Opening Day at Central Park’s New Swimming Pool

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It came full oval on Friday, June 27 at 11 a.m., as Central Park officially opened the long-awaited and beautifully renovated Gottesman Pool at The Davis Center — a $160 million project first announced in 2018 and broken ground on in 2021. Now the eighth largest pool in New York City, with a capacity of 1,000, people lined up to be among the first to break in the larger-than-Olympic-size pool, which measures 285 by 120 feet.

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Bella Aguilar, a Bronx resident originally from Ecuador, was first in line to experience the design and planning effort — now in full fruition — between the Central Park Conservancy and the architectural teams of Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture | Design and Mitchell Giurgola. With the paramount goal of creating an organic reconnection between the Harlem Meer and the North Woods, Aguilar beamed with excitement as the gate was about to open.

“I got a new hat,” said Aguilar, who was also gifted a special Central Park towel and water bottle for being the first person to officially enter the newly opened pool area. Attending alone, she dressed fresh for the occasion, in a breezy blue sundress and open-toe sandals with a clasp at the ankle. “I knew I had to be here,” she told ILTUWS. “It’s nice to be outside.”

A pair of police officers arrived early, around 10:30 a.m., to check in at the gate with park personnel. They noted that two officers would always be stationed at the pool, then took a walk around inside to get a lay of the land.

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Come prepared: rules posted at the gate of Gottesman Pool state that swimsuits are mandatory, with no street clothes or sneakers allowed on the pool deck. Food, glass, electronic devices, and newspapers are also prohibited in the pool area but may be enjoyed inside the Davis Center. Pool hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, with a break for cleaning between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Visitors are also asked to bring a lock to store their belongings; although staff were lenient about this today, it’s best practice to bring one to keep your items safe.

A group of students from Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens, were the first friends assembled in line together to celebrate the opening. Student Caleb Proano told ILTUWS he saw a TikTok video from @pictureperfectluis about the new opening, and he got his buddies Ryan, Brice, and Justin together to check it out. When asked about their punctual arrival, Proano said they were worried it would be difficult to get in and wanted to secure beach chairs. “It’s summer, everyone’s already out of school, plan ahead,” he advised. Sage advice from the youngster, as the friends debated whether they would all jump in together at once or on their own. Laughs ensued in the discussion just as the doors opened.

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With temperatures in the low 70s and a slight overcast following a run of roughly 100-degree days earlier in the week, the line to get in was long but not overwhelming.

Lifeguards, dressed in bright orange gear with matching whistles, took laps around the outside of the pool, which is roughly three feet, eight inches deep and features a zero-grade accessible entrance. A splash pad is also on-site. The oval-shaped pool will include divider lanes when necessary to accommodate 50-meter lap swimming.

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