Visited the website to read about the pool rules. It wasn't clear in explaining that you cannot enter the pool deck, and understand that all of the pool is the pool deck, without being in a swimsuit. The workers are clear when you get there. Bring a lock, wear a swimsuit including swim top for males wanting to wear any type of tshirt or a white plain tshirt. Clear directions when you get there but the website needs to be more clear. It reads like suggestions rather than mandates. Not against the rules because there needs to be order but just make sure that the website clarifies the rules as requirements. Pool is in great condition, very clean, respectful workers who were kind enough to let me give my kids their towels before I went back to my car to wait for them. I only got one pic. Lots of parking if you get there timely. In my waiting, they closed to capacity based on the number of lifeguard to swimmer ratio. Well run. read more

Red Hook Recreation Center - Outside of the Rec Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

I've been to a couple of recreation centers for 100 a year cant go wrong... this one by far has the best gym with the most equipment it's a little older but you can compare it to a real gym like retro fitness very good read more

This update is about the pool. VH and I had the opportunity to go to the pool this Saturday. I've been to a few of the outdoor pools around the city that are open in the summer, and this is the one I like the best. First of all, its size: 330' x 130' x 4', olympic-size pool, i.e. BIG. In fact, this is the biggest outdoor pool I had the opportunity to swim in in NYC. Because of its size (and maybe because this is Red Hook), it doesn't get too crowded. Second, the water: nice and clean, very clear. This pool is clean, a lot cleaner than, say, the John Jay pool in the UES. Third: if you are serious about lap swimming, about 1/4 of the pool is devoted solely to that. This means that, at times, it can get crowded, but the turnover is pretty quick. On a sunny Saturday late morning-early afternoon in August I was able to swim laps without any problem (in the end, only a handful of people were swimming nonstop). Personally I wish the space allocated to lap swimming were bigger, but I guess this is fair enough. There may be hours early in the morning and late in the evening when the pool is open just for lap swimming. Fourth: the changing room is not really a changing room, more like boards put in front of the lockers (which are all of the small type, by the way); and the restrooms remind me of something out of a soviet gulag... Last but not least: grab a delicious pupusa at one of the carts by the park (... and quickly recover all the calories you have just burned swimming). read more

I would give this place 3.5 stars. I came here for their Adult Night Owl Lap Swim (7:00-8:30pm) on a Wednesday. It's a bit far from any trains so probably best to bike here. I registered online in advance and I showed the email to registration. They gave me a green card which you need to bring every time you come. The women's locker room wasn't very nice but I already wore my bathing suit so it was just a place to store my stuff. I wouldn't shower there anyways. The pool itself is very large (Olympic size) but it does get crowded. If you come at 7pm, it's not bad but definitely by 8pm. I wish they would increase the size of the lap swim since they only use 1/3 of the pool. It's a nicer pool and less crowded than McCarren Park but I doubt I would come back since it's so far from any trains. It's fine for what it is: a free clean pool. read more

If you've not been, you're missing out. I go for the pool in the Summer, pedaling my way south from Wiliamsburg. McCarren pool is blocks away from me but such a madhouse. I've been doing the adult swim with the Red Hook night owl crew for the past three years. Few things make me happier than splashing around like a maniac for a mile or two. You should check out the official NYC parks site linked to this listing for all the info on adult swim. There are a few things you should know about the pool policies which I'm going to write here because nobody ever seems to read the rules on the parks site and I have a conversation with these types in line all the time. And you should know that you have no place to complain about these policies. There are thousands of people coming and going, the staff is overburdened on a good day and your whole pool swimming experience is absolutely free. Remember those things. Don't be the crankypants person whining in line. /// 1. You need to have a lock. 2. No electronics, newspapers, or basically anything you'd want to do, read or entertain yourself with on the pool deck. The idea here is swimming, not luxury lifestyle lounging. 3. You have to have a real swimsuit. No underwear doing double duty. 4. No t-shirts except for plain white ones in the pool area. No graphics. No colors. 5. Have all your stuff ready before you get to the front of the line. Don't go digging for it only when you're face to face with the guards. That holds up the line. That makes me a crankypants. I don't want to be a crankypants person. /// And here are a general few tips I've learned over time: /// 1. Don't show up exactly at opening time. That's 11am and 4pm, after they close the pool to run the filters for a bit at 3pm. If you're there at these times you'll be standing in line in the heat and that will make you a crankypants. I told you not to be a crankypants person above. 2. Take a trip here on a weekend day. You get to see a wider mix of Brooklyn's residents. You also have the option to gorge yourself at the nearby food trucks swarming around the soccer fields. I guess you could watch a soccer game too, but I've always been too busy gorging myself at the food trucks to do so. 3. Wear sandals. 4. Bring soap and shampoo if you're uninhibited enough to flaunt what you've got in the showers. The chlorine is potent and gets in your skin. You should wash it off as soon as you're done with your dip. 5. There are a lot of local youth here, and the culture and experiences they've had tend to give them a certain perspective on masculinity. I'm not saying the kids are straight-up homophobic, but keep your eyes on your own kit and avoid silly confrontations. I've seen this happen more than once and it's just stupid. /// Other things you ought to know: /// 1. They provide free lunches to kids. Just ask the staff about the program at the front desk. 2. If you want to hit the weight room you need to have a towel. Not a rag, not an extra pair of gym shorts, but a real towel. read more

The free, outdoor public pool here is a great resource! The good: I'm excited to participate in the night owl swim this summer, a program for adults to lap swim in public pools in the evenings. It's a bit of a walk from the train, but there is a long fence outside the facility where lots of people lock their bikes. The pool is HUGE, Olympic sized: 330' x 130' x 4'. Sometimes, when I spend a lot of time in deeper pools, this feels strangely shallow. It's clean, and the staff who work here are quite friendly. It feels fantastic to swim outdoors in the hot summer, and the open air really helps with the chlorine smell. Swimmers select slow, medium, or fast lanes. The bad: Even with this program, the open hours seem short, especially for distance swimming (1 1/2 hours, gradually decreasing as the days shorten). It can get a little crowded because the lanes comprise only about a third of the space in the pool, even during designated times for lap swimming. Some people show up who don't understand the etiquette of circle swimming (which can basically be summed up as, don't interrupt someone else's rhythm by starting right as they approach the wall or not pacing yourself to the swimmer ahead of you). And some newbie swimmers insist on floundering in the slow lane, when they really should be practicing during general pool hours. All of this is manageable. The ugly: The locker room resembles a women's prison. It's a repurposed indoor basketball court, surround by wooden benches and walls of small, square lockers. (You're required to bring a lock, and flip-flops will spare you from exposure to God-knows-what is lurking on the floor.) There are no curtains or stalls for privacy (except in the bathrooms, which are spare, stainless steel, seatless toilets). The showers don't have curtains. You either flash everyone else in the locker room, or try to finagle modesty with a towel and a bit of squirming. This is my least favorite part of swimming here. I suppose it's a testament to the defunding of public spaces that the locker room hasn't been updated. It's NYC, after all, so we are reminded that comfort and privacy are the luxuries of private gyms. The locker room is monitored by staff, so except for the occasional dirty diaper in a locker (yup), it's relatively cleaner than those of other, well attended public pools in the area. Overall, I highly recommend this pool for swimming! read more

I just learned that the Red Hook Recreation Center requested that Yelp remove my review. Essentially, this happened: A heavy-set guard asked that I show her my breasts because she did not believe that I did not have a cellphone inside my bathing suit bra. I obliged. Because of the manner in which the heavy-set guard asked me to demonstrate that there was no cellphone inside my bathing suit, unfortunately, she had to see everything that was under my top. This made me uncomfortable. It made her uncomfortable, too. So much, that she exclaimed, YOU DID NOT HAVE TO SHOW ME YOUR *ITTIES* . The guard asked me to open my bathing suit for her. That is what happened. I felt violated in her asking me to show my privates, and doubly violated that she announced for all the pool goers to hear what had just transpired. I tried to make light of this in my previous review, but I will not grant this, this time, to RHRC. Shame on Red Hook Recreation Center for removing this feedback from the totality of experiences at the pool. If you do not like the feedback, fix the problem among your staff. End of story. read more

Pros: it's free, big enough to swim with out getting kicked in the face, plenty life guards. Cons: not enough chairs, only 4 ft is the deepest depth, big rude women worker shouted "shower before you step out in the pool" Lol sheesh read more

Only in New York? FREE. CLEAN. HUGE - you can swim any which direction and never even see a wall. There are a few lanes, too, though. NOT CROWDED. FREE. ACCESSIBLE - by subway, bus, or best, by bicycle!! ADJACENT TO A PARK FILLED WITH CENTRAL AMERICAN FOOD - had my first pupusa here after a hearty swim, and it will not be my last. FREE. read more

I go to both the Chelsea and Red Hook rec centers. The Red Hook location is a 15-minute walk from my home in Cobble Hill. All I'm sayin' is I pay 5 bucks a month in NYC to work out (75 bucks a year). After one year, I'm 30 pounds lighter, 3 waist sizes lower, and way hotter. The Red Hook olympic sized outdoor pool at the center is a beautiful sight to behold during the summer, but I'm not a good swimmer and don't partake. I work out in the men's gym room: lots of free weights, a few benches, a couple of chest machines, a bunch of leg machines, one elliptical that nobody uses, 5 treadmills and there's at least 3 not in use at all times, etc. - pretty much everything you need to get in shape. The most people I've seen in the very large gym room is 10. I've never had to wait for a machine. It's awesome. It's brown and grey, kind of like the Million Dollar Baby boxing gym, but there's no pretension, no fancy gym outfits, no bullshit. It's bare bones exercising. I wouldn't trade it for any other NYC gym. I love it. read more

This is a review of the pool only, not the recreation center in general. The most important thing to know before you go to any NYC pool are the rules. If you follow the rules and are courteous to the staff, you'll have a great time. So here they are in a nutshell: --In order to get into the pool building, you need to have a combination lock for a locker. You have to show it to them before you can get in. They are strict about it. If you don't have a lock, you don't get into the building. Period. --You can't bring anything with you on deck except for your swim attire (bathing suit, goggles, swim cap, flip flops), towel, clear water bottle (new rule as of 2017 to make sure you have water and not booze in your bottle), sunblock, sunglasses, and a book or magazine. (No newspapers.) This is mostly to prevent litter, but also to stop anyone from bringing anything dangerous onto the pool deck. The staff might ask you to shake out your towel to show you aren't hiding anything. No biggie. --You can wear clothes over your bathing suit on deck, but they have to be white. (This is an old rule from the 80s when gang activity was a problem. They don't want people flashing gang colors. Though this isn't really an issue anymore, it's worked to keep the pools safe so far, so why should they risk dropping the rule, right?) Since you can wear whatever you want into the building, just not on the pool deck, I find it easiest to just leave my clothes in the locker and not worry about this rule. --And you have to "shower" before you go on deck. Just dowse yourself quickly so you look wet and you're good. The rules sound crazy, complicated, and outdated, but they're really easy to follow and they were put in place for a reason. The parks department just wants everyone to have a good time and be safe. All of the bad reviews I've read about NYC public pools (aside from the McCarren weirdness) seem to be from entitled a-holes not following the rules and getting yelled at for it. If you follow the rules, the staff is perfectly nice. The locker rooms are bare bones and the bathrooms are kind of grody. Not dirty, just always wet from cleaning and no toilet seats. Kind of what you'd expect in a rustic campground. But the pool is safe and clean and wonderful and FREE. And the lifeguards are good about keeping kids from being loud and obnoxious. So it's pretty peaceful. The pool is less crowded on weekdays and on weekend mornings. But even when I've gone on 90+ degree days on the weekend, I have not felt like it was crowded. There is also an adults-only lap-swim section if you want to avoid the kiddies completely. Also, be aware of the hours so you don't show up and find the pool closed. All NYC outdoor pools are open 11am to 7pm, and close between 3pm and 4pm for cleaning. Bring a book, take a dip, and enjoy the sunshine! Oh, and get some pupusas at the ball-field vendors when you're done. Yum! read more

i used to live on the LES about 15 years ago and used the Pitt Street pool.. i missed it when i moved to brooklyn. HOW DID I MISS THIS GEM! i went to the red hook pool this morning - yes, there are rules... yes, i think a few are a bit overbearing...YES... it is a HUGE pool for FREE that was NOT crowded... I checked out the website, I brought a lock, It clearly states white t-shirts only, a towel and bound reading material...i happily waltzed in, locked up my stuff and threw down my towel on the pool deck ( concrete slab ) and read my book until i jumped in the 4ft deep refreshing goodness of the Red Hook Pool.... thank you NYC, nice to see tax dollars at work! Oh - and there are swimming lanes, and a HUGE kiddie area...seriously. read more

I'm reviewing the pool. First, it's big. It's even bigger than an Olympic pool (and by quite a large margin). Second, it's pretty clean - definitely not what you think of when you hear "city pool." I've been here in the evening for lap swimming hours and it's relatively crowded, but not so bad that you can get a good workout in. The entire pool isn't open for laps, but even though you can only use one third, that still means each length is nearly 40 meters, not bad for a free pool! I was there today, a warm Saturday afternoon, for general swimming. There was a line to get in at 4:00pm, but we managed to avoid it by enjoying a taco first and showing up at 4:15. Then we walked right in. Even though there were a lot of people there, we were still able to find plenty of space to splash around without running into anybody. Then I did some laps in the lap swimming section. As other people have mentioned, there is a lack chairs, so be prepared to lay on the concrete. Also, make sure you read up on the rules. Some of them may seem ridiculous (no shirts allowed in the pool area unless they are white, no electronics at all, no pool toys, each person must show a lock before entering), but they're not so bad when you realize that if everybody brought a ball to throw around, you'd get hit in the head about every eight seconds. All in all, it's a great way to spend an afternoon in Red Hook before eating some cheap meatballs at Ikea. read more

Yesterday husband and I went out to Robert Moses beach, and had a slot of sand smaller than our bathroom, and about two feet in every direction to move, once in the water. Heat waves = tons of people trying to cool off. Okay, I get it. So imagine our delight when we showed up at the Red Hook pool today with nary a line, got in for free, swam for an hour and a half with so few people around us (seems like the consensus is for people to cling to the walls of the pool and relax - so I recommend actually hanging out in the middle and playing Little Mermaid). The pool is remarkably clean, there are plenty of lifeguards, and did I mention its HUGE? I wish I went earlier in the season, but I intend to ride out this heat wave at the pool for the rest of the week. chaching! read more

The Good: $25 membership for 6 months HUGE swimming pool with designated lap swim area Quiet/deserted 400 m track Wall mural dedicated to Tang (the drink of champions) The Bad: Limited weight room - it does the job, just gotta be creative Crawling with kids Lap swim during the day can get crowded with "non-swimmers" The Ugly: People you never, ever wanted to see naked changing a mere 4 feet away from you...seriously, cover up! Prison-style bathrooms and showers The idea of spending a small fortune on a gym membership solely to lift some weights and swim a bit seemed ridiculous to me. So, you can imagine the lure of less than $5 a month pulled me right in. The weight room itself is functional, but as suggested above, very minimal. If you're looking for state-of-the-art equipment (and in some cases, equipment) then you should probably avoid coming to workout here. But, if you just need some free weights, a few basic machines, and some benches, you should be good to go. The pool is great! It's huge (40 m for lap swim). It can get really crowded during the day, but that is my only complaint. The water is refreshing and clean (surprise!) and the section for lap swimmers is separate from the chaos that is kiddie-swim. I like running on the track mostly because there is virtually no one on it, regardless of what time of the day. Its fairly well maintained and most people who are using it are courteous and have learned that walking in lane one is a bad idea. The bathrooms, showers, and locker room situations are not for the faint of heart. The locker room is swamped at peak times. Most people are not shy about taking it off and letting it all hang out. Everything in the showers and bathroom are made out of concrete, but it's decent enough for me. Give this place a shot, its an alright place to work out and the pool is freakin' fantastic! read more

I am writing about the pool. I LOVE THIS POOL! And the best thing...it is FREE! I am glad my tax dollars are going somewhere worthwhile. But warning: get here early, because it gets crowded! We arrived around 11:30 and there was no line to get in. But by the time we drove away, around 4, there was a huge line to get in! The pool is very clean, no floating dead bugs, wads of hair, or dead skin. That is a plus!! Also, the few poolside chairs are hot commodities, so try to see if you can snag one, but its hard! Sort of like a parking space in Flushing on a Saturday! The pool is open from 11 - 2:45 and then closed from 3-4 and then reopens from 4 - 6:45. I think the one hour closing is a good time to go and get lunch by the ballfield, but everyone and their mothers are also there, so be prepared to WAIT. One DOWNER: the female locker room is very SCARY. The toilets have no seats, so be prepared to SQUAT and also it is very SMELLY. The showers were also FRIGHTENING. Oh well...what can you do? Its a FREE POOL right? Can't have everything... but really this is a GREAT POOL. Just don't pee ;-) read more

This review is for the Early Bird Adult Lap Swim. The pool is almost 40m and is very clean. They have plenty of lifeguards and staff on, even at 7am. The locker rooms are pretty basic, flip flops are highly recommended if not required. Check out the website before going because there are quite a few rules & regulations. You must have a padlock. You must be in a real bathing suit. You cannot wear t-shirts or bring certain items out to the pool. Nothing big but rules for sure. Everyone is super nice, the staff are polite & professional. I would give it 5 stars if not for the lacking locker rooms but what do I really expect from a public park. I think it's as good as it gets for the price which is free or tax dollars! I highly recommend you get your swim on there for free! read more

I went to the Red Hook pool today because I was dreading the idea of going all the way to the NYSC in Times Square just for 20 mins of lap swimming. At 12:30PM, I expected a painfully crowded chaotic scene and I was so pleasantly surprised! I LOVE THIS POOL!! True, the showers/locker rooms remind me of an insane asylum but I have no intention of ever showering there. And really, as long as the water is clean, who cares about those details. The water is blue, there are lifeguards everywhere, all the lap swimmers seemed to play nicely with each other, the deck wasn't too crowded for a bit of lounging. I am so happy this pool is here. I only wish I had discovered it before the end of the summer! read more

This place is dope. It is nestled hidden on the wrong side of the gowanus expressway, so you have to negotiate some dodgy traffic and serious industrial district to get there, but it is near the IKEA so you could conceivably take the free ferry there (shhhhh!!!), anyways, they have a large 50 meter pool, which does not have competition lanes and is not set up for "long course" as those insiders might know, anyways, the cross pool is set up for short course which is about 25 meters I think, there is a separate place for laps, which is at the other end from the kiddie end. The only issue is they close from 245 pm to 4 pm, and you have to bring a lock because they ask you to show it at the door. The pool is a 20's style WPA project but it still works(ha ha, there were no 20's style wpa projects, it's 1936 style!!), and unlike McCarren Park this one has water in it! whoo. temp is good. There is no grass to lounge on, but there is ample concrete. Plus there is a park ranger that comes in sometimes and sings 50's tunes on the overhead loudspeaker which is the only music you will hear at the pool, I don't think you can bring anything but a book and a towel and a water (no food) onto the pool deck. read more

I was so excited when Brooklyn Heights got a pool this year, only to find out you have to wait in line at the right time to get a wrist band, it's limited to 60 each session, and you get to swim for 45 min. On a hot day that's just not enough-- if you're lucky enough. Enter RED HOOK POOL. When my husband (bred Brooklynite) told me "let's go to Red Hook Pool," I grimaced. "A City Pool?" I asked. "Really?" Really! A big, beautiful, clean, calm city pool with gigantic kiddie pool. Yes, don't forget the rules-- bring a lock or you don't get in, shower off in cold water quickly before swimming, nothing in the pool area but you, a towel and your swimsuit (and sunscreen), and it closes for an hour at lunchtime. If you follow 'em you'll be in NYC heaven. Growing up in the suburbs I used to have to pay for this, but I'll gladly pay my tax $ to provide things like this. Sat-- heading off to Red Hook Pool with my husband and 2 kids to cool off. Nothing like the sound of laughter and happiness in the city. read more

I am writing this review for all adults and teens who are 'serious' about lap swimming. You will not beat this deal. From 7-8:30 AM every weekday and 7-8:30PM from July 5tth-- Sept. 3rd we have complete access to the pool for unobstructed lap swims free of children and waders. And the recreation folks who manage this program are super nice. For free. Take that, YMCA! The pool and locker area are much cleaner than in Sunset Park. The pool is 40meters (43 yrds) per length, so it is longer than your typical 25 yd pool but shorter than Sunset Park (50m). So just account for your laps accordingly! The divisions between the lanes are non-existent, so you just pretty much rely on your other fellow lap-swimmers to stay on a straight line and within the "Fast-Medium-Slow" divisions. For the most part, this works well. Oh, but the water fountains are gross--water comes out brown. Bring a water bottle already filled unless you want to taste some Gowanus. read more

The Red Hook pool (the real purpose of coming here) has just as many pros as it does cons, for that reason I'll give them an average rating. Most of the cons however seem to be city-wide public pool policies so nothing specific about the one in Red Hook. Cons: -You must come wearing a bathing suit, they will ask to see the inside of your suit to check for a liner if what you're wearing doesn't look like a swim suit. -The only shirt you're allowed to wear in the pool area is a plain white t-shirt -No magazines or newspapers are allowed in the pool area (books are ok) -No food or drinks other than water are allowed in the pool area -No personal electronics of any kind allowed in pool area (including cell phones) -Must shower prior to entering pool area (water is a bit chilly) -There are only a few plastic lounge chairs, if you don't claim one you're only option is claiming a piece of concrete by the pool -The pool is only about 4 feet deep (give or take a few inches) -There are two very large cones sticking out of the pool (pool filters), they say keep off of them (supposedly so you're not climbing up on them) but if you even lean up against one you'll get one of the lifeguards whistling at you to move away from it. It's too bad as the water by those cones are closer to 5 feet, they have little jets of water, and it's a tad cooler than the rest of the pool. -The locker room is actually just the perimeter of the rec center gym ($100/yr) so you're getting naked a few feet away from someone on the elliptical or weight machine. Which is also a negative that the men and women's gyms are separate. Pros: -It's free -It's clean -It's refreshing in the summer even when the water temp gets really warm -Despite it's location near the projects of Red Hook the crowd is pretty diverse -It's much less busy than more popular pools like the ones in Williamsburg and Astoria -It's one of the largest pools in the city (330x130') -They have a blocked off little kid area with sprayers to cool off the little ones without having to worry about bringing them into the pool -They have designated times where they block off a section of the pool just for people who want to swim laps In case you want to go, make sure to bring a lock, remember the guidlines listed above, and note their hours: 11-3pm & 4-7pm, June 27 to September 2 (for 2013). read more

That's a grate place. It's place u can take ur wife and kids and have a good time. U can even have a small picnic. Nice feel for baseball and soccer. When I need a quick getaway I go there with my kids. read more

gawd i love this place. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free.huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. even on weekends with a lot of ppl, this pool is so big, there is always room for everyone. only reason i held back on that last star, pool never gets deep, always at four feet. and no diving/jumping, but it's a public pool. what can you expect. on boiling hot summer days, this place is a god sent. did i mention? huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free.huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. huge. clean. free. read more

My review is for the pool. After 16 years of living in the city, I finally made my first visit to one of the city's public pools. I had never been because I had been afraid of huge crowds, dirty water, and teenage boys running amok. I was pleasantly surprised by my visit today to the Red Hook pool. The pool opens at 11am, although there is an adults only lap swimming session from 7am to 8:30am. I had been advised to get there as early as possible, so I arrived just after 11am - there was already a line. It was a beautiful day today but not hot and humid, so on the dog days of summer, you should probably get there even earlier. You'll need to show a lock when you enter - it's my understanding that they'll turn you away if you don't. Also, you can't wear shorts on the pool deck unless they're board shorts, so ladies might want to bring a sarong as a cover-up. White t-shirts only on the pool deck. We were also made to shake out our towels before entering the pool, probably to ensure that we weren't bringing weapons, cell phones or newspapers out to the pool (all forbidden). There are a limited amount of chaise lounges available (and by limited, I mean about 15) so unless you want to sit on your towel on concrete (you can't bring your own chair, another no-no), get there early! I felt like I was on vacation. The water was cold getting in but soon felt great. There are sectioned-off lap lanes and an area for the day camp kids. The pool is huge so my friend and I had plenty of room to just float around and chat. Check out the pool this summer! read more

Huge pool. I came here for swimming lessons last year. You would love it. It's just too nice. The water was pretty cool although the weather was so hot. One of the best places to swim at in Brooklyn. read more

The best for all your swimming workouts. Water temp is 78-80 degrees. Perfect for an outdoor SwimmingPool

I love the lap swim at this safe, well-run pool. Sorry to hear about the guard who forced the other reviewer to open her bra - hope she's been spoken to. read more

Go for the giant outdoor pool on weekends or early AM/late PM lap swimming on weekdays. If you are lucky, you can score a plastic lounge chair. Water temperature is perfect. Locker area is very basic and dated, push button showers, small lockers, pink hand soap, little privacy. Must bring a lock to enter facility. read more

Love this pool! The rules are pretty much the same for all public pools in NYC, easily found online. They're there for everyone's safety, comfort, and keeping the place clean. Plus-it's FREE! So stfu and stop complaining. Staff here is nice, lots of lifeguards, mostly teens, but I know they swim way better than I do lol. Security staff is accused of having and attitude but it's usually caused by a bunch of screaming kids and entitled jerks who think they're coming to Club Med. It's not an easy job so if you make the effort to give them a smile and treat them well, they'll go out of their way for you. Aside from being clean with a decent no frills locker room, the location across the street from the tasty food vendors Red Hook is known for makes an ideal summer afternoon in Brooklyn. read more

Dirtier and more crowded than last summer (thanks, New York Mag!), but still the best free public pool in NYC, hands down. The pool is huge, the lap swimming not overly hectic, and their strict no bag/food policy keeps the deck pretty clean. The Red Hook food vendors located right outside are an obvious plus as well. read more

A good place to cool off but nothing too fancy. However, I am a fan. All of the rules make sense even though they seem a bit constricting. One that I haven't seen posted here is about water bottles - you can only bring in a clear plastic water bottle (the lifeguards have regular metal ones, but those are verboten). read more

The pool is amazing. Very clean and well taken care of. There is plenty of parking and the area is up and coming. Check out the small shops near by. Plenty of places to eat down here and do a little food shopping. read more

The Red Hook Pool is vast and free BUT.... there is so much chlorine in that water that my skin was burning after 15 minutes. BEWARE...they really over do it on the chemicals...for all the health benefits of swimming here all your effort are reversed by the fact that this chlorine enters your body directly through your pores. I quickly ran out of there. August 2011. read more

I am 8 months pregnant, and was dying to swim. I did not want to get pummeled by waves in the ocean, so my next alternative was to find a decent city pool. A friend recommended Red Hook swimming pool. I checked on the parks website for location and hours. However i did not see the "Pool Rules" which should be highlighted in BIG BOLD LETTERS. Let me explain... So from the beginning, i walked 15 minutes from the bus to get there, exhausted, hot and 8 months pregnant, I'm standing behind a family trying to get in and the girl who worked there was giving them a hard time about their stroller... really? Then, my turn: no lock, no entry. "Do you sell locks?" i asked. No, of course not. "Where is the closest store?" She points in a general direction. Turns out after asking a local resident, it's about a 10-minute walk, blocks away, and mind you it's 90ºand i'm a waddling pregnant lady. OK, so got my lock, return 20 minutes later, almost ready to leave due to their extreme rudeness. Ha, that was just the beginning... The gymnasium that contains small 10"x10" lockers and a bunch of militants shouting orders about what you cannot bring poolside, which is like EVERYTHING. I removed all my clothes except for my bikini and a tank top over my bikini. I have a huge white belly and not comfortable walking around with it half naked. Upon reaching the showers, i see these militants shouting at this poor 13-year old girl about how she cannot wear her shorts into the pool area, shouting at her, she looked like she was about to cry. The shorts looked like part of her bathing suit but they weren't buying it... really? Then said militant looked at me and shouted "Shower!" and said "Take your shirt off!" I explained "i'm not swimming in it, i just want to wear it outside in the sun. I'm 8 months pregnant, give me a break!" "NO!" She shouted, "And i have the power to not let you in either, so don't get smart, ain't nobody ask you to come to the pool pregnant!" I was shocked. If it wasn't for the relief i was dying to get from swimming, believe me, i would have absolutely been happy to get kicked out because i was seriously ready to go off on this b*#¢h. I ended up going back and throwing my tank top in the locker, (all because it wasn't white, it was pink) and wrapping my big old belly up in my towel. When i stepped out to the pool area, it was like a whole different world. It was a huge pool, with the lap section far away from the screaming kids and teens. Nobody seemed to be stressing people out there. The only thing i didn't understand was why half the poolside was cordoned off, which crammed people in next to each other more closely. Ah, to finally lay down on the hard cement with your towel, how comfy. BTW, you can't bring chairs in with you either. And to think i was kicking myself on the way to Red Hook for forgetting my camp chair, LOL... The lap swimming was heavenly, not crowded and not competitive, with no floating lane markers, now THAT's what i was looking for. Got my weightless exercise, got my relief. I understand why there are rules, but some of their rules make no sense and the way they are treating people is truly unbelievable. My story is 100% truth and not embellished at all. I would have made a complaint, but all the employees looked like they had the same attitude. On my way out, there were police there trying to work out an argument between a visitor and an employee. I laughed, i wonder how many times they are called in there. Even the stupidity of their rules, if delivered with more respect to the patrons, would not have been such a horrific experience. read more

Today I took two grandsons aged 7 & 11 to the Red Hook Swimming Pool. We're not going back. To begin on a positive note, the pool water was clean, or seemed so. The pool was not crowded. (I now know why.) There my positives end. If you are a New Yorker you probably don't know anything better, but as Australians we're just not used to the Red Hook style of over-administration and paranoia - of a swimming pool, for goodness' sake? Airports, ferry terminals, Empire State, OK, but a swimming pool? You will begin to understand when I tell you that the door staff actually made the kids shake down their towels. Did they think we had guns in them? No, they thought we had mobile phones in them. You may ask, what's the big deal with taking phones into a pool area? Well, they explained, you may drop your phone. And sue the pool for replacement. Excuse me? Here I must say, words failed me. I shall now list some of the things you CAN'T do at Red Hook, that you CAN do at the local pools in my home town, Townsville, Australia, at any of them: Riverway, or Tobruk, or Kokoda, (all of which are considerably larger, more diverse and more aesthetically pleasing than Red Hook, may I add.) Here goes with the NOes: No colours on Tshirts. (WHITE Tshirts ONLY, no patterns at all. we didn't have any pure white Tshirts. As for buying them, even if we had known where to, or had time, most Tshirts on sale in NY have NY printed all over them.) No hats. (!!!!! Ever heard of melanoma, New York?) No food. No jumping in. No ball play in the pool. No phones in the pool area. No bags. (You have to carry each item in your hand - towel, goggles, sun cream... Stuff dropping all over the place.) No change rooms for privacy. (We left in our wet bathers, had to dry off as best we could, and had to pull our shirts and shorts on over damp bathers in the playground over the road, so we could travel home decently on the bus.) One more thing: it was a good thing I checked their website, and reviews, before we travelled all the way to Red Hook, because they told us we had to go out and buy a huge locker lock (2 inches wide "at least"), or they wouldn't even let us in. So it's free pool, but $22 for the lock... Can't even take it back to Australia, so heavy.... A horrible experience, not to be repeated. Oh yes, the office staff - perfectly nice people, I had no problems with staff - said that all the rules make it safe for kids. Well how utterly, utterly sad. I guess we're just spoiled rotten in my home town, because we don't need rules like these at a swimming pool for us to feel our kids are safe. read more

while this pool seems like it could be great just have a backup plan before you come here especially if you live far away. 30% of the times I've come here (lugging a baby/toddler with me!!!) it has been randomly closed. today everyone was sitting outside at 5:30 pm breathing in mr softee exhaust fumes outside waiting to be let back in after they kicked everyone out because someone was sick (?). luckily I live nearby so besides the complete hassle it is preparing yourself for all the absurd rules and awful staff, I was just able to go back home after waiting a while with a crazy toddler. you're screwed if you've made a trek. if you do get in it'll be one of the most bizarre experiences of your life. read more

The pool and surrounding area is truly very clean and tidy....but the employees and the lifegaurds....well that is a whole other topic. The lifeguards are very rude and have a very bad attitude. Whistle happy to say the least and nasty to many. I did not have a bad experience with any but took notice. The employees, half which just sit around seem to have a bad attitude as well. Nothing pleasant for the exception of two specific employees. I understand the pool is for free etc., but that does not give freedom for rudeness. The rules are through the roof, and not all are too specific on the website, so I suggest a call ahead. read more

My 9 year old daughter was playing with a girls only basketball program at the Red Hook Rec Center on Saturday mornings. The facility itself is great, the gym goes unused often, but the staff clearly discriminated against us. Andrea Keys and Robert Lindo have no business serving in a role of authority. Jackie, who greeted us at the front desk, was friendly and was the ONLY person to treat us fairly. We all supported our daughters coach and tried contacting both Mitchell Silver and Eileen Dalton to discuss our concerns and come to a resolution but our calls were never returned. Collectively we contacted the commissioner and the Brooklyn chief of operations over 50 times and not one call was returned. If you feel you have been discriminated against at this facility please submit a complaint. This is a facility that serves ALL, not just a select group. NYC has a stated policy of non-discrimination, unfortunately they do not enforce it and none seem to care. read more