Big splash, big mess: New Central Park pool opens as a ‘disaster’ with fights, hours-long lines and crowds, New Yorkers say

amNY ^ | July 9, 2025 | Barbara Russo-Lennon and Lloyd Mitchell

[MinorityRepublican]

The new Gottesman Pool opened in Central Park just over two weeks ago, and some New Yorkers have already called it a “disaster.”

The massive outdoor pool opened on June 27, but swimmers are already reporting three-hour waits, excessive crowds, and fighting. Some New Yorkers on social media have expressed concern about swimming in the oval-shaped, 285-by-120-foot pool.

“I saw this pool after hours. No joke, there was like a two-inch slick over the top of the entire pool,” one pool-goer said. “I literally wretched looking at it.”

There is a bevy of videos on social media showing the pool on various days, including one by Mark Beshae posted on Instagram. In the video, officers are seen escorting swimmers off the premises while others are in what appears to be a long line of people waiting to get in and cool off.

“A bunch of fights have already broken out, on top of the fact that anyone is allowed in without any ID or age requirement,” Beshae reports in the video. “The line just to get in, since it’s completely free, has been at least two to three hours any time it’s open."

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TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: newyork; nyc

[mass55th]

"The morons who conceived of this operation need to be treated with tar and feathers...."

Guaranteed, some politician or politicians were able to funnel money to their friends and big donors with the construction of this pool.

[Freee-dame]

“ When stuff is free or almost free you don’t appreciate it and thus don’t take care of it.”

So true. This is why I believe Community College should continue to charge tuition, even if it is a small tuition. If it is made free, many people will sign up and not even bother to come or if they do, just disrupt.

Same miserable results will happen when everything is “free” in New York City.

[caww]

As a kid our community pool charged 15 cents to swim.....my mom always seemed to come up with those few cents for us to go with our friends.

[exnavy]

I not goin’ in dat water.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

No one could have predicted this. Right?

[Orosius]

Hey, Joe Biden has lifeguard experience, they should put him in charge.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Anyone surprised? Could probably clear it out by having ICE show up.

[Chickensoup]

Well the parks I grew up were free for up to 150 years. It wasn’t about cost. It was about people.

[chopperk]

Sounds like a normal NYC day,,,,,bring in more illegals. Wait till Mami gets elected and all women will have to wear Hijabs over their swimsuits because of sharia law.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I was looking for a way to say the same thing.

[The Duke]

I stopped using the pool at our condo in Florida when I realized that Democrats were swimming there. I could tell they were Democrats because they broke every rule that was posted.

Just thinking about it makes me want to take a shower, and that was three years ago.

[Fledermaus]

Hilarious movie

[DAC21]

"The natives are relentless around the cement pond"

Huh, what? Ellie Mae! I might be convinced to go into the the Cement Pond.

[Z28.310]

A bit of a search will reveal that Ellie Mae (Donna Douglas) was a devout Jesus follower who refused many roles offered to her because they would compromise her faith.

A humble woman
Proverbs 31

Good for her!

[Johnny Wumbo]

[justme4now]

😁😁😁😁

[Glad2bnuts]

BITD, we had to bring swim trunks and a towel, go through the locker room and shower before going in, and of course shower afterward to wash off the chlorine smell. Laundered clothing ruins a pool, along with Jeri Curl, skin products and hair styling gels and spray.

[dfwgator]

[dfwgator]

They pee in the pool.

[rxh4n1]

“Suntan oil, right? Right?”

Soul Glo