Summer is winding down: Philly’s pool-closing schedule is out
The rolling closure of Philadelphia’s more than 70 public pools started last week, with the season officially coming to an end Aug. 23
Your long summer days by the pool are about to take a dive.
The rolling closure of Philadelphia’s more than 70 public pools started last week, with the season coming to an official end Aug. 23, according to the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department.
Goes by quick, huh? Pools, which began to open around mid-June, stay open for about six weeks each. A team of about six people at the department determines the schedules and takes factors like staffing — many workers are students and teachers who are getting ready to go back to school — and attendance into consideration.
While the closures are bad news for avid swimmers, there’s a silver lining for those looking to avoid crowds. Interest this time of year really begins to drop, Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell previously told The Inquirer.
"By the end of the summer, they're a huge novelty in the beginning, they're jam-packed in the beginning, and then by the end of the summer, like the last two weeks, [there's] much less usage," she said. "I think the novelty has worn off, people go on vacations in August, they go to visit family out of town, and so we definitely see a decline in usage toward the end of the season."
» READ MORE: Trading the pools for the beach? We round up readers’ Shore hacks. A lot of you told us to pack baby powder.
Parks and Rec tries to keep a pool accessible in each neighborhood during the rolling openings and closures. But even if your neighborhood pool is closed, spraygrounds will stay running until next month. The city has nearly 80 spraygrounds, and a handful of other “spray features,” like the LOVE Park fountain.
Below are the pool-closing dates for 2019.
Thursday, August 8
Shuler Playground, 3000 N. 27th St., 19132
Sacks Playground, 400 Washington Ave., 19147
Friday, Aug. 9
Cherashore Playground, 851 W. Olney Ave., 19120
Morris Estate Cultural Center, 1610 W. Chelten Ave., 19126
Lonnie Young Recreation Center, 1100 E. Chelten Ave., 19138
Gathers Recreation Center, 2501 Diamond St., 19121
C.B. Moore Recreation Center, 2551 N. 22nd St., 19132
Schmidt Playground, 113 W. Ontario St., 19140
Athletic Recreation Center, 1400 N. 26th St., 19121
Shepard Recreation Center, 5700 Haverford Ave., 19131
Mill Creek Playground, 743 N. 48th St., 19139
Ford Recreation Center, 609 Snyder Ave., 19148
East Poplar Playground, 820 N. Eighth St., 19123
Saturday, Aug. 10
Mitchell Playground, 3700 Whitehall Lane, 19114
Ziehler Playground, 200 E. Olney Ave., 19120
Amos Playground, 1817 N. 16th St., 19121
12th & Cambria Playground, 2901 N. 12th St., 19133
39th & Olive Playground, 700 N. 39th St., 19104
Dendy Playground, 1501 N. 10th St., 19122
McVeigh Recreation Center, 400 E. Ontario St., 19134
Sunday, Aug. 11
American Legion Playground, 6201 Torresdale Ave., 19135
Scanlon Playground, 1099 E. Tioga St., 19134
Monday, Aug. 12
Waterloo Playground, 2502 N. Howard St., 19133
F.J. Myers Recreation Center, 5800 Chester Ave., 19143
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Lackman Playground, 1101 Bartlett St., 19115
M.L. King Recreation Center, 2101 Cecil B. Moore Ave., 19121
Baker Playground, 5433 Landsdowne Ave., 19131
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Jacobs Playground, 4500 Linden Ave., 19114
Barry Playground, 1800 Johnston St., 19145
Penrose Playground, 1101 W. Susquehanna Rd., 19122
Cohocksink Recreation Center, 2901 Cedar St., 19134
Thursday, August 15
Fox Chase Recreation Center, 7901 Ridgeway St., 19111
Christy Recreation Center, 728 S. 55th St., 19143
Cobbs Creek Recreation Center, 280 Cobbs Creek Pkwy., 19139
James Finnegan Playground, 6900 Grovers Ave., 19142
Hancock Playground, 1401 N. Hancock St., 19122
Belfield Recreation Center, 2100 W. Chew Ave., 19138
Friday, August 16
Lincoln Pool, 3201 Ryan Ave., 19136
Jardel Recreation Center, 1400 Cottman Ave., 19111
Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott St., 19124
Hillside Recreation Center, 201 Fountain St., 19127
Kendrick Recreation Center, 5822 Ridge Ave., 19128
Pickett Pool, 5700 Wayne Ave., 19144
Cione Playground, 2600 E. Aramingo Ave., 19125
Francisville Playground, 1737 Francis St., 19130
O’Connor Pool, 2601 South St., 19146
Stinger Square, 1400 S. 32nd St., 19146
Northern Liberties Recreation Center, 321 Fairmount Ave., 19123
Ridgway Pool, 901 S. Broad St., 19147
Sunday, August 18
Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 740 S. 17th St., 19146
Kingsessing Recreation Center, 4901 Kingsessing Ave., 19143
Tustin Playground, 5901 W. Columbia Ave., 19151
Chew Playground, 1800 Washington Ave., 19146
Monday, August 19
Piccoli Playground, 1501 E. Bristol Ave., 19124
Samuel Recreation Center, 3539 Gaul St., 19134
Heitzman Recreation Center, 2136 Castor Ave., 19134
Vogt Recreation Center, 4131 Unruh Ave., 19135
Tuesday, August 20
Mander Playground, 2140 N. 33rd St., 19121
Wednesday, August 21
Lawncrest Recreation Center, 6000 Rising Sun Ave., 19111
Pleasant Playground, 6720 Boyer St., 19119
Houseman Recreation Center, 5091 Summerdale Ave., 19124
Thursday, August 22
Hunting Park Recreation Center, 900 Hunting Park Ave., 19140
Vare Recreation Center, 2600 Morris St., 19145
Friday, August 23
Max Myers Playground, 1601 Hellerman St., 19149
Feltonville Recreation Center, 231 E. Wyoming Ave., 19120
Awbury Playground, 6101 Ardleigh St., 19138
Bridesburg Recreation Center, 4625 Richmond St., 19137
Carousel House Recreation Center, 4300 Avenue of the Republic, 19131
Kelly Pool, 4231 Landsdowne Dr., 19131
Lee Cultural Center, 4328 Haverford Ave., 19104
Cruz Playground, 1431 6th St., 19122
Murphy Recreation Center, 300 W. Shunk St., 19148