You are reading

More than just a pool: Astoria’s urban oasis boasts fresh look and free swims

Astoria Pool

Photo credit: Jessica Militello

July 31, 2025 By Jessica Militello

Summer days are beginning to wind down, but the Astoria Pool is still open until Sept. 7 to help New Yorkers cool off and enjoy the last of the longer days and warm nights before the season gives way to Fall.

The urban oasis, perched between the park and adjacent to the waterfront, is a fun and free activity that has provided much-needed relief from the heat, particularly through the heat waves the city received in July and August, with temperatures feeling like it was in the 100s on some days.  With so many New Yorkers seeking relief, it was perfect timing for the Olympic-sized pool to receive quite the facelift after a $19 million revamp, which took place in 2023.

When the pool reopened in June 2024, the makeover included changes such as a replacement of the pool’s shell, deck, and filtration system. The already popular space definitely received noticeable attention from visitors for its expanded space and clean environment.

“It’s clean and it’s in good condition,” said one pool-goer, Alisa Fletcher, who came one morning with her son. “I love that there are different parts of the pool, one where you can go with your child, there’s the deep part where you can go by yourself, and it’s just good for family.”

The changes were aimed at addressing some of the aging infrastructure in the nearly century-old pool, which first opened in 1936 at the height of the Great Depression and during a sweltering heat wave. The renovation updated and modernized the space while maintaining its historic charm, giving pool goers the best of both worlds and something to look forward to, whether they were returning to the pool this summer or trying it out for the first time.

Astoria Pool

Photo credit: Jessica Militello

“I remember the summer prior, only half of the pool was open, so it’s great,” said Chenyi J. “The pool gets so many people, so I’m so glad that they opened more space.”

With fitness and wellness definitely at the forefront of many of the park and pool’s amenities, including the Olympic-sized pool, a track, fitness equipment, and a skate park, another highlight of the area is free swimming lessons, which are offered to children and adults through NYC Parks’ Learn to Swim Program. Sessions began on June 24 and will end shortly on Aug. 15, but the free classes provide an invaluable tool, not only for summer fun, but for safety as well. 

Astoria Pool

Photo credit: Jessica Militello

The Astoria Park and pool area continues to be a hub for fitness, wellness, and community, and provides a great place to enjoy outdoor activities, work out, and meet with friends without having to spend money, and simply enjoy nature and the outdoors. Astoria residents and New Yorkers, luckily, will still have the opportunity to make the most of the pool for the next month or so before it closes until next summer. 

Astoria Pool

Photo credit: Jessica Militello

“It’s the main reason to live in Astoria,” said a local resident, Josh Bismuth. “They have adult lap swimming so you can work out, and be separate from the kids, and with the park nearby, you can run on the track; that’s what I use it for, but people like to go for different reasons.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Halletts Point esplanade in Astoria opens, reconnecting community to East River waterfront

Aug. 22, 2025 By Bill Parry

When The Durst Organization broke ground on its massive Halletts Point project in Astoria on a cold winter day in January 2016, the speeches were delivered inside a massive brick warehouse that had cut off public access to a stretch of East River waterfront for generations. That warehouse is long gone, demolished and then replaced by two high-rise residential towers, 20 and 30 Halletts Point, which launched leasing earlier this year, and a 58,000-square-foot waterfront esplanade that opened to the public this month.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.

Suspect wanted for flashing woman multiple times while riding R train in Astoria: NYPD

Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria and Transit District 20 are looking for a flasher who exposed himself repeatedly to a woman on board a northbound R train in Astoria on Sunday, Aug. 17.

The suspect sat across from the 34-year-old victim at around 12:50 p.m. as the subway was in the vicinity of Steinway Street and 34th Avenue and showed her his genitals multiple times, police said. The suspect zipped up and got off the train at the station and ran off on foot in an unknown direction. The woman was not injured during the encounter.