Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
New Pool May Make It Enjoyable To Jump In East River Someday
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 17, 2011
Modified Jun 18, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 17, 2011
Modified Jun 18, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After a long day in the salt mines, there's nothing like a quick dip in a cold mass of chlorinated water spiced with children's urine and floating Band-Aids. With the public pools still days away from opening, and the contents of our wallet too pathetic to dip in The Gansevoort's pool, we're left to dreaming. What if it was safe to jump into the East River? Several designers are currently working on a concept called +Pool, a 9,000 square foot pool-shaped filtration system that would turn the toxic waterways of our city into a summertime paradise.
+Pool works by using three types of filters, with the first two catching debris and algae, and the final trapping bacteria and viruses. DNAinfo reports that the group has scouted at locations like "the East River near Stuyvesant Town at 23rd Street, along the Hudson above 59th Street," and along the "Riverbank State Park at 135th Street." The pool would be the "first of its kind," and considerably more environmentally friendly and permanent than a structure like The Floating Pool Lady.
The group needs $500K to build a prototype. So far, they've raised $9,500 through a Kickstarter campaign, and need to hit $25K by July 15 to buy a device capable of testing the technology. This is crucial, especially given the damage that can be done by just touching the water in the East River, as shown in this scientific video. (Video of their owns plans, below.)
Tagged
east river
pools
summer
summertime
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .