Have you guys been swimming yet this summer? I'm hesitant to swim in NYC's public pools (tons of kids, floating Band-Aids), but my jaw dropped when I saw these ten public pools around the world. Can you believe they're open to everyone?Above are: Australia, England, Berlin and Austin (it's a 1000-foot-long pool, not a lake!).
I don't believe these pictures!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, you'd think Tallahassee, FL has TONS of public outdoor pools. But there is only one, and it's a drive. So right now we're working with our $10 Target kiddy pool and it is fab!
Ah, I wish I lived close to one of these! I grew up near the ocean (but sadly moved away), and I was dumbfounded to learn how expensive memberships to private pools are!! For now, a girl can only dream...
ReplyDeleteThis is my first Texas summer with virtually no pool access. These are drool worthy! I need to float!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I have been to Barton Springs, the pool in Austin, and it is lovely. So huge, you really think you are at a super clean convenient lake. Plus great people watching with all the Austin hipsters.
ReplyDeleteI live in Austin, and though Barton Springs is not free ($3), it is our saving grace during summers like this when it's upwards of 105 degrees everyday. Also, it has a huge grassy hill where people play music, hulahoop, and even sun bathe topless! It's legal here ;)
ReplyDeleteThose are incredible looking! Seriously I'm struggling to decide which is my favorite. There was such a creepy and incredibly sad story (my apologies to anyone with a weak stomach!) that happened in Massachusetts this summer, and now I'm a little scared of pools - a woman was found dead at the bottom of a public pool. The catch? She'd been there for THREE DAYS and no one noticed!
ReplyDeleteBecca
Barton Springs in Austin is so fun! It's absolutely FREEZING, but in this 100+ degree heat it feels quite nice!
ReplyDeleteThey are so amazing. My jaws dropped too :O
ReplyDeletebecca, no way? that's so devastating.
ReplyDeletei'd love to visit austin; i've heard SUCH amazing things about it. do any of you guys live there? xo
ReplyDeleteI so want to take a dip in the Sydney's ocean pool someday. It's so incredible and the view must be magical:) We are lucky to have a pool in our apartment building and only a few people use it. So it's pretty clean. Kisses
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Thanks for sharing! I coached at a pool all summer, but because I was working I didn't get enough time to fully relax poolside. I would love a pool day right around now.
ReplyDeleteive been to that first pool in bondi beach, australia. just saw it, didnt swim it in. actually i was there in summer too and nobody was swimming in there, which was kinda weird. but either way its breathtaking in person too.
ReplyDeletei too live in Austin. while i might be biased i think it is the best city! i agree with Maggie, it truly is a life saver during the hot summer months. it is the perfect place to meet up with friends and have a picnic lunch.
ReplyDeleteNow I have to add 'swim in amazing pools of the world' to my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!!! Seeing these photos makes me want to get in my swimsuit and go cannonball into a pool.
ReplyDeletethose are so amazing! we got turned around (aka, lost) the other day in downtown kansas city, and literally stumbled upon a public pool built right into the grassy median of the road! so funny :)
ReplyDeletethats incredibly relaxing
ReplyDeletehttp://girlynote.blogspot.com/
Omg, i was in Berlin 3 weeks ago and went to badeschiff (the bathing ship) - it was so cool (but a bit cold!)
ReplyDeletehaha, sarah, me too! marianne, how awesome that you swam there. so fun.
ReplyDeleteThe English one(2nd down) Is in Bath. Its on the rooftop of the Spa in town and its filled with naturally heated water. You can get a package where you go for a treatment and a swim at twilight and its just stunning
ReplyDeleteOooh! Showing off to say I've been in two of these. The one in Bath, England is a gorgeous spa where you can float on the roof. (I got SO sunburned.) The Berlin one is mega cool! I tried to go there on New Year's Eve once for a freezing New Year's swim - it was packed! Couldn't get in.
ReplyDeleteDying for a swim now.
x
Looks so nice! is the bottom one, the one in austin, the same pool/lake shot in the movie, The Tree of Life? I know they shot the movie in Texas....
ReplyDeleteI've been to the one in Budapest. It is very beautiful- the pictures doesn't even do it justice. Plus, there are several other amazing public pools in Budapest. They are all amazing! Have you seen 'natural pools'? They are pools that use plant life as a filtration system so that you don't have to use chlorine. There are some really amazing designs for them. I hope to have one some day!
ReplyDeleteHilary
ifzombiesweresupermodels.blogspot.com
There's a neat video my husband showed me about that top one/Australia's ocean pool culture in general. Prepare to be refreshed/amazed! http://vimeo.com/12158872
ReplyDeleteunbelievable! The first and last are my favourites
ReplyDeleteThose put my 15 community pools to shame!! I would LOVE to swim in the first one! :)
ReplyDeletewere the winners for the glasses contest ever announced?
ReplyDeleteAw, I had such a pang of homesickness seing Barton Springs on your blog. I'm an Austin native and Barton Springs in my favorite place in the world! Now I live in Arizona and I miss it so much on these hot hot days. I think you would love Austin Joanna (who wouldn't?) I'd love to share recommendations if you decide to visit.
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy! I love it when public works are awesome. It tells it's citizens "you're worth it!"
ReplyDeleteThe hot springs pool in Banff, Alberta is the coolest pool experience i've ever had. Salt water, steaming hot, falling snow, surrounded in the Rocky Mountains. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs is the best! I go every time I'm in Austin.
ReplyDeletebeautiful! you should leave your fears behind you and jump on the N to astoria. the pool is MASSIVE and SPOTLESS. i had never been to a public pool and thought it would be gross, but it is my saving grace in the summer. there are lots of rules to get in, though, so do a little research first. you need a padlock and you can't take anything into the pool area with you except for a towel and a book. not sure what the deal with baby stuff is, but i'm sure they make you leave it in a locker.
ReplyDeleteall that aside, it is the best way to cool off...or go to spa castle!!
I don't think anyone mentioned it yet, but Barton Springs is spring-fed, so although it's a pool, it's filled with fresh and clean water that is constantly flowing through. (I live in Austin too. It IS wonderful.)
ReplyDeleteYay Bondi!!! Great cocktails from the bar above too!
ReplyDeletewww.simplystylishmom.com
I'm in awe! The pools definitely outdo our tiny public pool here in Kentucky. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! That lake like pool stole my heart :)
ReplyDeleteI JUST got back two days ago from Budapest and was at the Gellart baths! So beautiful!! Now I'm in rainy Toronto...
ReplyDeleteI live in Austin and I think you would love it. And there is plenty of stuff to do with Toby. Barton Springs is fabulous. A 3 acre oasis of crystal clear, natural spring water nestled near the heart of down town - what more could you want!
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs Pool is amazing: great atmosphere and beautiful clear water (spring-fed as Jessie mentioned). Also the people in Austin are super friendly! Definitely one of my favorite memories of my roadtrip across the States(I'm originally from the Netherlands).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those! I want to go there (all of them)! I could use a pool day.
ReplyDeleteKacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/
I feel the need to go swimming immediately!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know of any cool pools in the Chicago area?
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PUBLIC POOL THAT AWESOME/CLEAN
ReplyDeleteLOVE!
NICE POST
-GRACE
HTTP://HERUMBRELLA.COM
In addition to what Becca said above about the dead woman in the pool, did you hear about the report on the water quality in Vegas pools? Really disgusting! Your band-aid line cracked me up :)
ReplyDeleteOmagosh! My sister is in the Austin area, and I've never been there! I'll have to have a talk with her. :oP
ReplyDeleteMy boyrfriend and I spent the day at the second one for my birthday this year, there is a spa attached to it and it was absolute bliss!
ReplyDeleteThese are amaaaaazing! I want to visit Australia's! I know just what you mean! Public pools are scary and toilets...
ReplyDeleteThis post is making me want to go on vacation so bad! Barton Springs in Austin IS amazing. Not just the pool, but the entire atmosphere there. And it's sooooo cold! Love it!
ReplyDeleteCrazy random that you posted this because just yesterday I suggested that my family go to the Barton Springs Pool on Saturday (we go to Austin later this week), but I hadn't actually seen it! Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteNorth Meets South
austin sounds so dreamy--and how AWESOME that some of you guys have been to bondi beach!!! what a magical looking place!
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs! Recognized it immediately- have been going there since I was a small child. My parents loved it when they went to the University of Texas, and my husband and I go every now and then (bet it's packed every day right now since it's been hellishly hot here in Austin and Texas in general). My mom loves to tell me how a person used to train at Barton Springs to swim across the English Channel.
ReplyDeleteWe have a pretty cool one in Chico, Ca. They paved the sides and bottom of part of the river that runs through the big park here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/search?q=sycamore+pool+chico&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=607
Oh my goodness these are a-mazing. I live in Scotland so it is the teeniest bit too cold to go swimming outdoors (unless you're far more hardy than I am). Still, absolutely stunning. The two from Austin and Australia, especially so
ReplyDeleteLove the views! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Bondi Beach (not the pool) in 2008.
I have a pool in my back yard :)
Ahh I love that first one. I have been to Barton Springs and it was amazing...but EXTREMELY cold!
ReplyDeleteThe best part about the pool in Berlin that they show (the Badeschiff) is that in the winter, they cover it up with a giant roof that look likes a balloon and turn it into an indoor pool/sauna (+ bar) area! It's amazing! Plus, part of it is still open and you can look out onto the frozen river. Love that place...
ReplyDeleteWow, these are so amazing! That first one ins blowing my mind, wish I was there! xo
ReplyDeleteahhh that's barton springs in that last photo! love visiting there, its seriously a fun experience. but i totally get you about being hesitant to visit public pools.
ReplyDeletefeel better soon!
Miyan
www.miyan-overseas.blogspot.com
I'm visiting Berlin at the end of the month! I hope the weather will allow me to try this pool, and that I'll meet people at the hostel to enjoy it with!
ReplyDeletethe third pic is barton springs in austin....love :) great article!
ReplyDeleteThe even more fab thing about Sydney is we have natural outdoor pools at each beach - so Icebergs is just one of them. We are spoilt down here - and spend a lot of the time in the sea - it's the lifestyle!
ReplyDeletewow! those are all amazing!
ReplyDeleteyes! hooray for barton springs! it's ice cold and perfect, especially during a summer like this one has shaped up to be.
ReplyDeleteWaw these pools look very cool. I would like to try a few. I also find it amazing how many comments you get. You must be working hard on your blog.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Weird! I just got home from swimming at Barton Springs. I'm a native (born and raised 20 something year old) and its our saving grace during the summer.Even your brain starts to sweat! Anyways in high school we had a club called polar bear where you go to Barton Springs in the winter (and yes it gets COLD here too!)where we all hold hands and jump in swimming in the frigid air. Barton springs stays at about 62 degrees year round including those icy winter nights. I highly recommend a trip to Austin!
ReplyDeleteplaces to check out;
Eastside showroom
Justine's
Enchanted Rock (just outside Austin)
Smithy's Bar-B-Que
Enjoy!
Oooh! I was hoping Barton Springs would make the list! You and the fam have got to go to Austin - this pool is right below a kiddie train and playground. Not only is it refreshing if you're brave enough to jump in (don't wade -you'll never make it!), but it's some of the best people-watching you'll ever do. I'm from Austin (and actually 7th generation Austinite) but just got hitched and forced to West Texas. Miss it so much -best city in the world! Great post - as usual!
ReplyDeleteThe pool in Australia is called Bondi Icebergs. The club also has a great restaurant.
ReplyDeletehttp://icebergs.com.au/facilities/pool/
Austin is amazing, and so is Barton Springs! Although it is a natural spring feeding the "pool" rather than it being a pool in a traditional sense (aka no clorine, but they made flat concrete walls for the water). Anyway, yes to Austin and hipsters, you should visit!
ReplyDeletewhat an awesome list! the "lake" in austin is so beautiful and the blue lagoon is on my bucket list. where do you find this stuff? i LOVE your blog!!! ♥
ReplyDeleteI remember going to an ocean pool like that in France as a child...I'll have to hunt it down! Very jealous of the Austin one too, that looks awesome :D
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't exactly call the Thermae Spa in Bath, England a "public pool". It's in a spa - so you have to book a 2 hour session for £22.
ReplyDeleteBut it is very nice.
There are lidos in a lot of towns in England which have similar kinds of pools. (like this one http://www.lidobristol.com/)
My friend and I met Justin Long at Barton Springs in June. He was just chilling in the grass. He let us take a pic with him after he caught us staring his way.
ReplyDelete-mr
The Sydney pool 'Icebergs' is very close to where I live, it is open all your round and in winter only icebergs members can swim there and you are are obliged to swim 3 Sundays a month over the 5 month winter season. If you can't commit then bad luck you can't swim there, also winter in Sydney can be chilly so the ocean is brrr!!. I am not a member by the way!
ReplyDeleteSydney has heaps of awesome public pools! A couple of my other favourites are the Andrew Boy Charleton Pool and Wylie's Baths.
ReplyDeletehttp://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/55/05/14/new-south-wales.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nswoceanbaths/475503245/
The ocean baths in Australia are so much fun! They're also great for kids, as there're shallow ones with sandy bottoms.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little my cousins and I would spend hours at the ocean baths in Newcastle. We had a game where we all hung onto the oceanside edge at high tide as the waves came crashing over, and the winner was who could hang on!
Barton Springs in Austin is amazing! It's 68 degrees year round. Which sounds pretty good, considering it's 107 here in Austin right now!!!
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome. I want to take the plunge now!
ReplyDeletepeacock, i see your point -- i guess "public" here is defined as not a hotel pool :)
ReplyDeleteRobert Redford says he learned to swim in Barton Springs pool! He and Terrence Malick helped produced a great documentary about the community's efforts to preserve the springs against developers. The movie is called The Unforseen by director, Laura Dunn. (I thought it sounded boring but it is beautifully made and well-balanced. Tree huggers vs. the "Don't Tread on Me" Texas land owners! Makes me proud to be from Austin.)
ReplyDeleteThat top one is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI saw Tree of Life last night and also wondered if Barton Springs was the featured pool in that movie. After reading the comment about Terrence Malick producing a documentary about it, I'm going to assume it is (even skipping the almost-automatic google search), since he also wrote and directed Tree of Life.
ReplyDeletewhat what!! born and raised in austin and grew up going to barton springs - EVERYONE in austin goes there and its amazing. i grew up thinking a public pool on that scale was totally normal...womp womp womp.
ReplyDeleteOoo how I miss Austin and Barton Springs. I grew up there and somtime's I think I want to move back but I think New York will be more fun.
ReplyDeleteI also live in Austin, and can't say enough about this great city. Barton Springs is amazing! There is also Deep Eddy, which is a spring-fed lap pool.
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely take a trip to Austin - I like to say it's the best part of TX!
I live in/grew up in Austin and it is, as other comments have said, truly amazing! Because Barton Springs is spring fed, the natural water is always cool, even in these weeks of three-digit heat.
ReplyDeleteYay for Barton Springs in Austin! It is truly a gem.
ReplyDeletei like the view .. i like to visit there someday .. thanks for sharing ..
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs in Austin is a great pool, especially in this heat.
ReplyDeleteI don't live in Austin, but I have family there and we go there just about every month for swimming, hiking, biking and kayaking. A great family orientated place.
Here in Hawaii all the public pools are free. I love this fact.
ReplyDeleteAnd little known to most tourists is that us locals like to take a dip in the resort pools from time to time:)
Mmmmm Barton Springs! I haven't been able to go this year. I'm in texas still but I'm 7 hours away :(
ReplyDeleteNo spring fed pools for me.
The Icebergs pool is just down the road from my house, like a few other Sydney-siders have commented already quite a few beaches in Sydney have Ocean baths, bring on Summer!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog Joanna - a daily read of mine
Hilaryx
I love these! Our wedding shots were taken on the edge of our local public ocean pool at twilight...wish I could share them here!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, if you and your beautiful family ever come to Sydney, let us Aussies know and we will divulge the many wondrous beaches and public ocean baths we have apart from Bondi (not to mention the other best-kept-secrets our country has).
Our public pools and beaches are about more than just swimming; they are where we re-connect with ourselves, each other and mother nature...respect, acceptance, trust and looking after your neighbors are all-important aspects of Sydney's beach culture.
I'm so heading to Autin or better yet maybe Australia, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow that first pool in Australia looks amazing, swimming in a pool right by the beach?! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteI've been to the second pool in Bath, England before and it really is gorgeous, especially on a cold winters day!
Sally
I swam in the Australian pool (top picture) when I was there in December (with Oprah!). It was amazing! Australia has tons of pools that are actually IN the ocean!
ReplyDeleteOh, how I miss the springs (pools) and rivers of Central Texas. They are so clear and cold...you can just jump in anytime you want. I just moved to Kentucky and that is one thing I really miss about home.
ReplyDeleteP.s- I just left the Austin area, so I am biased, too. Love Barton Springs. But, there are other places with the same spring-fed pools. Comal Springs in Landa Park in New Braunfels is a bit smaller, but they have a zero-entry kids area. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the ones in Copenhagen? Im living there in summer and Im LOVE with the pools right on one of the main harbors, its like swimming in the harbor (which you can do here too) but with a BIG set of steps to dive into the water from and a pool deck to sun on. AMAZING.
ReplyDeleteI live in Austin and we love our Barton Springs! Its our savior during summer, when our temps are 100 plus(which this summe so far its over 4o days in a row!). Jo- come visit and I'll give you the food tour- it will blow your mind! And stay at the Hotel San Jose!
ReplyDeleteBrooklyn had a great swimming pool on the barge couple of summers ego with amazing views of Manhattan skyline, bridges and Statue of Liberty!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was awesome!
Also I think there was some testing done in city pools and apparently they are clean. I met with a client few days ego and she was coming back with her daughter from Thompson Park one and was happy with it.
I would love to take the plunge in any of these.
ReplyDeleteAh! Austin! I lived there for 6 years. My favorite little swimming secret was Big Stacy Pool. Spring fed HEATED water, outdoors, open year round. 4 lanes for lap swim. The best!
ReplyDeleteNothing fancy, but great for lap swimmers :)
Oh my Joanna! I read the title of this post and I thought- one of them HAS to be Barton Springs Pool in Austin! I moved to Austin three summers ago and spent most of this summer away. Every time I was dying of heat (while in New York and Kansas for most of it!) I daydreamt about Barton Springs Pool. Will you die if I tell you that there's also Deep Eddy Pool right next door, Hamilton Pool nearby, and Blue Hole close too? I am, frankly, addicted. Barton Springs is by far my favorite though. It's so refreshing and although there will be tons of people sprawled out all over the grassy slopes, the water is brisk enough that people jump in for about 10 minutes and then jump out, so the pool itself is never crowded.
ReplyDeleteA tip- if you ever make it to Austin and then Barton Springs Pool, JUST. JUMP. IN. You will NEVER get in if you try to wade in carefully. It can be a gasp-inducing plunge, but that's why you get nice and toasted on the banks first. :)
love your posts so much ! i can't wait to read all the posts left. thank you for sharing the posts.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous find, Joanna! These pools are amazing.
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs is one of my favorite places in Austin - it's always cold, even when it's 110 degrees out. Great round-up!
ReplyDeleteI'm also from Austin! I've got two kids and my youngest is starting 2 mornings a week at pre-school this fall which means that on August 29th I will have both kids in school and have my first taste of 'free day-time without kids' (It's been almost SIX YEARS!!!) Barton Springs is where you can find me on that glorious day!!!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, If you come to Austin drop me a line and I can hook you up with all the best kid-friendly but still cool hot-spots (I write a weekly bit over at: http://austin.gokidbits.com/)
Best,
Christian
Love that you included Barton Springs in Austin! It's our savior for these 100+ degree days!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard about the Josephine Baker swimming pool in Paris? It's on the river seine, and it as no roof so that you can see Paris while swimming! I think you would like it! :)
ReplyDeleteAustralia has so many amazing public pools, or as they/we call them - Rock Pools. Love them! I get so scared sometimes of the rip current here, so being able to swim next to the sea without the rip is amazing.
ReplyDeleteBarton Springs in Austin is a very cool place. Though I haven't been my daughter tell me the water's FREEZING. But there's nothing better than freezing water in the Texas heat! One day I'll brave a bathsuit and the freezing temperatures to take a dip!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe these are public pools!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to an NYC public pool... just look at our subway system! I went to Taiwan and the subways are immaculate. I was stunned.
wow, the pools are so amazing... This post is making me want to go on vacation so bad! Barton Springs in Austin IS amazing. Not just the pool, but the entire atmosphere there. And it's sooooo cold! Love it!
ReplyDeleteblack boots
ReplyDeleteChocolate boots
sand boots
Chestnut boots
gray boots
pink boots
grey boots
pink boots
llloooovvvveeeee.
ReplyDeletethat is all.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am also not a fan of public pools but that last on pictured would make me reconsider. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Bondi one is 5 mins from my house! It's just as beautiful in real life...
ReplyDeleteSwimming pool it is a really good thing swimming a good exercises........
ReplyDeletewow. that's pretty amazing!! i don't think i'd end up swimming - i'd be too busy gazing at the views!
ReplyDeleteI went to the second one, in Bath England, on my first date with my boyfriend 2 years ago :-) It really is as perfect as it looks. Olivia xx
ReplyDeleteThese public pools are not just huge, but also beautiful! How about a visit to the 1,000 foot long swimming pool in Austen, Texas? And what makes them even more unbelievable is how they were constructed in different locations, such as on rooftops and in seashores.
ReplyDeleteNice photos! For private pool owners, our blog features a few tips for landscaping and maintaining a beautiful pool (although nothing close to these photos!)
ReplyDelete