December 3, 2008
List of city's historic pools
Thomas Jefferson Play Center
Landmarked July 24, 2007
Located in East Harlem, this pool was the second of 11 pools to be completed in the summer of 1936. A U-shaped bath house borders the swimming pool, which at 100 feet by 240 feet, is one of the smallest of the 11 pools.
Astoria Play Center
Landmarked June 20, 2006
Possesses views of the Hell Gate and Triborough bridges. The center still maintains its original Art Moderne-style ticket booth and signage.
Joseph H. Lyons Play Center
Designation pending
Located on property in Staten Island formerly known as Tompkinsville Park. The roofs of the men's and women's locker rooms double as observation and sun decks.
Highbridge Play Center
Designation pending
This center is located on Amsterdam Avenue between West 172nd and 174th streets in Manhattan. Possesses an exceptionally large wading pool and distant views of the Harlem River Valley area.
Sunset Play Center
Landmarked July 24, 2007
The center was designed by Herbert Magoon and is located in Brooklyn's Sunset Park. The entrance foyer is unique for its flooring composed of glazed brick, ceramic tile and slate.
Crotona Play Center
Landmarked July 26, 2007
Stationed in the Bronx on Fulton Avenue between East 172nd Street and East 173rd Street, this complex is considered to be among the top Works Progress Administration Art Moderne structures of the Depression era. The main entrance consists of an enormous arched gateway.
McCarren Play Center
Landmarked July 24, 2007
The size of the swimming pool at this Greenpoint, Brooklyn, center is an immense 165 feet by 330 feet, but it has not been open since 1983. Since 2005, the pool and deck have been used for concerts, film screenings and performances.
Betsy Head Play Center
Designation pending
Located in Brooklyn on Hopkinson Avenue between Livonia and Dumont avenues, this center's bath house is distinguished by its recessed glass-block locker room walls. The bath house's roof also serves as an observation gallery.
Jackie Robinson (Colonial Park) Play Center
Landmarked April 10, 2007
Built on a narrow hillside, this center is located on Bradhurst Avenue between West 145th and West 153rd streets in Manhattan. The strange dimensions of the swimming pool (82 feet by 236 feet) are a result of the narrow property lines.
Sol Goldman Recreation Center and Pool
Designation pending
Formerly known as the Red Hook Play Center, this complex is located in Brooklyn on Bay Street between Henry and Clinton streets. The diving pool was converted to a wading pool in 1985.
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