The best pools in NYC

Best for: Lounging and drinking
The Grace Hotel
(125 W 45th St between Sixth Ave and Broadway; 212-354-2323, room-matehotels.com; open year-round Mon, Tue, Thu–Sun 5pm–2am; Wed 5–10pm; $10 plus two-drink minimum). Considering the pool’s swim-up bar, sexy underwater lighting (it cycles through 12 different colors) and affordable price tag, we’re surprised New Yorkers don’t mob this place year-round. Plus, spacey indie music fills the air on weekdays, and DJs spin on weekends. After you’ve had a good soak, sip a passion-fruit martini ($15) over nachos ($15). And don’t miss Brazilian night (8pm–2am, last Thursday of the month), when poolgoers, presumably well waxed, dig on Latin American beats and caipirinhas.

Best for: Socializing
The Astoria Pool
(Astoria Park, 19th St between Ditmars Blvd and Hoyt Ave, Astoria, Queens; 718-626-8623, nyc.gov/parks; 11am–3pm, 4–7pm; free). At 330 feet in length, this is the largest pool in the city, and each summer it attracts a steady swell of local swimmers who exercise in the shadow of the Triborough. And this pool’s got history: It was one of 11 massive swim facilities built with labor from the Works Progress Administration, and it hosted the Olympic swim trials in 1936 and 1964. Now most swimmers visit the facility for its size, convenience and gratis admission, and it draws a diverse crowd that can number in the thousands on the weekends, from families to sunbathing singles. Mingle over dogs ($2) and cheese fries ($2.50) at the snack bar with your new BFFs.

Best for: A cruise-ship experience
The Floating Pool Lady at Barretto Point Park
(Viele Ave between Barretto and Tiffany Sts, Bronx; 718-430-4601, nyc.gov/parks; 11am–3pm, 4–7pm; free). In the spirit of the “floating baths” that helped 19th-century tenement dwellers get clean, the seven-lane Floating Pool Lady sits atop a barge, and though Barretto Point is its permanent home, it can be floated to locations around the city. The Pool Lady premiered on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront in 2007 and has piqued the curiosity of New Yorkers ever since. If you visited during its Brooklyn debut, you might remember ungodly crowds and long, sun-weary waits. Her current location is a hike from the subway—although a shuttle bus from the subway to the pool is available—so hope that the sweating populace skip the trek in favor of a cold shower and leave the Pool Lady to you.

Best for: Lots of space
Riverbank State Park
(Riverside Dr between 138th and 145th Sts; 212-694-3600, nysparks.state.ny.us; indoor pool open year-round daily 6am–8pm, call ahead for public swims schedule; general admission $1–$3, monthly pass $30). This 28-acre rooftop park complex sits above the Hudson and features an Olympic-sized indoor pool, a 25-yard outdoor pool, public basketball courts, tennis courts, a track and a roller-skating rink. The lap-swim hours (6:30–8:15am) are serene, but the spacious pools bustle with kids throughout the day. The facility was built atop a sewage-treatment plant, but rest assured, there aren’t any stray odors. Bring lunch and set up shop at one of the park’s picnic tables.

Best for: Diving
Tony Dapolito Recreation Center Pool
(3 Clarkson St at Seventh Ave South; 212-242-5228, nyc.gov/parks; 11am–3pm, 4–7pm, free). The TDRCP is one of three outdoor public pools in the city that still permit diving in designated areas (John Jay on the UES and Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens, are the other two). Lifeguards have some discretion as to what diving rules they enforce at any given time, so you should check with them before you start backflipping into the deep end. There’s no mosaic tile, but artsy types will appreciate a 21-year-old aquatic Keith Haring mural that stretches across a wall alongside the deck. Later, grab a mango smoothie ($3.95–$4.95) at Varick Eatery (220 Varick St between Carmine and Downing Sts, 212-206-8500).

Best for: Nonswimmers
Chelsea Piers
(Pier 60, Twelfth Ave at 23rd St; 212-336-6000, chelseapiers.com; open year-round Mon–Thu 5:30am–11pm; Fri 5:30am–10pm; Sat, Sun 8am–9pm; day pass $50, initiation fee $300). Although the pool itself—located at the end of the pier, and surrounded by three walls of Hudson-view windows—is primarily a workout facility, there are lots of perks for nonswimmers. Lap-aphobics can unwind in the hot tub, then head to the sundeck, where they’ll find bronzed model types alongside their pastier and pudgier foils, all relaxing to the sounds of wind and water. End your staycation in the locker room with a steam or sauna session, and then grab some sushi at the café ($11–$16), where striking up a postworkout conversation is easier than doing the dead man’s float.

Best for: A rooftop dip
Gravity Fitness Center at Le Parker Meridien
(119 W 56th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, 42nd floor; 212-708-7340, parkermeridien.com/gravity; open year-round Mon–Fri 6am–10:45pm, Sat–Sun 8am–8:45pm; pool day pass $100, yearly membership $2,000). Situated on the 42nd floor of the hotel, the glassed-in swimming space doesn’t provide views of Times Square, but guests can scope out Central Park and the Hudson. Claim a lounge chair on the Astroturfed sundeck, or climb to the observation deck and let the wind dry you off. You can order the Crunchy French Toast, lathered in warm caramel ($22), from the poolside menu featuring signature dishes from Le Parker Meridien’s Norma’s, or opt for a more modest in-hotel eatery, like the Burger Joint (cheeseburger, $7.50). Don’t be surprised if you run into a celebrity while you towel off: Everyone from Phillies slugger Ryan Howard to a prepresidential Barack Obama has been spotted at the hotel.

Best for: Indoor public pool
The Metropolitan Pool
(261 Bedford Ave between Metropolitan Ave and North 1st St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-599-5707, nyc.gov/parks; open year-round 11am–3pm, 4–7pm; year membership $10–$75, children under 18 free). The 25-yard indoor public facility has tons of lap-swim hours (see the website for details), when adults essentially have the run of the place. While the pool itself isn’t anything special, it attracts dozens of hipsters, Hasids and seniors—it’s so popular, you might find up to ten people crammed into one swimming lane. Continue avoiding the young ones over $4 pints at Hope Lounge’s outdoor patio (10 Hope St at Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-218-7191, hopelounge.com).

Best for: Outdoor public pool
The Red Hook Pool
(Red Hook Park, Bay St at Henry St, Red Hook, Brooklyn; 718-722-3211, nyc.gov/parks; 11am–3pm, 4–7pm; free). This is a WPA-era facility, which means it boasts a mammoth, Olympic-sized (330' x 130' x 4') swim space. Although the large pool is often crowded with a mix of kids from the local projects and other nearby neighborhoods, you’ll miss some of the rush if you come for the afternoon shift. Do your Michael Phelps impression during the lap swim hours (starts July 6; 7–8:30am, 7–8:30pm), or just sit and sunbathe—though there’s not much shade, so bring protection. As with all public pools, rules are strictly enforced, and while some of the restrictions may seem draconian, they keep the huge facility clean and manageable.

Best for: Solitude
Douglass and DeGraw Pool
(Thomas Greene Playground, Nevins St between DeGraw and Douglass Sts, Gowanus, Brooklyn; 718-625-3268, nyc.gov/parks; 11am–3pm, 4–7pm; free). You won’t be able to find a swimmable stream in Manhattan, but if you head to the D&D pool on a weekday, you may have the free-swim lap lane to yourself. There’s a shaded area for the skin-conscious and benches around the main pool where you can dry off. Recession tip: The pool is a hot-lunch distribution site for low-income kids in the summer, and whenever there are leftovers, they’re passed out to poolgoers. If government cheese turns you off, bring your own meat to grill at Canal Bar (270 Third Ave between President and Union Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-246-0011, canalbarnyc.com), where happy hour lasts until 4am on Mondays.

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Most public-pool rules are quite obvious (e.g., “no defecating”). Here are a few more.
• Take a lock. You’ll need it for your locker, since you can carry in only a towel, a water bottle, sunscreen, a hat and your book.
• Wear a plain white T-shirt—it’s the only type of shirt allowed in the water and on deck.
• Keep it real. Men’s bathing suits must have the mesh lining, even if it chafes.
• Turn off the iPhone and CrackBerry. Electronic devices aren’t permitted in the pool area.

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