Where To Get Your Swim On This Winter: Indoor Pools In Brooklyn
The outdoor pools have been closed for a few months now and winter is on its way, but you’d still like to take a dip in a pool and maybe swim some laps. Luckily, there are a number of indoor pools throughout Brooklyn where you can get your fill of chlorine.
We’ve rounded up a list of some of the many options for indoor swimming available across the borough so that you don’t have to wait until next July to get some laps in. Check it out.
Public Pools
There are a couple of public recreation centers in Brooklyn that have indoor pools. They have the lowest membership fees of any of the places with indoor pools. A membership fee costs $150 a year for adults, $25 for seniors, and free for anyone under 18. Memberships allow you to use any Parks Department recreation center in the city, not just the ones with pools.
St. Johns Recreation Center
1251 Prospect Place, Crown Heights
The indoor pool at St. John’s Recreation Center is located in Crown Heights, just a few blocks from the Crown Heights – Utica Avenue 3 and 4 train station in St. John’s Park. The pool is 74′ x 42′ x 9′ and is open from 8am-4;30pm Monday through Saturday. The pool offers lap swim, aerobics classes and swimming lessons for kids. You can see the pool’s full schedule here.
Metropolitan Recreation Center
261 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg
The Metropolitan Recreation Center in Williamsburg also has an indoor pool and is just down the street from the Bedford Avenue L train station. The pool is 75′ x 30′ and open 7am-5:15pm Monday through Saturday and from 10am-4:45pm on Sundays. It offers adult lap swim and general swimming. You can see the full swim schedule here.
YMCA
Several YMCA branches in Brooklyn have an indoor pool. However, you can only join one location unless you opt for a citywide membership. The memberships vary by location and type — adult, senior, student and family — and they require a joiner’s fee. But the YMCA does have some great locations, longer hours, and — in addition to an indoor pool — many branches have great classes and athletics. Plus, Mayor de Blasio is a member.
Prospect Park YMCA
357 9th Street, Park Slope
Situated between the 4th Avenue-9th Street and 7th Avenue train stations, this location is right in the heart of Park Slope. The Prospect Park YMCA is open from 5am-11pm on weekdays and from 6am-9pm on weekends and has not one but two indoor swimming pools. The small pool is used primarily for water exercise, while the large pool has lap swim and family friendly activities. Check out the full schedule here.
Dodge YMCA
225 Atlantic Avenue, Downtown Brooklyn/Cobble Hill
Located on Atlantic Avenue just blocks from Downtown Brooklyn, this is one of the most convenient indoor pools in the borough. It’s just a couple of blocks from Borough Hall and Metrotech, meaning you can take pretty much any subway line to get there. The branch is open from 5:30am-11pm on weekdays, 6am-8pm on Saturdays, and 7am-8pm on Sundays and also offers adult swim and open swimming, see the full schedule here.
Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA
1121 Bedford Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant
This YMCA is located squarely between the G and the A/C trains — about six blocks from each — and right off of the B52 bus. It’s open from 5:30am-11pm on weekdays, 7am-8pm on Saturdays and 8am-8pm on Sundays. The pool offers adult lap swim and several aquatic aerobics classes, check out the full schedule here.
Greenpoint YMCA
99 Meserole Avenue, Greenpoint
This YMCA branch is one of the more inconvenient locations, as it is only accessible via the G train and a couple of bus lines, but it does have some of the best hours. On weekdays it is open from 5am-12am, Saturdays from 9am-8pm, and Sundays from 8am-8pm. The pool here is used primarily for adult lap swim and children’s swimming lessons, they have several levels available depending on skill. Check out the full schedule here.
Kings Bay Y
3495 Nostrand Avenue, Sheepshead Bay
Kings Bay Y is separate from the city YMCA — it brands itself as a JCC open for all — and has several locations throughout Brooklyn, but only the Sheepshead Bay location has an indoor pool. The Kings Bay Y has a range of annual membership options for families and individuals, which are fairly affordable, as well as a daily guest pass. The Nostrand Avenue location isn’t the easiest to get to, it’s quite a walk from the Q and B trains, but the B36 bus drops off right in front of the building and if you have a car, there is a private parking lot for members. The pool is open from 7am-9:50pm on weekdays, 11am-7pm on Saturdays, and 7:30am-8pm on Sundays. You can see the full schedule here.
Schools
There are some high schools and colleges in the area that have indoor pools that you may be able to use. If you are affiliated with a school it is much easier to get access, but several also provide membership and access to the public.
Fort Hamilton High School
8301 Shore Road, Bay Ridge
Swimming classes are offered throughout the year to children and adults at the Fort Hamilton High School Pool by the nonprofit Bay Ridge Aquatics Institute (BRAINS). The organization offers a variety of swimming classes each season, so if you are interested in learning how to swim, consider registering for one of their classes.
James Madison High School
3787 Bedford Avenue
Swimming classes are offered at James Madison on Saturday mornings through Swim Strong during the winter, so if you are interested in learning how to swim, consider registering for one of their classes.
Swim 4 Life
911 Flatbush Avenue, Flatbush
580 Tilden Avenue, East Flatbush
376 Bay 44th Street, Gravesend
Swimming classes are offered at Erasmus High School and Tilden High School through Swim 4 Life on Saturdays and Sundays, and at the Block Institute on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the winter. The program costs $180 for 10 weekly classes.
Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Avenue, Flatbush
The Brooklyn College pool in the West Quad Center opened just five years ago and is a beautiful facility. The pool is open to the community for either six month or year long memberships, which allows access to all of the recreation facilities. The pool is typically open from 11:15am-9:30pm Monday through Thursday, 10am-4:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12pm-3:30pm on Sundays. However, during the fall swim season, the pool is closed from 3:15-6:45pm Monday through Thursday and after 3:45pm on Fridays for practice and meets. Check here for the full schedule.
Private Clubs
There are several private sports clubs that also have indoor pools, however, they are typically only open to members and these memberships tend to be a bit more expensive. if you are a member though, there are a lot of great classes and perks to swimming at these pools.
Eastern Athletic Club
17 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights
43 Clark Street, Brooklyn Heights
Eastern Athletic Club has two locations, one in Prospect Heights and one in Brooklyn Heights and both locations have indoor pools. The Club does not list it’s membership fees online, but they do have $25 guest passes if you’d like to stop by for a day. They have a 40′ pool at their Brooklyn Heights location and a 75′ pool at their Eastern Parkway location. Each offers lap swim, open swim, lessons and aerobics classes. You can see their full schedule for Brooklyn Heights here and for Prospect Heights here. One of the perks of swimming at Eastern Athletic Club? The Brooklyn Heights location also has a spa.
Brooklyn Sports Club
1540 Van Siclen Avenue, East New York
The Brooklyn Sports Club is one of the more inconveniently located indoor pools. It is not easily accessible by subway, thought there are a few buses that can get you there. But it is located near the Belt Parkway, so if you have access to a car, it’s much easier to reach. The club has memberships available that allow access to the pool, fitness center, courts and sauna, as well as day passes. It is open from 6am-10pm Monday through Friday and 8am-6pm on weekends. Brooklyn Sports Club has a six lane heated pool as well a several shallow pools, and offers a variety of classes. You can see the full schedule here.
East Midwood Jewish Center
1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood
This pool has been a well-kept secret in the area. The Center is located between the Avenue J and Avenue M Q train stops and offers monthly memberships to the community for $50 to $75. The pool is open Sunday through Friday with hours varying by day and offers various types of swimming and classes. Check here for the full schedule.
Where do you go to swim in the winter? Are there any indoor pools that we missed?