Summer Safety: Tips For Children (And Parents) As Pools Open To Public Across NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – School is out, pools are in.
More than 50 pools across New York City open to the public Thursday.
Eleven of them have a whole new look thanks to a program called Cool Pools NYC.
After the program kicked off at five pools last year, attendance at those sites jumped 25 to 50 percent, according to the city's parks commissioner.
Wager Pool in East Halem hadn't been renovated since it was built in the 1970s. Now, it has bright new décor, furniture, games and more.
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There are 53 pools across the city, and they're all free. So are the swim lessons being offered to children as young as a year and a half.
"It's actually kind of like a life skill," 11-year-old simmer Tanna Gooden told CBS2. "If you're stuck somewhere, it's best to know how to swim so that you can actually swim to safety."
"It's very important, it keeps you healthy. I feel young for my age," said 66-year-old Juliette Baptiste.
The pool at Jesse Owns Playground in Brooklyn is closed for construction. All other city pools open at 11 a.m. Thursday, and you can enjoy them seven days a week until September 8.
To find a pool near you, click here.
