Sunset Park and Kosciuszko Pools Opening Tomorrow, Betsy Head on August 1.

No, it will not be as crowded as before, but some relief is coming within easy distance of residents of Sunset Park and Bed Stuy when the community pools open tomorrow, and when Betsy Head Pool in Brownsville opens on August 1st. These are the only three public outdoor pools that will be open in Brooklyn this summer, and they will remain open till September 7.

These are just 3 of the 15 pools the city is reopening over the next two weeks as it eases pandemic restrictions this summer. Normally the city’s 65 public pools are open the day public school ends at the end of June until Labor Day.

Both Sunset, Kosciuszko, and Betsy Head pools are Olympic size outdoor pools. Betsy Head Pool measures 330′ x 165′ x 4.25, Kosciuszko comes in at 230′ x 100′ x 4′, and Sunset at 259′ x 162′ x 3.5′.

Anessa Hodgson, a spokesperson for the Parks Department, said they considered the following when deciding which pools to reopen:

• Selecting neighborhoods heavily impacted by COVID-19
• Availability; many of our locations have been repurposed to serve as COVID-19 testing or food distribution sites
• Ensuring that the sites could provide maximum capacity for safe social distancing
• Providing the best geographic coverage across the five boroughs

That leaves the other large pools like McCarren Park pool and Red Hook pool, closed. Here’s what to expect when you go, according to the information posted on the Parks Department’s website:

• Pool hours: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sessions may be split further at the discretion of the pool managers to accommodate more patrons.
• Everyone must wear face coverings in locker rooms, bathrooms, and on the pool deck, but not while in the water.
• Maintain at least six feet of social distance with strangers.
• If a pool reaches capacity, Parks Department may provide patrons with a time of day to return to the line.