Outdoor pools, marked
Where to swim, float, and fake a vacation without leaving the five boroughs.
There’s a version of summer in New York that happens almost entirely on rooftops and in old industrial buildings turned spas, and once you know where to look, the city is full of pools. Not public pools (great, free, a different list) – the other kind, with a day pass, a cabana menu, and a skyline view you’re paying for along with the chlorine.
I spent the last few weeks tracking down the pool day passes that deserve your attention: the Williamsburg hotel cluster everyone already knows, a few quick day trips, the spas doing pools better than most hotels, the gyms where the pool is the whole reason to join, and the members clubs where the pool is part of what you’re paying dues for.
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Hotel pools
No room key required
Arlo Williamsburg: The pool deck here is its own branded thing, ART Williamsburg, and it’s a genuine rooftop scene – lifeguard on duty, full food and drink service brought right to your day bed. I went this week and found it to be lively but not too crowded, and you really can’t beat the skyline view. A lounge chair (starting at $85) gets you a three-hour time slot – 10am, 1pm, or 4pm. Note that the full day passes (starting at $100) don’t include a chair. Cabanas start at $125, and also have a food and drink minimum.
CODA Williamsburg: Branded as a beach club, and just went through a renovation to live up to the name. Not a rooftop – it’s tucked in between buildings, but still gets plenty of sun. There’s a bar menu with light bites, and specialty drinks including one served in a coconut. Day passes start around $95, daybeds from $115, cabanas from $1,150.