The hottest months of summer are best spent poolside, preferably with amazing cocktails and an Instagram-worthy view. If your budget doesn’t allow for a trip to the Hamptons, let alone the French Riviera, we’ve rounded up the best pools in New York City to spend a day that offer vistas so glorious, you won’t even wish you were at the beach.
Manhattan Park Pool
Each year, a new artist gets to turn the Manhattan Park Pool into a vibrant pop-art scene starring its swimmers. Loungers, hammocks and other resort-style amenities dot the poolside. Bonus: Instead of sweating in the subway, you can take the Roosevelt Island Tram there! $35 weekdays, $50 weekends, 36 River Road
McCarren Pool
It’s hard to know where to look at Williamsburg’s favorite sunny oasis, the McCarren Pool. There are the fun abstract murals on the walls, the tropical day beds, the gorgeous cocktails or the crowds so hip and gorgeous, you’ll want to dress more for a pool party than swimming. The saltwater pool makes for easy floating, then wind down at the classic fern bar Oleander’s. $55 (must be reserved 48 hours in advance, 72 hours for daybeds), 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 160 N. 12th St., Williamsburg
Spa Castle
For the true water babies, there’s no better spot than Spa Castle. During the summer, the Korean spa complex opens its European bath house-style outdoor pools where you can soak in a jacuzzi, de-stress beneath a waterfall and enjoy the hydrotherapy jets. And if you need to relax further, there’s also a swim-up bar. $40 weekdays, $50 weekends, 131-10 11th Ave., College Point
The Beach at Dream Downtown
You can see all the way down to the hotel lobby through the glass-bottom pool at The Beach at Dream Downtown. The Cote d’Azur-inspired pool is New York’s largest hotel pool and even has a real beach made with sand from the Hamptons, plus a full poolside menu of fancy cocktails. Day passes are $65 available Monday-Friday only, loungers are first come first served, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., 355 W. 16th St., Chelsea
Profundo Day Club
With 12 cabanas and 50 loungers, there’s plenty of resort-style luxury for everyone at Long Island City’s new Profundo Day Club at the Ravel Hotel. Your riviera away from France holds daily parties with live music, plus a full raw bar and food menu. Bet you’re sipping a frosé poolside already. $50 day pass noon-9 p.m. or $25 5-9 p.m., 8-08 Queens Plaza South
1 Hotel Pool
You’ll have to console yourself with the sustainably sourced cocktails and lobster rolls at 1 Rooftop Garden & Bar, because its spectacular pool with panoramic views of Lower Manhattan and even the Statue of Liberty is only open to hotel guests. Make a note for your next staycation. 60 Furman St., Brooklyn Heights
Astoria Park Pool
Arguably the most scenic of New York City’s 55 public pools, Astoria Park Pool is an Olympic-size haven with plenty of space for splashing and swimming, plus dramatic views courtesy of the towering Triborough Bridge. Tucked into northern Queens, plan to make a day of it with a couple slices from nearby Artichoke Pizza and enjoy a craft beer with live music in the Singlecut Beersmiths taproom. Free, 19th St. and 23rd Drive, Queens
DUMBO House
The members-only club DUMBO House has arrived on the Brooklyn waterfront and takes full advantage of its Manhattan views with a splashy rooftop restaurant and this French Riviera-inspired pool. Alas, with annual membership fees starting at $1,050, this is a pool you’ll probably have to covet from afar. 55 Water St., Brooklyn
