When the weather heats up, you can expect thousands of New Yorkers of all different ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds to dive into one of the city's many public pools scattered around the five boroughs. But how did New York go from having zero public pool facilities less than a century ago to more than 60 featuring everything from olympic-sized swimming pools to free swimming activities and lessons? It's time to explore the rise, fall, and resurgence of New York's public pool system and its positive social and political impact on urban life on the local and national stage.
Join New York Adventure Club as we take a deep dive into the unique history of outdoor pools and their place in NYC public life over the past 100 years.
Led by Nora Cronin — President of Team New York Aquatics and adjunct professor at the City University of New York — our journey through the history of New York's public pools will include:
- The origin story of public pools in New York City and how it came about with the public health movement of the early 20th century
- The rise in popularity of public bathhouses as destinations for socializing and recreation
- A discussion of 11 state-of-the-art outdoor recreation centers built by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, courtesy of a public building collaboration between New York Mayor LaGuardia and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses
- Astoria Pool's space as a site for Olympic trials and some famous athletes who have swam in these spaces
- The positive impacts of these massive pool and recreation facilities, from becoming diverse and integrated community hangouts to safe places to learn to swim
- The decline of New York City's pools during the suburbanization movement of the mid-20th century, and failed attempts to increase their popularity
- The revitalization of public pools in the modern era and how technology will shape the future of new pools in New York and beyond
Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Nora — any and all questions about New York's public pool history are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!
See you there, virtually!
*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser
***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!
About Nora
Nora Cronin is the Program Director at Friends of + POOL, a nonprofit organization that is the driver of + POOL, a self-filtering floating pool set to pilot in NYC in Summer 2024. Nora is also an adjunct professor at John Jay College and a member of Team New York Aquatics masters swim team.
Testimonials
"I’ve enjoyed using the NYC public pools in the summer. I had no idea about the history/backstory. It all came alive during the presentation." -Jean
"Perfect match of a swimming enthusiast talking about public pools." -Duane
"Great historical information and photos!" -Mary
"The historical context given, slides and videos." -Linda
"Very well researched and presented!" -Carol
"Well organized. Great photos. Interesting history." -Nora
"fantastic archival photos and information about how they relate to today. Appreciated the personal interest and passion from the presenter." -Christina
"Having growing up swimming in Astoria pool I just love learning about the history of the other pools. The speaker was remarkably good and comfortable to listen to and so knowledgeable. Wonderful. It seems like such a small topic, pools in New York City. But this speaker brought it to life and showed it to be just another remarkable part of New York’s history and the social fabric of life here" -Christina Z.
"I liked that the presentation included pools outside of NYC. I was not expecting that." -Ira
Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: Virtual, Landmarks
