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Finding the perfect pool

By Julie Gordon, Special Sections Editor | Julie.gordon@am-ny.com

May 24, 2007

Although taking an icy shower on a hot New York summer day is sure to lower your body temperature, there is a much more relaxing cooling-off option: Jumping into a pool, then drying off in the warm sun with a cool breeze.

Whether you're a competitive swimmer or just like to tan, there's a pool in New York for you. Here are some of our favorites:

"Floating Lady" Public Pool
Barretto Point Park, the Bronx

Cost: Free
Want to cool off? The Floating Lady pool, which graced Brooklyn Heights last summer, has moved north to the South Bronx for the next three years. The seven-lane pool can fit 174 people.

Printing House Fitness Club
421 Hudson St.
212-243-7600
Cost: $98/month for one-year commitment, slightly higher month-to-month fee; corporate and friend/family discounts available
Nine stories above the West Village lies a tranquil, Zen-like space where you can go for a dip, catch rays on a 3,500-square-foot sundeck and take in cityscape and river views. But this setup isn't just about vegging out. Printing House incorporates its deck and pool into members' workout routines with summer fitness classes and personal training sessions outside.

Gravity Fitness and Spa at Le Parker Meridien
119 W. 56th St.
212-708-7340
Cost: $1,700/three months (first 100 memberships of the season), $3,270/three months regularly
Gravity Fitness is located on top of the chichi Le Parker Meridien Hotel. So it's no surprise that its summer membership offer is also top-of-the-line (and top-of-the-price-scale). Included in the three-month fee is access to the pool and fitness facilities, plus 12 personal training sessions and 12 massages -- because you want to be toned and relaxed before stepping out in a bathing suit.

Manhattan Plaza Health Club
482 W. 43rd St.
212-563-7001
Cost: day passes available for $35, Monday-Friday.
The club's 75-foot pool has a retractable glass roof. While taking a break between laps, members can lie out on the large sundeck, and get lunch or a snack delivered right to their chairs. The pool also offers a swim team, scuba diving certification lessons and water workout classes.