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If you're a frequenter of the city's and state's many public swimming pools, you're by now familiar with the $2 entry fee that most of them ask for. That's, however, changing this summer: Governor Kathy Hochul just announced that the state is completely waiving entry fees at 14 state parks for the rest of the season. The list includes two public pools located in New York City: Roberto Clemente State Park Pool in the Bronx and the Riverbank State Park Pools in Manhattan.
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The new guidelines are part of a campaign to get people to "Get Offline, Get Outside" and part of a larger effort from the governor to convince New Yorkers to learn how to swim, considering that drowning is a leading cause of death for young kids across the state. So far, Hochul has already invested $150 million in the initiative.
“We’re making it easier for our young people to put down their phones and computers, enjoy time with friends and family, and stay active all cross our state,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. “Summer is here: get offline and get outside.”
She also mentioned pervasive phone use among young people as a reason to encourage New Yorkers to spend more time touching grass—or, in this case, treading water.
Here is a list of all the pools that will offer free entry across New York state for the rest of the summer:
NYC
- Roberto Clemente State Park Pool in the Bronx
- Riverbank State Park Pools in Manhattan
Hudson Valley
- Bear Mountain State Park Pool in Bear Mountain
- FDR State Park Pool in Yorktown
- High Tor State Park Pool in New City
- Rockland Lake State Park Pool in Valley Cottage
Long Island
- Jones Beach State Park West Bathhouse Pool in Wantagh
- Montauk Downs State Park Pool in Montauk
Capital Region
- Saratoga Spa State Park Pools (Peerless and Victoria) in Saratoga Springs
Mohawk Valley
- Mine Kill State Park Pool in North Blenheim
Southern Tier
- Watkins Glen State Park Pool in Watkins Glen
Finger Lakes
- Letchworth State Park Pool in Castile
Western New York
- Fort Niagara State Park Pool in Youngstown
North Country
- Keewaydin State Park Pool in Alexandria Bay
Don't get too excited, though: those pesky parking fees have not been waived.