NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – New York City's outdoor pool season kicks off on Thursday with a special reopening of the Astoria Pool in Queens after years of major renovations.
Mayor Eric Adams attended the event at the Astoria Pool, the city's largest, which has been closed for nearly two years for a $19 million upgrade.
“Pools are more than just a place that copies a large amount of water,” Adams said. “This is our French Riviera, this is our Bahamas, this is our luxury vacation.”
The pool, holding one million gallons and stretching 330 feet long, is almost a century old and required significant infrastructure replacements.
“We’re ready to make a splash and cool down this summer,” Adams said.
Earlier this week, Adams announced a $1 billion commitment to refurbish 39 public pools. The Let’s Swim NYC initiative will fund upgrades to these pools, add two new indoor pools, and renovate three others. This $1 billion investment is the largest in the city's swimming infrastructure since the 1970s.
“This is our biggest investment in pools in over 50 years,” Adams said.
Fifty public pools across New York City will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., closing on Sept. 8.
New Yorkers can visit the Summer of Possibility website for more information on open beaches and pools.