I had heard they spent over 100 million on renovations. So I went on a Sunday with family. Twelve…read morebucks to park. The parking lot is huge. The cool thing here is that you have a choice of a park with grass and trees or a beach. Believe it or not I have friends that do not like sand. You can barbecue here close to the parking lot, they have grills. They have basketball and handball courts. They have some bathrooms but not enough for the amount of people. If you're willing to walk away from the central are there are clean bathrooms without waiting in line. On the Sunday that just passed, there was live salsa music at the pavilion and a dj playing salsa music and lots of salsa dancing. There were three Orchard Beach Grills. If you forgot your bathing suit there were two stands selling beach clothing and other beach items. If you want quiet and serene, go to section 1 & 2 or 13 & 14. We had a great time. We were there over eight hours.

May 2026. Finally…read more After being closed for over 17 years, Orchard Beach's neoclassical, historic Pavilion has been restored. The restored Pavilion was officially opened with a ribbon cutting by our NYC Mayor, flanked by other NYC dignitaries and witnessed by many guests. Some additional touches to complete the restoration will continue throughout the summer of 2026 to accommodate retail vendors and restaurants, among other areas. Finally.

Untermyer Gardens is one of the most beautiful hidden gems in the New York area. The grounds are…read morealways stunning, but they're especially spectacular in September when everything is in full bloom and the gardens are filled with vibrant colors. Admission is completely free, although donations are accepted to help preserve this incredible place--which is amazing considering how well maintained it is. It's the perfect destination to spend about two hours, whether you want to enjoy a peaceful stroll, take plenty of photos, or do a little of both. The breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Palisades make the visit even more memorable. There's also plenty of free parking, which makes getting there easy. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is that it can get fairly crowded on beautiful weekends, but it's absolutely worth visiting and returning to throughout the year.

Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is widely celebrated as a breathtaking, 43-acre hidden gem in…read moreYonkers, NY. Visitors like me rave about the stunning, Greco-Persian walled gardens, dramatic Temple of Love, and sweeping Hudson River views, it offers a peaceful, cinematic, and highly rated escape for locals and out-of-state visitors. The landscape perfectly blends ancient-style ruins with vibrant horticulture, resulting in a peaceful, immersive retreat. I like the spectacular architecture, fountains, and beautiful floral arrangements. It is a tranquil escape from the city that delivers immense historical charm. Because the property is a former millionaire's estate undergoing a long-term revitalization, some guests note that portions can feel slightly unkempt or dilapidated. Parking can also become limited on busy, peak-season days. It holds an impressive 4.5+ average rating across travel platforms, with many reviewers calling it a "must-see".

Tibbetts Brooks Park is a nice park in Yonkers that features a few streams, walking trails and a…read moregreat bathhouse; though, I did not swim on this occasion. My church held its annual family day cookout on a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon. The park ingress and egress demand good bus drivers at a few tight corners within and just outside the park. Tibbetts has plenty of parking to accommodate a large number of visitors and the bathhouse is as much a draw as the rest of the park. The pool features a few sections with different tiers outside the pool for lounging and families gathering. It's not all concrete, rather many of the lounge areas are covered in AstroTurf, which makes for a more relaxed and comfortable surface upon which to lay towels and blankets. The restrooms are kept clean, but they have a rather heavy duty check-in for access to the bathhouse. They are controlled by park employees and park police. The pool access fee is $12pp for non-Yonkers residents, even if you think you have a different understanding for group access. Many of our church members were turned away, unless they paid the individual fee. The park employees regularly removed the trash in the vicinity of our family day outing and wherever other groups gathered. They are setup well to handle large groups at Tibbetts Brooks Park. 3.8 stars!

Love to walk the trails in this park very picturesque and I feel very safe while doing so. I also…read morebring my pets for walks and they really enjoy the watching the ducks on the pond watching the squirrels and chipmunks play. Great selection of birds for bird watching.

The pool just came off a two-year, $19 million renovation -- closed after the 2022 season, reopened…read morein June 2024. Crews rebuilt the pool shell from scratch, replaced the deck and gutters, and put in new filtration and chemical treatment systems. The water itself feels noticeably better for it. That said, don't expect the renovation to have touched everything: the locker rooms, bathrooms, and communal showers are untouched, still the same ones I remember from before construction started. I was there again yesterday and can confirm: nothing's changed on that front, and honestly you won't be in there long enough for it to matter much. Access is still free, no Parks membership required, just a bathing suit and a padlock for the lockers. Security is strict about bag checks, and heads up: cell phones aren't allowed on the pool deck at all. Current hours: 11am-7pm daily, with the pool closing for cleaning from 3-4pm. Inside, you'll find the pool split into zones: a lap section, a general bathing area, and a shallow end for young kids. The bleachers give you plenty of space to stake out a spot for towels, and if you're lucky, you can grab one of the lounge chairs near the old diving pool (now covered over). Lap swimming has genuinely improved. The biggest change I noticed: there are now dividers separating the lanes, and they're generously wide. A real upgrade from the old system where everyone just shared open water and hoped for the best. A few things still apply, though: - Always glance ahead before pushing off to make sure no one's swimming toward you. - Roughly half the lap crowd sticks to a slow breaststroke pace. - Every so often someone decides to stand up and walk mid-lane, or just doesn't realize it's a lap-only zone. Lifeguards try to keep traffic moving, but it happens. - The pool's sheer size still works in your favor: way more room per lap than a standard 25m pool, and less crowded overall than most NYC public pools. - Timing tip: the best window for lap swimming is right at 4pm, the moment the pool reopens after the cleaning break. It might be the single best hour of the day to swim here. No outside food on deck, but there's a stand on the west side of the pool deck selling burgers, hot dogs, fries, wings, mozzarella sticks, salads, and ice cream. Cash and card both work. A heads-up: No tap-to-pay, since phones can't come out on deck anyway. Even with all the crowds NYC pools can attract, I've never found this one packed. Same goes for the surrounding park. Because it's a bit of a walk from the nearest subway stop, the crowd here skews heavily toward local families rather than people coming from across the city. This means that this pool never really gets crowded, let alone anywhere near capacity. If you're driving in, it's an easy trip: there's free public parking right at the entrance to Astoria Park, under the RFK Bridge. Speaking of pool renovations gone right: maybe for the Reflecting Pool the Trump administration should've called whoever redid the shell here at Astoria. This one's still holding water: No algae blooms, no peeling liner, no $16 million overrun. Sometimes the WPA crews from 1936 still know something the current contractors don't.

PUBLIC POOL: It's been a couple of years since the Pool became operational again, after a massive…read more$19 Million renovation. Spent many Summers at NYC's largest Swimming Facility both as a camper and a counselor. WORTH VISITING.