Astoria Pool

I've been swimming a lot this summer. Ever since a friend introduced me to the pool in Astoria park, there hasn't been a weekend where at least one day was spent in it. We had first tried the pool at Central Park, but found it too rambunctious and choppy. The Astoria pool is large (the largest in the city, it's designed to hold 3000 people), and the people seem a little more calm (though kids will still be found jumping in from the pool sides.

Opened on July 4, 1936, the pool began its life by hosting the Olympic Trials for the U.S. Swim and Diving Teams. In 1964, the trials again returned to Astoria. Two fountains now mark where the Olympic torch was lit.

Fortunately or no, the diving portion has been closed throughout the summer, with no signs of it reopening. Last weekend, as I waited to enter, I overheard someone pointing to the diving section. "Whoa! Diving," she exclaimed. Then, as we moved closer and she saw the 32-foot elevated platform, she paused and asked her friend more timidly, "Would you jump from there?" Posted by eku at August 12, 2006 10:45 AM