As “We Outside Summer” Continues, Mayor Adams Announces Start of Outdoor Pool Season and Celebrates Opening of New Gottesman Pool in Central Park

June 26, 2025

City's Newest Outdoor Pool Opens at Davis Center in Harlem Meer

Outdoor Public Pools Open Citywide Starting Friday, June 27, Will Remain Open Until Sunday, September 7

City Has Hired 680 Lifeguards This Year, Increase of Nearly 10 Percent From This Time in 2024; Lifeguard Certification Will Continue Through Mid-July

City Announces Return of Adult Lap Swim, Expansion of Free Learn to Swim Programming

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa today continued New York's "We Outside Summer" by celebrating the opening of city public pools starting tomorrow, Friday, June 27. Adams administration officials were joined by Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith and community members to celebrate the start of the citywide outdoor pool season at the city's newest outdoor pool, the Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center in Central Park. The Adams administration announced that New York City now has 680 lifeguards as of today, an increase of nearly 10 percent from this time in 2024, and a number that is expected to continue to grow as lifeguard certification continues through mid-July. Finally, Mayor Adams announced the return of Adult Lap Swim and the expansion of free Learn to Swim programming.

"New York City's pools are incredible places for New Yorkers to come together, learn to swim, and beat the heat. During days of extreme heat, like this week — the need for public pools is greater than ever," said Mayor Adams. "We're diving into summer and continuing our 'We Outside Summer' by opening the new Gottesman Pool at the Harlem Meer and 64 other public pools across the five boroughs. During a heat wave, one of the greatest responsibilities we have as a city is to provide access to resources that keep our most vulnerable New Yorkers cool and safe — and that means opening our public pools and giving our children access to free swim lessons and trained lifeguards, so they are protected in and around the water this summer. This is just another way we are making our city safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family."

"Our free outdoor pools are synonymous with summer for so many New Yorkers — they're incredible amenities that allow people to cool off, have fun, and stay fit," said NYC Parks Commissioner Rodriguez-Rosa. "We're thrilled to welcome people, for the first time, to the Gottesman Pool, a new crown jewel for the Harlem community, which will serve as a dynamic and welcoming space for recreation and public programs. In addition, this administration continues to prioritize investments in public pool infrastructure and increase access to free swim instruction for young people. We're looking forward to seeing New Yorkers make a splash this summer at our pools citywide!"

"The Central Park Conservancy is proud to welcome New Yorkers to the Davis Center's new, state-of-the-art public pool for the 2025 season," said Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Smith. "This $160 million investment in the park's north end, the most significant and complex project in our organization's history, exemplifies how public parks can evolve to better serve their communities. The Davis Center will provide much-needed, year-round access to swimming, skating, and nature for Harlem and northern Manhattan. We are deeply grateful to the city for its partnership in bringing this transformative space to life."

Outdoor pool hours are from 11:00 AM through 7:00 PM daily, with a break for pool cleaning between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. NYC Parks operates 53 outdoor pools throughout the five boroughs. New Yorkers can visit the city's Outdoor Pools page for more information and the Cool It! NYC map for cooling features in every neighborhood — including pools, spray showers, drinking fountains, and more.

This summer, NYC Parks is pleased to expand free Learn to Swim programming from six to 10 outdoor pools throughout the city, furthering the Adams administration’s commitment to increasing access to free classes that help New Yorkers develop critical water safety skills. This includes a new program at Gottesman Pool due to generous support from longtime Central Park Conservancy trustee Shelly Lazarus and The Lazarus Family. The registration lottery is now available on the NYC Parks website.

Additionally, NYC Parks is pleased to bring back Adult Lap Swim this summer. One pool per borough, including at Van Cortlandt Park pool in the Bronx, Kosciuszko pool in Brooklyn, Hamilton Fish pool in Manhattan, Astoria Park pool in Queens, and Lyons Pool Recreation Center on Staten Island, will allow fitness-minded New Yorkers to take to the water without interruption from other swimmers. Senior Splash will continue at one pool per borough, including at Van Cortlandt Park pool, Sunset Park pool, Thomas Jefferson Park pool, Astoria Park pool in Queens, and Lyons Pool Recreation Center. All programming will run from July 7 to August 29, 2025. 

Last month, Mayor Adams announced the newly named "Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life" class at Erasmus High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn in honor of two teenagers who drowned off the coast of Jacob Riis Beach in the summer of 2024. The Adams administration has also invested $5.5 million more to expand free swim safety classes to a total of 18,000 second graders, as first announced in Mayor Adams' 2025 State of the City address earlier this year.

In June 2024, Mayor Adams and NYC Parks announced "Let's Swim NYC," a $1 billion capital investment over five years to improve and expand the city's public pool network over the course of five years. 

The event also celebrated the opening of the new Gottesman Pool, part of the recently opened Davis Center at the Harlem Meer. The Davis Center, which opened in April, was a $160 million project led by the Central Park Conservancy, and funded with $60 million in city funding in addition to private donations. Replacing the Lasker Pool and Rink, which was beyond repair, the new elongated oval pool measures 285 by 120 feet, larger than an Olympic-size pool and among the largest public pools in New York City. The creation of the pool and rink was generously supported by former Conservancy Trustee Alice Gottesman and her parents, David S. Gottesman and Ruth L. Gottesman, long-time supporters of the Conservancy and lovers of the park. Built into the site's natural topography, the pool transforms into an ice rink in winter and a multi-use turf field called the Harlem Oval, ensuring year-round use.

The Davis Center was designed by Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture & Design and Mitchell Giurgola Architects as part of larger re-envisioning of the site by the Central Park Conservancy's landscape architecture team and is managed seasonally in partnership with NYC Parks. 

New Yorkers can be notified about the status of their local pools and beaches by signing up for New York City Emergency Management's Notify NYC system, and then selecting which pools and beaches they are interested in to be notified by text and/or email of significant updates or temporary closures.

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