With schools out, and the weather finally starting to heat up, old and young alike are heading to some of the city’s 54 public pools.
With 10 locations in Queens, pools are open through Labor Day for residents to escape the heat.
At indoor pools, the recreation center membership is $75 per year for adults, $10 per year for seniors and free for children under the age of 18.
One pool is at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where there is also an ice skating rink. The pool is Olympic-sized and can accommodate 85 people at a time. The pool center offers open swimming, swimming lessons, diving and free senior aerobics.
Most of the local parents at the pool on Wednesday, July 1 praised the cleanliness, reasonable prices, customer service and safety.
“I like the pool; it’s very clean and safe for children,” said Luc Quantanar. “I’ve been coming here for three months because the price is better. It’s only $85 for the year . . . this is an Olympic pool. I would recommend it to my family.”
The pool is also popular among the younger crowd. Eleven-year-olds Sueshai Perez and Lynn Kate Molina both enjoy the time that they spend at the pool, though Molina thinks that it’s a little overcrowded.
“I think the pool is cool because we can see people doing tricks, there are classes, and it’s not that expensive,” Perez said.
Meanwhile, that same day, the public pool at Detective Keith L. Williams Park at 176th Street and 106th Avenue in Jamaica was bustling under the warm summer sun. The park also has a kiddie pool for younger children.
Naser Bhuiyan takes his child to the pool about twice a week.
“They have safety rules here – no running, no diving,” said Bhuiyan. “I still keep an eye on my kid because she’s really young.”
Gleneva Lawrence brought two of her children to the pool and stood at its edge watching them.
“I think it’s very convenient for kids in the neighborhood; I live close by,” Lawrence said.
Like Bhuiyan, she kept an eye out for her children.
“I make sure I’m around, but the lifeguards are pretty good,” said Lawrence.
Her daughter, Felicia, 9, said, “I think the pool is very nice and relaxing, and there’s a park next to it.”
Her son, Komani, 11, said he hopes to come to the pool every day this summer.
