Brooklyn Public Pools: Where to Swim for Free This Summer

BROOKLYN, NY — The thick of summer in New York — complete with heat pounding off reflective surfaces and the aroma of melting garbage — is coming. But starting June 29, people will be able to find some comfort when their local outdoor public pool opens for the summer.

There are 15 outdoor pools that are free and open to the public in Brooklyn. But before you get your first taste of chlorine this summer, here are the rules for public pools in New York, according to the parks department.

1. Pool hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily with an hour break from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for cleaning.
2. Wear a swimsuit. This may seem obvious, but you won't be allowed in the pool unless you are wearing a proper bathing suit. Shorts don't count.
3. Want to wear a shirt in the pool? It has to be white. No colored or patterned shirts are allowed in public pools.
4. Bringing a lock to the pool is required. Pool staff won't let you enter without one.
5. Don't bring the following: food, glass bottles, electronics and newspapers.

Here's a list, and a map, of all the public pools in Brooklyn:

• Betsy Head Pool: 694 Thomas S. Boyland St.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Pop-Up Pool: Pier 2
• Bushwick Playground: 817 Flushing Ave.
• Commodore Barry Pool: Flushing Avenue and North Elliott Place
• David Fox/PS 251 Outdoor Mini Pool: Avenue H and E 55th St.
• Douglass & Degraw Pool: 230 Douglas St.
• Glenwood Houses Pool: Farragut Road and Ralph Avenue
• Howard Pool: East New York Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard
• JHS 57/HS 26 Outdoor Mini Pool: 117 Stuyvesant Ave.
• Kosciuszko Pool: 670 Marcy Ave.
• Lindower Park Mini Pool: Mill Avenue and E 60th Place
• McCarren Park Pool: 776 Lorimer St.
• PS 20 Playground Mini Pool: Clermont Avenue between Dekalb and Willoughby Avenues
• Red Hook Swimming Pool: 155 Bay St.
• Sunset Park Recreation Center: 4200 7th Ave.

[Photo: Wikimedia commons]