771-2787 75′ x 42′ x 9′
Brooklyn Wading Pools
Bushwick Humboldt Street, Flushing & Bushwick Avenues (718) 452-2116 30′ x 20′ x 1′	Commodore Barry Flushing & Park Avenues, Navy & North Elliot Streets (718) 243-2593 24′ x 24′ x 1′
Douglas and  DeGraw Third Avenue and Nevins Street (718) 625-3268 24′ x 24′ x 1′	Howard Glenmore & Mother Gaston Boulevards, East New York Avenue (718) 385-1023 30′ x 20′ x 1′
Kosciusko Kosciusko between Marcy and Dekalb Avenues (718) 622-5271 42′ x 52′ x 1.5′
Brooklyn Mini-Pools
David Fox/PS  251 E. 54th Street & Avenue H (718) 531-2437 40′ x 20′ x 3′	Glenwood Houses Farragut Road & Ralph Avenue (718) 531-2480 40′ x 20′ x 3′
JHS 57/HS 26 117 Stuyvesant Avenue (718) 452-0519 40′ x 20′ x 3′	Lindower Park E. 60th St, Mill Rd. & Strickland Avenue (718) 531-4852 40′ x 20′ x 3′
PS 20 Playground Between Clermont Ave. & Adelphi St. (718) 625-6101 40′ x 20′ x 3′