Lasker Pool, a free pool in Central Park between 106th and 108th street, opens on Thursday along with the rest of the city’s outdoor pools. Lasker’s a big pool known for drawing lots of kids and for having strict rules.
People who have reviewed the pool on Yelp tend to say that the pool is generally clean (although one said the paint is peeling and there was a whitefish in the pool). The locker rooms, however, are pretty grubby and you have to bring a lock or you won’t be allowed in. The pool is open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. with an hour for cleaning starting at 3.
There are also lap swim hours from 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. or dusk. Lap swimming starts on July 9. You have to register: “Registration for the summer 2013 Lap Swim program will take place online. Online registration will be conducted starting at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, June 14 through 8:30pm on Thursday, August 29. All participants must complete an online registration form and must bring a paper copy of their email confirmation on the first day they attend.” The lanes are particularly long (about 55 meters).
The staff is known for being strict — you can only bring your towel, a book, sunblock, some water, and that’s about it, one reviewer noted. No cellphones are allowed on the deck. Of course that’s probably a good rule for parents who tend to be distracted by their phones.
In other chlorine-related news, a staff member at the new Gertrude Ederle Center on 60th street told us this week that pool hours at the center are likely to be expanded. We had been hearing numerous complaints that the current hours are inconvenient for most working people because lap swimming on weekdays starts at 10 a.m. The current schedule is posted here. If you’re a member, let us know if you hear of any changes.
Before you let your kids jump in…Slate has a piece on what to look for to tell when someone is drowning.
Photo via Central Park Conservancy.
I’m a member at Gertrude Ederle and when I was there on Tuesday I was told that the pool hours will expand as soon as they solve the lifeguard staffing issue. Date unknown. When I was in the pool, there were 2 lifeguards, maybe 3, on duty. Not sure why 3 could be needed. Maybe its a city requirement?
But its a nice pool!