McCarren Park? Pool? Public Art Space?

McCarren Park Pool is getting a $50 Million makeover. Do you have a before and after image in your head? Well the NYC Parks Department wants your opinion as they ponder the design and future programming of the pool. Take their survey here.

The OSA (Open Space Alliance) has been working with the Parks Dept and between two community planning sessions, surveying at a concert and at McCarren's track & field they have surveyed 500 people. They also have their own outlet for your opines available online here. Those looking for more concerts will be disappointed to learn that this summer will likely be the last of the pool parties - the NY Press reports:

The mayor’s money has pool advocates confident that these large, loud concerts will soon be a thing of the past. “It’s not going to be the concert venue that it is now,” notes Joseph Vance of the Open Space Alliance, an organization expected to partner with the Parks Department for the renovation and subsequent administration of McCarren Pool. “There will be a pool with water in it,” he adds.

The Parks Department has indicated their commitment to this as well. “We always had concerts as an interim activity until we could reconstruct the pool,” said Parks spokesman Philip Abramson. The Parks Department also declined Clear Channel’s interest in a multi-year lease at McCarren. At the moment, both the Clear Channel and Jelly NYC contracts are only through this summer.

The pool was landmarked last month and certain things will thankfully need to stay preserved, such as the bathhouse and entry arch. There must also be a pool and a year-round recreation center. Other than those rules, anything that money can buy - can be done. So how do you want to use the pool?

Photos via Soupflower's Flickr.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on August 15, 2007 12:36 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

I agree w/ #22. The pool is for everyone, not just the newest batch of folks to populate the neighborhood. How selfish of you, I mean really, who are you people? What about the kids sweating to death in summer with no recreation nearby? That is what the thing was built for in the first place. You can have a concert anywhere. Think of the neighborhood - ALL of it, not just the people who act like you and dress like you and like the same bands. The reason people brand you hipsters is because you hold yourself apart from the neighborhood.

Way to wear out your welcome

guest

I can tell you who aren't hipsters, the mr. wall street type, the b & t crowd, the serious mr. wall street yuppie and old money type, our mayor is not a hipster, however there are aging hipsters.

those are the one's who try to keep a rat tail to show their hipster side and yearn for the days of punk rock to return. only they are now millionaires with a kid and fellow hipster wife.

for example, the gordon's from sonic youth are hipsters. hipsters can be frat boyish when in groups. they too, think they are tough guys.

if you question if you're a hipster, you're a hipster. if you don't know what hipsters are, you're a hipster. Jerry seinfeld is not a hipster.

guest

Man, there's so many authentic, lifelong Brooklynites on this board putting us hipsters to shame! Who knew Gothamist was so popular with Polish grandmas!

guest

"It would be a travesty if they stopped having music there. It's definitely the coolest place around to see a show, let alone a FREE show, every sunday. Damn shame if that's gone next summer"

Ummm it's a damn shame that there's been no water in there.

It's a SWIMMING POOL and will be again.

The bad hipster crap music can go elsewhere.

Atomische

Make it a wave pool!

Tokyo Summerland wave pool

guest

I agree with 22. Nobody admits to being a hipster. Besides, I don't know what's "hip" about wearing thrift store clothing and listening to Sonic Youth. Both of those things have been popular with certain types for the last 20 years!

"Hipster" is just a word you use to project your self-loathing onto others.

That said, make it a pool! This vintage tee-wearing Sonic Youth lover thinks it would be great for the kids, and I'm sure a lot of my fellow socially-conscious "hipsters" agree!

guest

I agree with 22. Nobody admits to being a hipster. Besides, I don't know what's "hip" about wearing thrift store clothing and listening to Sonic Youth. Both of those things have been popular with certain types for the last 20 years!

"Hipster" is just a word you use to project your self-loathing onto others.

That said, make it a pool! This vintage tee-wearing Sonic Youth lover thinks it would be great for the kids, and I'm sure a lot of my fellow socially-conscious "hipsters" agree!

guest

Amen #22. I am born and raised on the UWS and I couldn't care less who lives here and who is hip or what else. We all know most of them are leaving in a few years anyhow. No one thinks kids grow up here...surprise!!! And I live in Williamsburg, mainly cuz I can't afford Manhattan. Saying so and so isn't a "real" NYer is like agreeing with Bush's immigration laws.

midtown moper

just finished daniel fuchs's brooklyn novels (written in the 30s) in which he mentioned mccarren park & pool quite a bit. 3 novels bound together, 1,000 freakin pgs - you KNOW i was getting a comment outta that shit.

guest

hey #22, get the fuck out of new york as fast as possible and take your friends with you. you COMPLETELY miss the point.

guest

At least it's not going to be a scarano condo.

guest

A pool and a recreation center to be used everyday sounds like a good plan. The space was unique before, please return the pool back to it's original glory.

A new renovated pool is ten times better than what it is now.

Reality Czech

I agree jammer, I vote this place be restored to being a pool! Fuck the hipsters!

guest

It would be a shame to end the free concerts, films, and performances here. Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park is wonderful, but is pretty difficult to access without a car or bike from Williamsburg/Greenpoint/Bushwick. The Pool Parties and all of the other entertainment programs the past two years have filled a huge void in free public cultural activities in these neighborhoods. If people are worried that they're only catering to a certain population, the City should just make them more diverse, but don't dispense with them. A pool would be wonderful, considering how unique the space is, but there's already the much smaller pool on Metropolitan and Bedford; I can't speak if that's used to capacity however.

Oh, before I forget, it turns out that I'm a real person AND an area resident, which probably applies to most of the other people at the free events at the pool.

guest

the hipsters will never go swimming in a public pool. i'm sure maybe a few do but they are spoiled white-bread snobs pretending to be street-cool. one should never ever worry about the shitsters taking over the pool once it's an actual pool again.

guest

NYC pools close at 9pm when the weather gets hot or during a heatwave, they close earlier on regular days. I didn't know it was closed only 20 years ago? Was this during the giuliani administration?

I too hope this pool would be used by Real Brooklynites from all over Brooklyn. Many people live near the John Jay pool that overlooks the FDR and near some prime real estate and I don't see the city closing it because of noise. Or people moving out.

I'm glad it's turning back to it's original glory, a NYC pool for all New Yorkers, everyone.

guest

homeless people and recoverring drug addicts like to swim too!!!

guest

they should make it into a roller skating rink during the day for the kids and a concert venue at night for adults. and an ice skating rink in the winter. making it back into a pool means it's empty 9 months of the year.

guest

It would be a travesty if they stopped having music there. It's definitely the coolest place around to see a show, let alone a FREE show, every sunday. Damn shame if that's gone next summer.