Despite a rocky opening plagued by fightfights and health issues, the McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg seemed to have sorted out most of its issues in its final open weeks this summer, says the New York Times.
In July, , stacking it against the much closer Commodore Barry Park pool in Fort Greene. Despite McCarren’s huge size and special features built into the $50 million renovation, it was still marred with a bad reputation after cops arrested three for disorderly conduct, and human excrement was found around the premises, as well as in the pool.
But, says the Times, with the temperatures cooling and security stepped up at the pool, most of the issues—like litter, noise and unruly teenagers—seemed to have fizzled.
“It was crazy,” Kevin Sweeney, a 20-year-old Williamsburg native told the paper, describing how stories of fights circulated amongst his friends. “But it died down a lot. There’s like no lines anymore.”
“It’s been a whole lot better,” Lami Kim, a 28-year-old cashier at a deli down the block agreed. “We get more foreigners, more out-of-towners, a lot who didn’t want to go at first because they heard it was bad.”
Since the arrests, 18 officers have provided security at the pool, and plans have been floated to include better signage and portable toilets for those waiting on long lines outside.
According to Brooklyn parks commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, by Friday, attendance at McCarren since the reopening had exceeded 133,000, with the pool reaching its 1,500-person capacity on many days. Only three of the city’s other 54 pools reported attendance of more than 100,000.
Have you made the trip up to the McCarren Park pool lately since the temperatures have cooled off? Will you be back next season? Let us know in the comments.
