By: h. nazan ışık — New York

27 June 2024—

 Mayor Eric Adams kicked off the 2024 outdoor pool season in Astoria, Queens and celebrated the reopening of Astoria Pool. 

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

Mayor Eric Adams: “ We’re ready to make a splash and cool down this summer with 50 public pools across our city, including, right here, Astoria Pool, a really exciting place. We put the money in it, and we did it, we renovated, $19 million. This reconstruction is really going to provide an entire summer of fun and activity. […..]

 Pools are just more than just a place that occupies a large volume of water. This is our French Riviera. This is our Bahamas, Bermuda. This is our luxury vacation, “ said  Mayor Adams.

Why did the Mayor open the season with Astoria pool?
Nearly 90 years old Astoria Pool is the largest pool in the city and recently underwent a $19 million renovation, so why not open with Astoria Pool!

I didn’t go to Mayor Adams’ press conference at Astoria Pool for the season’s opening. I used to, it was so many years ago, go to Astoria Pool. The pool was beautiful, with so many sections it was huge, but the women locker room was not that great. It was so dark, looked dirty, and wasn’t inviting at all. I really want to see it after a $19 million renovation. I will go one day.

For the season’s opening, instead I decided to go to John Jay Pool on the Upper East Side, East of York Avenue on 77th St. which I used to go there before COVID-19.

John Jay Pool after 18:00 hours (6:00 pm). © h. nazan ışık

Pools are open from 11:00 to 14:45 (11;00 am to 2:45 pm) and reopen at 16:00 until 18:45  (4 pm to 6:45 pm). Everybody has to leave the pool at 14:45 ( 2:45 pm),

I went after 18:00  hours (6;00 pm), close to the closing time. People were still having a great time.

John Jay Pool. © h. nazan ışık

Mayor Eric Adams: ( at the press conference at Astoria Pool) You can’t have a good pool without a good lifeguard. It was so important for us to really focus on how we address the issues of our lifeguard shortages. We already have more than 600 total lifeguards on staff .

Commissioner Donoghue: Last year we were at 850 lifeguards. We’re looking to do that again this year or exceed that.

John Jay Pool has two pools: swimming and, at certain hours, a diving pool. Today the diving pool was closed.

I asked why? The answer was “lifeguard shortages!”

© h. nazan ışık

Since it wasn’t very crowded at that time,  jumping, splashing water was OK.

“As a result of our ongoing negotiations with the lifeguard union, we have been able to expand lifeguard hiring and staffing for the 2024 summer season and beyond.”said the Mayor. 

Commissioner Donoghue: Yes, we were so pleased back in February to announce an increase in pay to $22 an hour, plus a $1,000 retention bonus for our returning lifeguards that is now going to be, it’s going to be set going forward. We’ve done a whole lot of work. We renegotiated the lifeguard contract. First time in 40 years. 

We will see ….2024 will be another year without adult lap swim at NYC Pools.

© h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN