Lyons Pool Recreation Center

The wide-open layout of this Olympic-size swimming pool makes for a less claustrophobic experience than many of the city’s other watering holes. The St. George Ferry Terminal is just minutes from the facility, so don’t sweat the schlep to Staten Island. Older kids get free rein over the 3.5-foot-deep main pool, while the younger set bobs around in the nearby shallow wading area. Take high-energy rascals over to the basketball-court–size sprinkler area to run off some steam as surrounding hoses spray them down.