Best NYC Pools in 2009 (By Amy)

While I definitely don't disagree with Laura's assessments on her pool list, I had to make one of my own. I haven't been to a couple of the pools on her list and not living in Brooklyn makes my list more Manhattan-centric (OK, they're all in Manhattan!).

Without further ado, here's my list:

10. New York Sports Club (49th Street & Broadway): I'll never be a huge fan of splitting a lane or the 18-yard pool, but it definitely is close to home and great for teaching Drew to swim.

9. The "Other" 14th Street Y: The pool is always really crowded in the morning and people aren't great at seeding themselves into the proper lanes.

8. Westside YMCA: This pool is definitely a bit like a Russian Bathhouse, but people are really great at seeding themselves into the proper lanes. And there is the biggest locker room that you've ever seen.

7. 14th Street Y: Not too busy and a really warm pool. Locker room is a little iffy.

6. 92nd Street Y: The pool has a weird tile rim around it, so you can't hold onto the edge at either side (which I think is bad when you want to push off the wall). Of course, I'm willing to over look this flaw when sitting in one of the two hot tubs!

5. Asphalt Green: I love the fact that it's 50 meters. Love it. Hate the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere in comparison to my apartment!

4. Manhattan Plaza Health Club: I was not a huge fan of this pool at first. There is a rather surly fellow in the fast lane. However, they have a retractable roof over half of the pool and two hot tubs, which made me realize that there's more to this place than I originally thought! (But bring your own towel, otherwise there is a fee).

3. Reebok Sports Club/NY: For as fancy as everything else about this gym was as a whole, the pool was definitely smaller than I anticipated. And most people were pretty slow swimmers as a whole. But, they force you to circle swim when more than 3 people are in a lane and the lifeguard seems pretty good about enforcing the rules. Plus, the hot tub is awesome.

2. John Jay College: Nothing too fancy about this. Have to bring your own gear, really small locker room, but it's where my Terrier Tri team practices and I always have a killer workout here.

1. Jewish Community Center: How a pool with no hot tub made the top of the list, I'm not really sure I understand. But the locker room facilities are great. The pool is amazingly beautiful, especially when it's sunny outside.

Honorable Mentions should be given to the following:
Battery Park Swim & Fitness Center: Pool is really small (as is the gym), but the hot tub is great. Gym also never really seems to be that crowded in the morning, which is a big plus.

Atlantis Health Club/Marriott Hotel: Pool is really short and shallow, but definitely a great place to practice dolphins in the water for beach swim starts for open water swims.

Guest Post: 2009 Year In Review: NYC Pools

This is Laura, a friend of Drew and Amy, as well as Amy's frequent Wednesday morning swim partner. After I posted (on Facebook) my top-ten list of NYC pools for 2009, most of which I have been to with Amy, Amy and Drew suggested that I turn it into a guest post for her blog. I will admit that this list is somewhat Brooklyn-centric (and otherwise slightly biased), but putting that aside, and without further ado, here is my top-ten list of NYC pools for 2009. Now all we need is for Amy to make her own list so we can compare and contrast!

(10) Asphalt Green - this would be ranked higher if it weren't so far away from everything. Full 50m pool, and a beautiful one besides - but not really worth the commute during the week.

(9) Riverbank State Park - another lovely 50m pool, and home of some good TNT memories besides.

(8) Battery Park Fitness - okay, technically, I haven't gotten in the pool here, because the one time we tried, it was too tiny and crowded. But the hot tub, when it's working, is very nice.

(7) The 14th Street Y - because that's where I basically learned to swim. Yes, the pool is small, but it's conveniently located and I have good swimming memories here.

(6) The 92nd Street Y - the pool was kind of meh, but the hot tub was pretty sweet.

(5) Manhattan Plaza Health Club - sun roof + hot tub. Need I say more?

(4) The Dodge - because that's where all the cool Brooklyn kids swim.

(3) The Reebok Sports Club - the gym was too fancy; the pool was okay; but the hot tub, however, was out of this world.

(2) The JCC - I think it's the most beautiful pool in the city, second to none.

(1) LIU - because it's home.