Poolside: The Best Places to Cool Off This Summer
As soon as the temperature climbs, New Yorkers go looking for water. Some head for the beach, but plenty stay put, taking advantage of one of the city’s most underrated summer offerings: its pools.
Scattered across the five boroughs are historic public pools, rooftop retreats, waterfront spas, and hidden escapes — each one turning even the hottest days into something more bearable. Whether you’re looking to swim laps, spend the afternoon with a cocktail in hand, or simply escape the heat for a few hours, these destinations prove you don’t have to leave the city to find your perfect summer oasis.
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Few places have reimagined the traditional pool day quite like Bathhouse Williamsburg. The recently opened rooftop pool—the largest in New York City—pairs skyline views with lounge chairs, daybeds and a rooftop bar, while granting guests full access to the property’s thermal pools, saunas and steam rooms below.
It’s easy to spend an entire afternoon here. Move between hot and cold, indoors and out, settle in with a natural wine or local beer from the rooftop bar, then head back downstairs for another sauna session before returning to the pool. Equal parts wellness destination and social scene, Bathhouse offers a distinctly modern version of the classic summer escape.
103 N 10th, Brooklyn; (929) 489-2284
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Long before rooftop pools and luxury spas, there was Hamilton Fish Park. Opened in 1936 as the first of Robert Moses’ ambitious WPA-era public pools, the Lower East Side landmark has served generations of New Yorkers seeking relief from the summer heat. It was once used by the U.S. Olympic team for training ahead of the 1952 Helsinki Games, but today it remains what it has always been: a neighborhood institution.
There’s something refreshing about its simplicity. No reservations, curated experiences, or elaborate itineraries—just one of New York’s great public pools continuing a tradition that’s endured for nearly a century.
128 Pitt St; (212) 387-7691
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Roosevelt Island has always existed just outside New York’s usual rhythm, making Manhattan Park Pool Club feel like one of the city’s best-kept summer secrets.
Centered around a 60-foot outdoor pool overlooking the East River, the club has become known for its annual artist-designed pool deck, with a different contemporary mural transforming the space each summer. The result is somewhere between a pool club and an outdoor art installation, complete with uninterrupted skyline views and a noticeably quieter atmosphere than many of Manhattan’s busier waterfront destinations.
Available through memberships or day passes, it’s proof that some of New York’s best summer escapes are hiding in plain sight.
36 River Rd, Roosevelt Island; (212) 308-6472
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For a few summers, the coolest place to be in New York wasn’t a nightclub or a rooftop—it was an abandoned public swimming pool.
From 2006 to 2008, McCarren Pool hosted the now-legendary Pool Parties concert series, transforming the empty WPA-era landmark into one of Brooklyn’s defining music venues. Free Sunday shows drew artists like MGMT, Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, cementing its place in New York’s indie-rock mythology.
Today, the music has been replaced by the sounds of summer itself. Restored and reopened in 2012, McCarren has reclaimed its place as one of Brooklyn’s quintessential public pools, drawing neighborhood regulars, lap swimmers, families and sunbathers from across the borough. Located between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, it remains one of those rare New York places that feels as much a community gathering spot as it does a city landmark.
776 Lorimer St, Brooklyn; (718) 965-6580
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Located on Governors Island, QC New York feels remarkably removed from Manhattan despite sitting directly across the harbor. Inspired by the Italian philosophy of dolce far niente—or, “the sweetness of doing nothing”—the expansive spa invites guests to spend the day wandering between hydrotherapy circuits, saunas, steam rooms, relaxation lounges and its heated outdoor pools overlooking the skyline.
The views alone are worth the ferry ride, but it’s the slower pace that makes QC memorable. Designed to be experienced over the course of an afternoon, visitors are encouraged to linger between the spa’s many wellness experiences before returning to the outdoor pools, where sweeping panoramic views of Lower Manhattan stretch across New York Harbor.
112 Andes Rd, Governors Island; (646) 402-9647
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For those craving a luxury beach day without the trek to the Hamptons, The Rockaway Hotel offers one of the easiest summer escapes from the city. Just one block from the ocean, its pool is open to day pass guests on select days, making it easy to spend an afternoon lounging between dips, beach walks and lunch at The Pool House.
Order a cocktail by the water, wander down to the boardwalk or head upstairs for rooftop drinks overlooking both the Atlantic and the Manhattan skyline. Equal parts beach club and neighborhood hangout, it’s an effortless way to spend a summer day by the sea.
108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr, Rockaway Park; (718) 474-1216
WORDS Hillary Sproul
PHOTOGRAPHY margot pandone on Unsplash