Gigantic Pool in Red Hook

So there's a gigantic pool in Red Hook with hardly anyone in it. And there are only two weekends left in the summer to take advantage of it. Get there! Bike (6 miles from the West Village via BK bridge), take the NY Water Taxi or hop on the F train and get off at Smith - 9th street.

I'm not sure that I've ever been in a pool this big, at 330 x 130 ft ... of course it wasn't this empty, but it didn't have that "taking a bath with 500 people" feeling you get from other NY public pools.

There were actually even a few plastic lounge chairs that freed up towards the end of the session. Make sure to bring a lock and flip flops. Trust me - you do not want to walk around in that locker room without them.

Afterward, we couldn't resist a repeat of The Lobster Pound and Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie. The Swingle is just too good to pass up. Another option is the Red Hook Ball Fields across the street from the pool for authentic Latin American food - vendors line the fields under tents selling empanadas and tacos on Saturdays. Delicioso.