This new NYC pool is one of the largest in the city, and it's opening this week
Summer in the city is getting a serious upgrade—and it's not just the temperature. Starting Friday, June 27, New Yorkers can officially dive into one of the largest public pools in the city: the brand-new Gottesman Pool at Central Park's northern edge.
Set within the gleaming, $160 million Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, the 285-foot-long, oval-shaped pool is the crown jewel of a five-year redevelopment project that replaced the outdated Lasker Rink and Pool.
While it's not the largest public pool in the city (the 54,450-square-foot Astoria Pool in Queens holds that title), it will comfortably fit more than 1,000 swimmers and, with sleek glass doors opening to the pool deck and landscaping designed to flow with the park, the space looks more boutique resort than city facility.
The Gottesman Pool opens the same day as the rest of New York City's 51 public outdoor pools, part of the city's free summer swim program. Hours are 11 a.m.–7 p.m. daily, with a mandatory cleaning break from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. No ID is needed for entry but bring a sturdy lock—it's required for access—and leave your lunch and devices at home. (No, seriously: No snacks. No Kindles. No neon shirts—only plain white Ts are allowed on the pool desk.)
The new Davis Center doesn't just offer splashy aesthetics, either. It's home to locker rooms, picnic seating and facilities to distribute free lunches to schoolchildren. Come fall, the pool will morph into a turf field and then an ice rink come winter, part of the Center's all-seasons promise to Harlem and northern Manhattan.
The Gottesman Pool is just one part of Mayor Adams' Let's Swim NYC initiative, a billion-dollar investment in swimming infrastructure citywide. With climate change bringing more extreme heat, the city is treating pools not just as amenities, but as essential infrastructure, especially in neighborhoods vulnerable to high temperatures.
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23-06-2025
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This new NYC pool is one of the largest in the city, and it's opening this week
Summer in the city is getting a serious upgrade—and it's not just the temperature. Starting Friday, June 27, New Yorkers can officially dive into one of the largest public pools in the city: the brand-new Gottesman Pool at Central Park's northern edge. Set within the gleaming, $160 million Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, the 285-foot-long, oval-shaped pool is the crown jewel of a five-year redevelopment project that replaced the outdated Lasker Rink and Pool. While it's not the largest public pool in the city (the 54,450-square-foot Astoria Pool in Queens holds that title), it will comfortably fit more than 1,000 swimmers and, with sleek glass doors opening to the pool deck and landscaping designed to flow with the park, the space looks more boutique resort than city facility. The Gottesman Pool opens the same day as the rest of New York City's 51 public outdoor pools, part of the city's free summer swim program. Hours are 11 a.m.–7 p.m. daily, with a mandatory cleaning break from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. No ID is needed for entry but bring a sturdy lock—it's required for access—and leave your lunch and devices at home. (No, seriously: No snacks. No Kindles. No neon shirts—only plain white Ts are allowed on the pool desk.) The new Davis Center doesn't just offer splashy aesthetics, either. It's home to locker rooms, picnic seating and facilities to distribute free lunches to schoolchildren. Come fall, the pool will morph into a turf field and then an ice rink come winter, part of the Center's all-seasons promise to Harlem and northern Manhattan. The Gottesman Pool is just one part of Mayor Adams' Let's Swim NYC initiative, a billion-dollar investment in swimming infrastructure citywide. With climate change bringing more extreme heat, the city is treating pools not just as amenities, but as essential infrastructure, especially in neighborhoods vulnerable to high temperatures.
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