Just in time for the first day of summer break for New York City public school students, the swimming pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 will open for the season—along with all other NYC public pools—on Thursday, June 27. The riverside swimming hole, which we named one of our favorite pools in the city, is super kid-friendly at only 30’ by 50’ and 3.5 feet deep. The new pool (it first opened its gates last summer) will be open 10am to 6pm daily through Labor Day, and has a maximum capacity of 60 swimmers at a time.
If you want to take a dip, here’s how it works—line up to snag a free wristband, which are distributed an hour before each 45-minute swim session. Sessions begin every hour, on the hour, and you’ll have to vacate the pool once your session is up. While your family is waiting for their turn to jump in, they can play in the park’s sandy beach area, relax in lounge chairs, or grab a snack from the concession stand. In true Brooklyn style, the pool is opening up a new artisanal lemonade stand called Lizzmonade Brooklyn this summer, which will serve all-natural, fruit-infused refreshments. Families should also check out the pool’s affordable learn-to-swim lessons for kids, which will be held daily from 8am to 10am beginning in July—last summer they were $125/week. The pool’s prime location and brand-new facilities drew over 40,000 visitors last summer, so come expecting crowds and enjoy the jaw-dropping views of the Brooklyn Bridge.