Double D Pool

It’s a free pool. And it’s in a great Brooklyn Neighborhood. That alone is worth 2 – 3 stars. My suggestion is to plan to go for 1 – 2 hours the first time to see if the rules etc are worth it.
The Pool: The pool is very clean with water the perfect cool temperature. It does seem very chlorinated but I am guessing that’s for the best. The water is uniformly around 3.5 feet deep so it’s not quite deep enough for a lot of swimming/​twirling/​diving activities but nice to stand/​float. There is a rim around the pool where adults can sit to be with kids or just to put legs in the pool.
The Crowd: Lots of kids and families. Very few un-​chaperoned teens. The lifeguards are attentive and nice. The other pool staff can be a bit stern about the rules. My favorite pool guest was a latino grandfather with bleached hair singing «let it go» to his granddaughters. The place feels like a true picture of Brooklyn. Very diverse racially, socioeconomically, and age/​family status-​wise.
The Deck: Plan to sit on a towel on the deck or on a bench. Very few chairs. No umbrellas. You may not bring your own chair or umbrella. If you have an extra towel, it might be nice to bring two per person for extra cushioning.
The Rules: they are very serious about the «white shirt only» thing. So if you can’t sit in full sun the whole time, you better get a white shirt! They really won’t let anything other than books, towels, water, sunscreen and the like onto the deck. It’s actually kindof liberating to lock my cell phone in my locker! The lifeguards blow the whistles anytime the pool gets too rowdy and everyone seems to comply.
The Lockers etc: There are picnic tables right outside the locker area to snack, get off the deck for a while. The locker room is a bit dark and dingy but make sure to bring a lock. The lockers are not very big so I would suggest bringing a small tote bag, not a big pool/​beach bag. Probably not big enough for a cooler, so snacks etc need to be stuff that can get warm and still be eatable.
The bottom line is that it’s a nice, clean, safe, neighborhood pool with an amazing, beautiful diversity of pool-​goers!

Hey, Jonathan E — Go back to Denver. And while you’re there, maybe take a writing and spelling class so if you ever come back, you can make your bigoted, hateful comments in proper English.

Grrr … not loving the hating on «projects kids» — as the mother of an energetic NON-​project kid, I can tell you that those kids are well-​behaved, normal kids by any-​kid standards. The place is a great mix of neighborhoods and socio-​economic backgrounds — just what I want my community pool to be. It offers a toddler wading-​pool as well as a large, albeit 3-​foot deep, «grown-​up pool.» I will agree that it does feel a lot like summer camp/​daycare but you know what, free fun summer places SHOULD feel that way!!! The place is quite clean and the staff is not super-​surly (even friendly much of the time). The rules get on my nerves, too (no floating devices, pool toys, etc.) but hey, I guess they exist for the greater good. I’m giving Double D 4 stars for that reason, and the fact that I’d like them to open earlier, but hey, seriously, as far as free things go in this town, this is a gem.

To all the 1-​star complainers and haters: Wow, you have really, really high expectations for a FREE public amenity. Too «low class» for you? Go join an overpriced private pool.
This is a clean, well-​maintained, MUCH needed public resource with a kiddie pool, vigilant lifeguards and friendly-(ish) staff… who can sometimes be less-​than helpful if its a 90 degree day out and the most they can do is watch people go in the pool instead of go in themselves.
Simple rules: Bring a lock, bathing suit with liner, no bags, food, electronics or bottles out on the pool area and show them your bag when you go in. Not perfect, but hey, thats what you get for a free, city-​sponsored amenity.

AMAZING POOL!
Double D is a huge asset to the neighborhood. Always fun, always busy. There is a kiddie pool and a separate adult pool. Lots of life guards — perhaps too much staff, and if they are struggling to keep it open, why not tone things down a bit?!
And the rules are NOT that big a deal! BRING A LOCK. And don’t carry all your sh*t out to the pool. There. That’s it.
Best place to spend a warm summer afternoon.

Not having access to a swimming hole in the city is one of those things that make you miss the burbs. This pool is a nice place to cool off in the summer. However, it’s run more like a prison than an outdoor recreation area. You are not allowed chairs, food, phones, cameras, iPods, mattresses, or shirts that are any other color than white (seriously) by the poolside. The water is only a few feet deep, so diving into the deep end is also out. With that said, you can’t beat the free swimming hole in the summer.

Rules Rules Rules. YAWN. Treated with disrespect right from the front door. Lemme see that bag. No no no, Sorry you can’t search my bag cause I brought my fucking gun today to shoot the whole mother fucking staff! Cause you are so rude. The only reason this place gets 2 stars is cause my daughter loves it. I get in a fight every time I come here. Wait, fuck it. One star.

Came here for the first time this past Sunday and I’m dumbfounded as to why I haven’t checked it out sooner. 3′ deep and an area that was sectioned off for people like me who want to «lap swim». I slowly learned that it was customary to swim in a counterclockwise direction. Hey I’m still learning (to swim)!
Best kept secret in Park Slope/​Gowanus area is out and I’m sad to hear that Labor Day was their last day of the season.
–bring a towel and a lock

I’m giving it five stars because it’s a wonderfully run FREE pool!
I went there for the first time earlier this week. I was a little apprehensive about going to a public pool in NY since I didn’t know what condition it was kept in, but once I got there I was glad I went.
The pool was very clean. It is 75×60 so it’s large enough to accommodate a lot of people and swim laps in. They have a full staff of people who are willing to help you out from the cleaning staff to the lifeguards.
The only thing I am not used to is that the changing area was cement and very open, but this is normal for any public pool.
Also, remember to bring your own lock for the lockers!

this a straight up hood rat pool n of course its hidden who want to go around a ghetto pool where prositutes, pimps and crackheads use to dwell at i use to live in the neighborhood back in the days and this pool is not it im sorry dont want to swim with trash i got sense and class and the project is right 2 blocks away gowanus and white koff 2 projects on going beef now back in the days its cool but not dont have time for ducking bullets

Heard on the news that this pool along with a few other free city pools will remain closed. Nooo!
D&D you will be missed.

This is one of Brooklyn’s best kept secrets. Hidden in the middle of a bunch of run-​down industrial buildings, it’s one of the best city-​run facilities I’ve found. Everybody talks about the Red Hook Pool, so no one is ever at this one. Thus, it’s often nearly empty, on top of being outdoors, free, clean, and awesome!
If you catch it on a day that isn’t crazy hot, or before or after the crowds on a hot day, you’ll have it almost to yourself. It’s amazing!
They have lap lanes from 11 to 12, for the exercise folks. Otherwise, you’ll see young families at the kiddie pool, small groups of kids splashing here and there, Park Slope hipster girls getting sun, and older dudes with Navy tattoos doing hardcore laps.
It’s a totally chill scene, and everybody is in a good mood. And why not? They’re at a free pool!