Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Astoria pool looks very uncool





"These vestiges of the early 20th century undoubtedly will be enjoyed by future generations of New Yorkers and provide them with a wonderful way of connecting to the City's past." - NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe upon the designation of Astoria Pool as an NYC landmark.

Check out the condition of the diving pool:

It was closed in 1981 after trespassing incidents and has lain dormant for decades due to safety concerns. It has been allowed to fall into disrepair and the bottom now resembles a rancid bog.

"We should no longer allow such a once vibrant space to remain as stagnant as a dirty puddle. This pool has great potential," Vallone said. "The notion that this pool should be left to rot simply does not hold any water."
(Good point, bad pun.)

Now you know the location of yesterday's "mystery landmark".

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I grew up going to Astoria pool - taking 2 buses to get there decades ago. The pool is great and still is, within a beautiful park alongside the East river. The Parks Dept must maintain the property - not let it fall in disrepair - it's too valuable to Queens residents, especially children. Invest in what we have not neglect and pour millions later to restore it. Commish of Parks Benepe, please concentrate on what you have already!

Anonymous said...

Another monument added to the legacy of Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

Anonymous said...

Home of numerous gropings, an occasional shooting, etc.......this is indeed a city owned LANDMARK ?

Hey....wake up dudes.....
if it's owned by the municipality.....
its LANDMARK STATUS can be RESCINDED
at any given moment !

H-m-m-.....
we've got a lot of city owned "landmarks"
(like firehouses and schools) in Queens!

Fifi said...

It was an amazing experience and thousands if us, with iver 4000 a visitors on hot days all throgh growing up connecting 100s of thousands of us with our collective shared memories. We have been in mourning for our beloved diving pool and praying for its heeling and full recovery. There's a Facebook page save and restore the historic astoria diving pool 2016 with an online petition on change.org

Fifi said...

Save and restore Astoria diving pool is on facebook 2016 and an online petition on change.org to reopen our beautiful diving pool used for 3 Olympic trials