As someone with no water experience and who feels uncomfortable in the water, I don't think this…read moreclass is suitable for people in a similar situation. The class is divided into beginner and more advanced groups, but even in the beginner group, I didn't receive enough attention. When other "beginners" progressed quickly, it was easy for me to fall behind. And when you are clearly struggling, there isn't enough guidance from the instructors, so you often end up just practicing on your own without much direction. The instructors are very friendly, but if you are like me--completely inexperienced or not comfortable in the water--I wouldn't really recommend this class.

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be floating in a pool -- willingly, happily, and without the…read moresecurity of solid ground beneath my feet -- I would've laughed... and maybe cried a little. I spent most of my life avoiding the deep end like it was filled with sharks. Water and I were not on speaking terms. Honestly, I would've preferred two back-to-back dentist appointments over a single swim class. Enter Swim Easy New York -- aka the miracle workers: Krystoff, Evelyn, and Isabela. These three absolute legends took an adult who used to treat puddles like potential death traps and taught me not just the basics, but how to tread water, how to stay calm without feeling the bottom, and -- wait for it -- how to jump off the edge of the pool into the deep end. Let me say that again: I JUMPED INTO THE DEEP END. On purpose. For someone who spent a lifetime cautiously stepping away from the edge and praying never to fall in, that moment was nothing short of a mental breakthrough. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears... but I did it. And YEYYY ME. What sets Swim Easy apart isn't just the amazing instructors -- though they are truly amazing. Krystoff is basically the James Bond of swim teachers: calm, cool, and in total control. Evelyn is like your personal hype squad with the patience of a saint, and Isabela radiates so much warmth and encouragement that you feel like an Olympian just for showing up. But the structure of the program is what really makes it stand out. Unlike most places where you're locked into one class a week, Swim Easy lets you take as many classes as you want. I personally went with two a week to help reinforce what I was learning. It made a huge difference. They also offer a variety of time slots, including classes starting as late as 5 PM, until 7.15 pm which is perfect if you work a 9-to-5. And the best part? It's super affordable, especially for the level of personal attention and support you get -- and the caliber of instructors you're learning from. I've laughed, panicked a little, swallowed enough pool water to qualify as a human sponge -- but I've learned to swim. And more than that, I actually enjoy being in the water now. That's something I never thought I'd say in this lifetime. If you've been putting it off, telling yourself it's too scary or too late -- please, just go to one class. That's all it takes to see how different this place is. They'll teach you, encourage you, and help you do things you never imagined you could. They changed my life. I think they'll change yours too.

A big thank you !! Your staff have been excellent in their quick replies . Jeffrey has been really…read moregood with the coaching . His smart tips helped me to overcome the fear of water. I am very busy nowadays and hope to start the classes in future . I have already told my friends about your class .

The pool just came off a two-year, $19 million renovation -- closed after the 2022 season, reopened…read morein June 2024. Crews rebuilt the pool shell from scratch, replaced the deck and gutters, and put in new filtration and chemical treatment systems. The water itself feels noticeably better for it. That said, don't expect the renovation to have touched everything: the locker rooms, bathrooms, and communal showers are untouched, still the same ones I remember from before construction started. I was there again yesterday and can confirm: nothing's changed on that front, and honestly you won't be in there long enough for it to matter much. Access is still free, no Parks membership required, just a bathing suit and a padlock for the lockers. Security is strict about bag checks, and heads up: cell phones aren't allowed on the pool deck at all. Current hours: 11am-7pm daily, with the pool closing for cleaning from 3-4pm. Inside, you'll find the pool split into zones: a lap section, a general bathing area, and a shallow end for young kids. The bleachers give you plenty of space to stake out a spot for towels, and if you're lucky, you can grab one of the lounge chairs near the old diving pool (now covered over). Lap swimming has genuinely improved. The biggest change I noticed: there are now dividers separating the lanes, and they're generously wide. A real upgrade from the old system where everyone just shared open water and hoped for the best. A few things still apply, though: - Always glance ahead before pushing off to make sure no one's swimming toward you. - Roughly half the lap crowd sticks to a slow breaststroke pace. - Every so often someone decides to stand up and walk mid-lane, or just doesn't realize it's a lap-only zone. Lifeguards try to keep traffic moving, but it happens. - The pool's sheer size still works in your favor: way more room per lap than a standard 25m pool, and less crowded overall than most NYC public pools. - Timing tip: the best window for lap swimming is right at 4pm, the moment the pool reopens after the cleaning break. It might be the single best hour of the day to swim here. No outside food on deck, but there's a stand on the west side of the pool deck selling burgers, hot dogs, fries, wings, mozzarella sticks, salads, and ice cream. Cash and card both work. A heads-up: No tap-to-pay, since phones can't come out on deck anyway. Even with all the crowds NYC pools can attract, I've never found this one packed. Same goes for the surrounding park. Because it's a bit of a walk from the nearest subway stop, the crowd here skews heavily toward local families rather than people coming from across the city. This means that this pool never really gets crowded, let alone anywhere near capacity. If you're driving in, it's an easy trip: there's free public parking right at the entrance to Astoria Park, under the RFK Bridge. Speaking of pool renovations gone right: maybe for the Reflecting Pool the Trump administration should've called whoever redid the shell here at Astoria. This one's still holding water: No algae blooms, no peeling liner, no $16 million overrun. Sometimes the WPA crews from 1936 still know something the current contractors don't.

PUBLIC POOL: It's been a couple of years since the Pool became operational again, after a massive…read more$19 Million renovation. Spent many Summers at NYC's largest Swimming Facility both as a camper and a counselor. WORTH VISITING.

I did not know swimming pools are different in depth and size for each branch. This branch has a…read morelarge swimming pool with different lanes so it can accommodate a lot of people. The thing is the whole pool is 3 feet and 6 inches. It does not get any deeper than that. They have so many kids and babies in this one. I wish the pool became deeper as you swim to the other end of the pool but it did not. Other branches range from 3 feet to 6 feet. Then there are some branches that are just 5 feet to 8 feet deep and the size is very small! All the branches are very inconsistent with their pool size!

Don't call. They never answer their phones. It's very annoying if you need any information…read moreregarding any ongoing classes. Or if it's a bad weather day and you're wondering whether the instructor will show up.

My child went here last year because we like the pool in this particular building. Other than that,…read morethis place has nothing going for it. You can't enroll online, so you call them and call them and call them. You leave messages, which they don't return. Fill out online requests, which they also don't respond to. Finally someone answers and says you can't enroll until after such and such day. Because although they can't seem to get anything else remotely professionally, they're real sticklers for hard dates. So you wait. You call back and no one answers another 3 or 4 times. Finally they pick up 4 days after the date they told you has passed and now they don't have any classes left. When you do manage to get a class, forget about doing a makeup because they just sell whatever's available to whoever wants to do a drop in with no preference given to people who already pre-paid for all the classes. This is exactly the kind of crappy and unprofessional business that will hopefully be a thing of the past when people start reacting to being treated badly while simultaneously paying out the nose for it. You know what year it is. Fix your stupid website. If you can't get it together enough to have online enrollment, try to get someone to answer your phones. If that's too hard, at least maybe bother to update the locations, dates, times, anything at all so every piece of relevant information isn't completely WRONG.

Took my 2 kids there for a trial lesson. Lessons are given in a residential building that has a…read morepool. The pool and facilities are fine. There were a handful of lanes in the narrow pool, yet at least 2-3 classes given in one lane at a given time. So, even though there was 1 instructor and 3 kids, it was crowded and they had to course around each other. Not great when you're learning how to swim. The worst part was that the instructors and even supervisor had ZERO enthusiasm or knew how to make the class exciting for kids. It was a trial class, and the instructor nor the supervisor even introduced themselves to the my kids. The woman instructor, I think her name was Danielle, never even smiled once. The kids got in the pool and she said "do the backstroke" to my 7 year old. My son, thinking he's a good swimmer and giving it a go, tried to swim or float on his back but only sank. She didn't say anything like, "OK good try" or "let's work on your form". She just told him to swim to the other side of the pool. Meanwhile, he can barely swim. I spoke to the supervisor about my concerns that the instructor is not giving my kids any pointers or tips on how to improve their swimming. Just barking orders. He said, "oh, she must be off today, she's usually good." After 30 min watching her completely destroy all the excitement my son had in learning how to swim, I complained again to the supervisor and even spoke to the Take Me To the Water office on the phone. They said they will speak to the instructor after the class and that we won't be charged. No apology. No other solution. And, they even said that instructor was one of the senior ones. This is a swimming farm that has no business teaching young kids. You're lucky if you're instructor is nice. I ended up booking at Asphalt Green. They have great kid-friendly instructors.

This review reflects my experience during a facility orientation tour at Asphalt Green this morning…read morewith Fritz, a member of the customer service team. I hadn't visited the facility in many years, despite having been deeply involved in the original community mobilization efforts that ensured this property would be preserved for much-needed neighborhood fitness and cultural programming, successfully pushing back against proposals for additional luxury high-rise development. The Asphalt Green team went out of their way to accommodate me as a walk-in, encouraged by a neighbor who regularly swims at the pool and speaks highly of its state-of-the-art design. While waiting in the lobby, I also ran into a fellow runner who is a frequent gym user, a spontaneous moment that speaks volumes about how embedded Asphalt Green is in the local community. I was impressed not only by the facility itself, but by Fritz's knowledge of membership services and the institution's history, especially as I shared personal memories of my own connection to its development. The tour included the locker rooms, pool, and fitness center. The pool is truly stunning and stands out as a best-in-class facility, thoughtfully designed to incorporate accessibility for users of all abilities. Experiencing it firsthand was unexpectedly emotional, a powerful realization of visionary community leader Dr. George Murphy's hopes for the Yorkville community brought to life. The fitness center was active and welcoming, with members of all ages engaged in individual workouts, stretching, and training sessions. The equipment appeared well maintained, well used, and reflective of a vibrant, inclusive membership. As a community-based nonprofit, Asphalt Green, like many NYC nonprofits, does the best it can with the resources available. From my perspective, the facility is exceptionally well run, thoughtfully maintained, and clearly fulfilling its mission to provide a neighborhood-based, state-of-the-art fitness center that truly serves its community. Thanks to Fritz for her kindness and generosity.

Very poor management of the swimming pool schedule and member communication…read more I'm very disappointed with Asphalt Green's management of the swimming pool. Their website states that on Tuesdays, members can swim until 3:30 PM, but staff required us to leave at 3:00 PM. If the posted schedule is not accurate, it should be updated so members can plan accordingly. Another major issue is the lack of advance communication regarding pool maintenance. Members were charged for their membership and only afterward informed that the swimming pool would be unavailable for an extended period. When I asked about a refund or having my membership placed on hold for the time when the pool cannot be used, they refused to provide a refund or hold the membership. I also specifically asked them to stop charging me for the following month since I cannot use the pool, but my email has not been answered. Members pay for these services and deserve accurate schedules, advance notice of closures, and reasonable customer service. I hope Asphalt Green improves its communication and management of the swimming pool so members are not charged for services they cannot use.

If you're thinking of joining for the pool: Don't do it. The hours are erratic and increasingly…read morelimited if you want to swim laps.

The trainers at this gym are jerks and bullies. They make the experience miserable. Equipment is…read moreoutdated. Do not recommend