Moving to Manhattan part-time brings a lot of surprises. You quickly learn how to dodge garbage trucks on your bike and navigate the endless construction zones. But recently, I discovered another unique layer of city living: the public pool system.
I decided I wanted to start swimming to mix up my workout routine. Although I love swimming at Nassau County Aquatic Center, it costs $400 for the year. And, when I’m in Manhattan, it’s difficult to get there. To my absolute delight, I found out that a senior membership for the entire year costs a mere $25. If you do not qualify for the senior discount, it is still only $150 for the year.
That is practically unheard of in this city. You can barely buy one decent lunch for $25. So, I proudly bought my pass and decided to dive right in.
What I found was a fascinating mix of stunning architecture, incredibly clean facilities, and some truly baffling engineering choices.
The 54th Street Pool: A Hidden Historic Landmark
My home pool is located right on 54th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Officially, it is called the Constance Baker Motley Recreation Center. From the outside, the building is entirely nondescript. If you were walking by, you might not even realize it houses a massive pool.
Despite its humble exterior, the building itself is a historic landmark. Walking inside feels like stepping back into a different era of New York City public works. The facility is impressively clean, and the staff members are welcoming. It is a fantastic local resource just steps from my apartment.
But then, you get to the lap lanes. This is where the city’s unique charm really shows itself.
The Mystery of the Missing Yards
A standard short-course pool for competitive swimming is 25 yards long. This makes it incredibly easy to keep track of your distance. You just count your laps and do some basic math.
The Constance Baker Motley pool has four lap lanes, and they are surprisingly wide. You never feel like you are going to smack hands with the person swimming next to you. However, the lengths of these lanes make absolutely no sense.
The two lanes in the center of the pool are exactly 16 yards long. Meanwhile, the two lanes on the outer edges measure in at 18 yards.
Why build a pool that stops seven yards short of a standard length? Did they run out of money? Did they run out of building space? It is a hilarious mystery. You spend half your workout trying to calculate your total distance using bizarre fractions.
Who Was Constance Baker Motley Anyway?
While the lane lengths might be confusing, the name on the building carries profound historical weight. Constance Baker Motley was a towering figure in the American civil rights movement. She was a brilliant legal mind who worked alongside Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Motley wrote the original complaint in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. She was also the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. Later in her career, she broke even more barriers by becoming the first African American female federal judge.
Swimming in a facility named after such a monumental trailblazer adds a layer of reverence to a standard morning workout. It is a quiet reminder of the giants who helped shape this city and this country.
A Detour Downtown: The Asser Levy Recreation Center
The other day, I packed my bag and walked over to 54th Street, only to find the pool temporarily closed for repairs. In the past, I might have just gone home. But I had my swimming gear ready and felt determined to get a workout in.
I hopped on the 2nd Avenue bus and took it all the way down to 23rd Street. My destination was the Asser Levy Recreation Center.
If the 54th Street pool is wonderfully nondescript, the Asser Levy building is the exact opposite. Talk about magnificent architecture. This building is a freestanding architectural masterpiece inspired by ancient Roman baths. It features grand arches, beautiful brickwork, and an imposing, elegant presence that commands the street corner.
Another Beautiful Pool, Another Strange Length
Walking into Asser Levy feels like you are entering a grand palace dedicated entirely to fitness. Like my local spot, this historic landmark pool is incredibly clean and well-maintained. The staff members were friendly and guided me right to the locker rooms.
I walked out to the pool deck, eager to finally swim in a standard lane. I looked at the water. I looked at the wall.
The pool has four wide lanes, just like 54th Street. But these lanes are exactly 23 yards in length.
Once again, I was baffled. They were just two yards away from a standard 25-yard pool! Why stop at 23? It makes absolutely no logical sense. I suppose this is just part of the quirky reality of retrofitting massive aquatic centers into tight, historic Manhattan grids. It is what it is, and you just have to laugh and keep swimming.
Who Was Asser Levy?
Just like Constance Baker Motley, Asser Levy is a name worth knowing. He was one of the very first Jewish settlers in North America, arriving in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam back in 1654.
Levy was a fierce advocate for civil rights long before the term even existed. When the local governor tried to ban Jewish settlers from serving in the local volunteer guard, imposing a special tax on them instead, Levy fought back. He successfully petitioned for the right to stand guard alongside his fellow citizens.
He went on to become a prominent butcher, real estate pioneer, and respected community leader. Knowing his story makes swimming in his namesake pool feel like a small connection to the very origins of New York City.
Finding Glory in the Fast Lane
Despite the 23-yard quirk, I was ready to swim. I adjusted my goggles, stepped up to the edge, and decided to jump right into the fast lane.
Usually, I feel like I’m the slowest swimmer in the water. I am used to hugging the lane line while much faster athletes zoom past me. But on this particular day at Asser Levy, something clicked. I felt energized.
I started doing my laps and quickly realized I was actually keeping pace. Then, I started passing people. Before long, I was literally doing laps around everyone else in the pool. I cannot properly explain the massive ego boost this gave me. For one glorious morning, I was the undisputed king of the 23-yard fast lane.
I kept my momentum going, pushing my glutes and quads just like I do when cycling through Central Park. Before I knew it, I had crushed nearly 1,700 yards.
Tackling the Day Ahead
When I finally climbed out of the magnificent Asser Levy pool, I felt completely rejuvenated. I packed up my gear and walked back out onto 23rd Street.
I had a busy day ahead of me, but I felt incredibly ready to tackle it head-on. The physical exertion cleared my mind. Navigating the bizarre math of a 23-yard pool kept me mentally sharp.
Living in Manhattan part-time is an ongoing learning curve. You have to figure out the bike lanes, memorize the park traverses, and learn to accept that a lap pool might just be 16, 18, or 23 yards long. But finding these beautiful, historic landmarks makes every quirky detour entirely worth it.
If you live in the city and have not checked out your local recreation center, do yourself a favor and get a pass. You might just learn a little history, see some beautiful architecture, and find yourself dominating the fast lane!