Maybe going to the McCarren Park Pool will make you feel sad and old because the last time you were here you were watching (insert hipster band name here) and drinking tall boys, ironically of course, though still definitely to get drunk. But now you are here with your kid and guess what? This is way better, way more fun and you will only be mildly sore tomorrow.
The bright spots for McCarren Pool are many. Because the pool and building were completely renovated in 2012, the place is gorgeous. The grand entry was restored and the facilities, which include a weight room, yoga studio and events space, make it more of a full service gym and community center, then just your average seasonal pool. You do need to have a membership to use all the gym equipment. But swimming is FREE. The locker rooms are partially open air, so you don’t feel like you are changing in a bunker. The showers are sleek (as sleek as public showers get). And, since it’s Williamsburg, there are benches made of reclaimed wood from the Coney Island boardwalk. The pool itself is a great blue jewel. A graded entry on the east side of the pool allows you to wade in. This is perfect for sitting and playing with toddlers. The problem is all the freaking toddlers clogging up the place, actually, not just toddlers. The one downside to McCarren Park pool is the crowds. While the mix of people is wonderfully diverse, the sheer volume might overwhelm you, or at least suck some of the joy out of the experience. So while this place is perfect for you and your under age 3 crowd, definitely avoid it on the weekends and late afternoons. Or wear your sack dress, Salt Waters and fedora and just blend into the crowd.
Sarah Moriarty is a writer and editor. Sarah’s writing has appeared in such hallowed places as her blog, her mother’s email inbox, the backs of Value Pack envelopes and a waist-high stack of mole skin journals. In addition, Sarah has contributed to F’Dinparkslope.com, WhattoExpect.com and edited fiction for Lost Magazine. A resident of Brooklyn for the last eleven years, Sarah lives with her husband, daughter and a dwindling population of cats. Check out more of Sarah’s work at sarahmoriarty.com.