F E L I N E R S

On Sunday, I talked a few people into going to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach. Did I confuse you? Park? Beach? Eh?

Well yeah, it is New York City and the closest beach is at least 40 minutes train ride away so they've brought in sand from New Jersey, dumped it on a pier near Brooklyn Bridge and moored a barge with a pool on it on that pier. Hence the Brookyln Bridge Park Beach.

This is what it says on the Brooklyn Bridge Park website:

Take a dip in the 25-meter, 7-lane Floating Pool Lady, a floating swimming pool moored in the East River. Run your toes through the sand on the 40,000 square foot Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach. Grab a burger, rent an umbrella and enjoy the spectacular views of New York Harbor. Get your game on for pick-up beach volleyball and sand soccer or contact MetroSoccer to sign up for leagues and clinics!

Wait! Not so quick! It ain't that easy to access the pool yo!

How does it work?The Floating Pool Lady has a maximum capacity of 175 persons. The pool is 4 feet deep throughout. Swimmers will be issued colored wristbands for swim sessions on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have to wait for a swim session, enjoy some time on the beach. There are concession stands, umbrella and chair rentals, and volleyball and soccer games!

What are the swim session hours? Weekdays: 11:00-12:30; 1:00-2:30; 3:00-4:30; 5:00-6:45. Weekends: 9:00-10:30; 11:00-12:00; 12:30-1:30; 2:00-3:00; 3:30-4:30; 5:00-6:45. On weekdays, wristbands are given out one hour before each session; on weekends, they are given out 1/2 hour before each session. Please see below for complete pool and beach guidelines.

Given that the pool recently made it's debut on the 4th of July, the queue was humungous. We didn't bother lining up, of course. I feel sorry for some of the kids. Peter pointed out how some of them cried out in disappointment when announced that all the wristbands for the hour have been handed out.

Karl, Violet & Peter having a roundtable debate on the quality of New Jersey's sand

Sweeping view of Lower Manhattan

In my natural habitat