Opening Day at McCarren Park Pool. (Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)
So many of us have eagerly awaited the $50 million renovation of McCarren Park Pool – and today was the opening! I didn’t dare try to go there but some intrepid souls did: here is what they reported: (culled from various sources, including Yahoo list serves and message boards- thank you!).
• “ridiculously long line, we left totally disappointed not to get in today.”
• “It was pretty hectic and the staff did a poor job communicating the rules and wait time to get into the pool. Once inside the pool was pretty nice–my older daughter had a blast! Beware that everyone in or around the pool is required to wear a bathing suit (even if your not swimming), bring your own lock, only towels and water are allowed on deck, and no strollers allowed inside.”
• “Opening day of the new version of the pool…and wow! ( And not just wow to the fact that my friend and I waited an hour and a half to get in) but the pool was HUGE. I hear it’s one of the largest public pools in the US? Be it as it may, the water was sooooo nice. Seriously, nicest public pool I’ve been in ever. But the thing is, it was FREEZING. And ya know how you normally warm up after awhile? Not the case here. I think I started to lose feeling in my left arm after awhile. Important thing to remember: bring a lock. They won’t let you in unless you have one. No phones or food are allowed by the pool. Everything goes into the locker and only your towel, sunscreen and water can be brought by the pool. Come early to claim a lounge chair otherwise the cement floor or seats are your friend. Would I be back in a heartbeat? Of course! It’s free! And pretty! But next time I’d eat before I go in (plenty of nice spots around the park) so that I have some more body fat to warm me up inside the pool.”
• “I went today with my boys. They said it was opening at 11, didn’t open til after 1. Line was insane! Once in, the pool is beautiful! Unfortunately my kids latest 15 minutes from being exhausted from waiting and the water was too cold for them:(.”
• “Didn’t get a chance to get in the pool but took a tour of the rec center and I can’t wait to sign up- it’s totally reasonable in cost to join.”
• “It was super, perfect for kids, gradual entrance… but… don’t bring anything with you! They had a bag check, and asked you not to bring any food. It backed everything up! We got there 3:30pm and waited over 45 min to get in. I don’t understand the need for the bag check personally, it’s supposed to be a free pool, with easy entrance. You can bring water, a towel and sunscreen, bring a lock, and you must wear a suit. There are two sessions 11am-3pm and 4pm-7pm. They close for an hour mid day to clean. Our kids loved it!
• “The pool is great! They obviously have some operating glitches to deal with, but that should be resolved pretty quickly. The shallow kids area is nice for kids who can’t swim and also sitting in with a baby. Even though you can’t bring stroller, I did see a couple people there with infant carrier/car seat things. The lockers are big enough and secure with your lock so you don’t have to worry about your stuff disappearing. The only 2 things I wished for were a concession area where you can feed hungry kids and also that the women’s restroom/locker area were nearest the shallow kids area so you don’t have to walk so far and back to take the kids to the restroom, change diapers, etc. I also didn’t see a changing table in the restroom.”
• “You have to have a big padlock per adult. Men and women can’t share the same padlock. Small padlocks with keys are not allowed. You are allowed, towels, WHITE coverups, sunscreen, water, sunglasses and a book. Anything else has to be stored in the locker room. You are not allowed to bring any kind of food inside the pool, though I saw some people eating in the locker room. We all ate while waiting in line and it worked out very well, but since my son is a baby, he ate like every 45 min to 1 hour while there.”
• “We got there at 4:05 and the line was wrapped around the block we were in front of the school. It took us an hour to get in. Yes, you must have a lock, they will not let you in with out one. The locker room is a bit small , there are small & large lockers. There is a changing table in the Women’s restroom. The pool is huge , it’s one big pool it starts at 0 feet 36 inches & go’s up to 3 feet. There is a beach area were you can play volleyball. We didn’t stay long the water was a bit cold and windy… my 3 yr old said he was cold so it was time to go. There are 3 buses that leaves you about a block & a half away B62,B48 & B43. there is a huge park right next to the pool with a sprinkler & a track across the street from the pool. Its a lovely pool but i would say to eat before going and give yourself some extra time just in case the line is long.”
Brokelyn and Gothamist have some great photos from opening day.
If you visited, we would love to hear your thoughts!