Red Hook Pool

no in any nyc public pool. you have more peace probably in coney island lol.

i love the red hook pool. there's a section for lap swimming and you can stretch out there in relative peace. there are a lot of kids there, of course, but it's very well run and i've never had any problems there at all.

I LOVE the pool. The lap lanes are always free. And it's so clean, you'll leave a whiter shade of pale.
Have fun! Bring a lock!

it's definitely clean. very bare bones - you can't take anything on the pool deck with you except towel, flip flops, maybe a book. you can only wear a white shirt. but i just go there to swim laps, and it's great.

and quite clean.

there's lap swimming (no kids) from 7-8:30 every morning

That's how I came home.......twas easy.....Beach was fabulous today....even went swimming

seven24 wrote: Sunset park pool has way less people than red hook pool.

oooh...do tell...is it clean? can you park nearby? what am I allowed to bring? is it as restrictive as RH (just a towel)?

well, the beach was really nice on Wednesday, but it's nice to know what my options are.

armchair_warrior wrote: hmm kids and adults pee in the pools .

they'll cut your locks and steal things out of them!!!

I consider myself warned. Thanks, AW

armchair_warrior wrote: oh here is one more claim.

the cities pool water would make you stiff and inflexible .

Yes Armchair, but the same can be said for the floating syringes at the beach.

:shock:

Okay, that was mostly a joke.

I personally love the beach, but I can also attest to the quality and good overall experiences of the Red Hook pool.

Armchair, perhaps you might want to venture another visit, this time to RH pool, as it's hardly the sketchy situation of old. No hooligan "waving" circles like NYC pools in the 80s and 90s.

Flexi, it's also worth noting that a good amount of the small (bladder-challenged) kiddie crowd is off-loaded to a completely separate large, gated wading pool area, and the lifeguards at Red Hook are extremely vigilant regarding proper pool behavior in the main pool, which keeps the place free of said hooligans and great for a sane, mature experience.

Every single time we've gone in the last few years has been totally sane, calm and refreshing, no problems whatsoever, and the food carts down the block at the soccer fields have made for some great lunch options afterward.

As for other beach options, a few years ago on our way to Elizabeth Ikea my wife and I noticed the beach off to the left as you approach Staten Island on the Verazzano Narrows Bridge, and made a point of pulling off the highway one day to check it out.

We've been hooked ever since.

South Beach (inexplicably on the NE coast of SI) is gorgeous, by local beach standards. Big, wide long beach with excellent sand. Really nice, wide new elevated boardwalk with new restaurant/terrace/bar, another snack bar etc. Very scenic. Apparently they spent a load building this place 4 years ago, and it shows. Bathrooms are even nice (!) and full of oceanic artwork and clever under-the-sea themed faucets, mirrors etc.

Oh, and uh...

- takes us 20 minutes to get there from Cobble Hill on a weekend morning
- beach is 95% empty
- parking lot is similarly 95% empty

We've been under the impression that it's one of NY's best-kept secrets.

To get there, just take the Verazzano Narrows Bridge to SI and take a HARD IMMEDIATE RIGHT just after the toll on the SI side, following signs to South Beach.

Don't pull into the first (small) parking lot where the main restaurant and flag poles are. You are much better off rolling to the very next light and making a left into that hyuuuuge, mostly empty parking lot, and choosing a spot somewhere right near one of the upramps onto the scenic boardwalk.

Wow. Long post. Sorry.

I just love Summer. Can ya blame me?

:}

armchair_warrior wrote: DONT DO IT FLEXI!!

i think its much better at the locale beaches than any nyc pool . i hated the pools when i was a kid still hate them to this day!!

Went to Riis park today, which was covered with GARBAGE and closed. As much as I love Coney island, the beach is gross.

If you want someplace close - you can ride your bike, or a subay stop or two away - Red Hook is the best.

Flexichick wrote: Closed, BG? I went on Thursday and it was clean, empty and fabulous.

Thanks for the info on the RH pool. I would not have thought to wear a white t-shirt.

Can I bring a book?

Well, Friday is was like the gowanus canal. filthy. White shirt: you don't necessarily need to bring one, but if you do want to bring a t-shirt or tank top, make it white and make it plain. no writing.

yes, you can bring a book. Despite people's complaints about the rules, it is a pretty great place.

The picture should give you a clue as to where I ended up (again).

There was a bit of a seaweed tide on Monday, but other than that, it was nice.

Riis Park.........Sand was ok. A little bit of trash, but not bad. I go to the far end where there are no lifeguards and less people