Regardless of where you’re from, there is nothing more universal than that feeling of diving into a cool body of water on a hot summer’s day. It’s one of those transformative experiences that can instantly make you feel like a kid again. It also has no regard for social or economic status. If you’re resourceful, most people can access a body of water to jump in.
My first summer in New York was blisteringly hot, and living in a six-floor walk-up with no air conditioner when the thermometer reached 97 and the humidity level was at 70% was no joke. My post-school walk to my hotbox studio from The New School always took me directly through Washington Square Park. More than once, I was tempted to join the other desperate and whacky New Yorkers who found relief by jumping into the fountain in the middle of Washington Square Park. My life changed when I discovered that a subway ride on the D train would get me to Coney Island for the price of a token. This was where I made my first jump into the Atlantic Ocean – nothing ever felt better. It was absolutely magical and something I recommend every New Yorker experiences at least once in their life.
There are many more swimming options now in New York than there were 30 years ago, and pools in the city have taken on a life of their own. Almost every new hotel has a swimming pool. My favorite (I have yet to visit) is at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. It has an infinity pool on the roof known as the ‘rooftop pool-cuzzi .’The pool is heated to 95 degrees Fahrenheit every day of the year and comes with a fantastic view of Runway 4. And the bonus – non-guests can visit for a daily rate.
The largest pool in NYC is the public pool in Astoria, which is 330 feet in length. This monster hosted the Olympic Trials for the US Swim and Diving Teams at the pool’s grand opening on July 4, 1936. The smallest pool I’ve seen in NYC was in a private townhouse on the Upper East Side, designed for the owner, a triathlete. It was a small “endless” training pool in the basement where the owner could swim against the force of a jet pushing against him for hours – more like a swimming pool treadmill.
One of the best-kept secrets is the swimming pool world located in the basement of Palazzo Chupi, the controversial development by Julian Schnabel on West 11th Street. The pool is for the exclusive use of the five owners in the building, and it feels like a private grotto. It’s amazing.
Soho House has a pool exclusive to its members, although not much swimming goes on there. Equinox has pools on the roofs of some of its health clubs, and the tenants at the American Copper Buildings enjoy a “floating pool” suspended between two buildings.
Over the past ten years, the amenities race in luxury condo buildings generated an influx of swimming options – one more beautiful and extravagant than the next. A quick search on our listing database shows that there are currently just under 1500 apartments on the market in buildings that have access to a private swimming pool.
One of the first projects to enter the amenities arms race was The Rushmore on the Upper West Side. Developed by Extell, the building checked every amenity box at launch. The pool was a great building amenity, but what once was designed as a lap pool for athletes became more of an oversized play pool for kids. That lesson led to the latest trend: to have two pools—one for laps and one for fun.
It’s clear that a pool in a building adds value to the owners and tenants, but usually only if the building is large enough to offset the cost of maintaining it. The private pools in smaller exclusive buildings like 90 Morton, 40 Mercer, and 165 Charles go largely unused but add a certain cachet to the owners. I’m always interested to see who (if anyone) is swimming in these smaller pools whenever I do a tour. So far, it’s only on a rare occasion.
And – the jury is out about how much value a private pool adds to a private home. It can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help. Right now, there’s a penthouse with a private pool that has been languishing on the market for more than two years. The buyer paid $ 7 million for the property in 2009 at the low of the market and has continued to drop the home’s asking price from a starting point of $12.5M to now $9.995M. The pool probably cost him $500k to build.
And then, there’s the most “unique” of all pool concepts in NYC. The Soori High Line project on 29th Street, where many units offer private pools in their living rooms. Although the brokers boasted full sellout even before launch, they are still trying to sell sponsor apartments eight years later. Most people, it seems, aren’t interested in Netflix and Chill from the pool. They would probably prefer the usable space in their living room instead of the body of water that creates odors, and humidity, and risks leaks.
My preference would be to have a 75ft lap pool in the basement of my building that is well maintained, with the cost covered in my common charges. What’s your preference? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Of course, and if all else fails, Washington Square Park has its fountain and the D train still stops at Coney Island.
Let’s do this.
-Shaun