It's on 1 of my list. Each entry below is what I wrote about it there, with my verdict on that list, the fullest first.
- Address77 Cherokee Pl, New York, NY 10075
- From my guide, updated January 2024.
The John Jay Pool provides swimming on the bank of the East River, only the FDR Highway stands between the two bodies of water. Opened in 1940 the pool has been a summer-time destination for generations of New Yorkers.
Clean and well-kept it’s one of the best public pools in NYC. There isn’t a day when the sun is out that it isn’t littered with chipper kids, sun-soaking retirees and everyone in-between. It’s an oasis in the concrete jungle.
There’s also a spraying water feature that provides hours worth of entertainment for kids. My biggest piece of advice is to arrive early, when you can. There’s an “after-work” rush beginning at about 4:30PM that will bring the pool to capacity, then you’ll be stuck in line waiting for one of the best public pools in NYC.