Long gone are the days that we were lining up around the neglected McCarren Park Pool to attend free concerts. As the sun set on the summer of 2008, that party had ended, and concert-goers were forced over to the much more militantly-run East River Park for the annual "Pool Parties." It was officially the end of an era... or the return of a past era, depending on how long you've lived in the neighborhood. Plans for the comeback of a working community pool were drawn up, and the ground was broken. Things were dodgy there for a while, but now this summer the $50 million plan will finally become a reality... though we don't see a Dodgeball Tom Memorial Court anywhere in these new photos. Not even a statue. more ›

As McCarren Park Pool undergoes a $50MM renovation to become, well, a pool again... the LTV Squad has been taking a look back all week at what it was like during the years it sat there being drained of its former glory. Yep, while you were all enjoying your Pool Parties there was a hidden world underneath the concrete—most notably, a tunnel system starting under the main arch. The LTV Squad was kind enough to let us use some of their photos, but be sure to check out their massive catalog here—and below is some video of what it's like in those underground tunnels. more ›

The NY Times takes a preemptive look back at McCarren Park Pool, on the cusp of its closing, saying "Like every sweet summer fling...this one is destined to end." The empty pool has given some locals fond memories of the Slip n' Slide, dodgeball, this guy, the music. Sure, the beer lines were long at times, and the entry line even longer, but before the pool gets refilled with water, some are shedding tears over it, because let's face facts: the Sunday Pool Parties just won't be the same when they're not held in a quadruple-Olympic-size swimming pool. As for what the future holds, next year JellyNYC will take the Pool Parties to Austin, Portland, San Francisco, and Nashville--but there currently isn't a site secured for New York. In July, however, they told us "The Open Space Alliance, Parks Department and even Marty Markowitz’s office has been very clear that there will be a space for concerts no matter what in Williamsburg" As for an opposition, Phyllis Yampolsky, founder of the McCarren Park Conservancy, says the pools "basic needs are not for the fashionistas of Williamsburg.” more ›

Just in from the newswire, there's a "suspicious death" being reported at McCarren Park Pool, allegedly at the building that serves as an entrance. The person was found "DOA by event staff" earlier this morning. Last night Twelve Ophelias, a play centered around Hamlet's Ophelia coming back to life, was staged there; the night before there was a screening of The Virgin Suicides. All in all, a dark week for McCarren. Thus far, multiple calls to the Precinct have gone unanswered. more ›