America’s ONLY Floating Pool is in The Bronx

Here’s another fun fact about The Bronx for you: The country’s ONLY floating pool is right here in our borough in Hunts Point.

6sqft reminds us in a cool article that The Floating Pool Lady, docked at the beautiful Barretto Point Park, has this distinct honor.

Although it’s a trek to get to, since the park is deep inside the industrial heart of Hunts Point, it’s well worth it once you get there.

Barretto Point Park is quite a stunning with beautiful views of the city, a nice amphitheater, athletic courts and is also home to The Bronx’s annual Fish Parade’s final stop.

6sqft writes:

As 6sqft previously reported, floating pools aren’t new to NYC. After a wave of immigration and a growing awareness of public health and hygiene, the city debuted the first free public floating baths in 1870. These were barge-like structures with a well in the middle, kept afloat by pontoons.

The wells were lined with slats that allowed river water to flow through. By 1911, the city had 15 floating baths, with an estimated yearly attendance of over 1.8 million people. However, the growing pollution of the Hudson and East Rivers made floating baths much less appealing, and by the 1940s, all of the facilities were taken out of commission.

So put on your bathing suits and sunblock, grab your towels, and head over America’s only floating swimming pool right here in The Bronx.

Oh, and City Tamale is only a few blocks away so you can make it a fun trip and have some of the best tamales in NYC too!