McCarren Park Pool Pre-Renovation Courtesy of Wiki Commons

At this point, the surprise at seeing Greenpoint’s McCarren Park Pool linked to aggression in the headlines has seriously worn off. At the risk of downplaying the gravity of the violence, the pool is becoming something of a sitting duck.

(by Alissa Fleck)

On Tuesday, police actually required backup to deal with chaos at the notorious pool, as sweltering temperatures got tempers flaring. A witness told the Daily News he felt “in the air” something bad was going to happen, but it sounds like rowdy young adults were the only thing in the air yesterday. The entire situation erupted over backflips and people being thrown in the pool, Gothamist reports.

After lifeguards—probably not paid nearly enough—attempted to close down the pool Tuesday when reprimands fell on deaf ears, some pool-goers resisted commands to vacate and decided to jump back in anyway, reports Gothamist. Police had to tackle aggressors to the ground amid sprinklers, in what sounds like—again, not to downplay the peril—a comical scene. The cops deployed pepper spray on aggressive pool-goers. Three men were arrested in total, one for assaulting an officer, and two for disorderly conduct.

Gothamist reports one woman’s reaction to the frenzy outside the pool: “I’m done with this pool, it’s too much. I’m never coming back here,” she said. This follows a long string of troubling incidents at the pool this summer, including brawls, robberies and defecation.

According to the NYC Government website, “[McCarren Park] pool was closed in 1984 after the facility, suffering from vandalism and an alleged drug haven, became too dilapidated. $6.5 million in funding to renovate the facility was included in the 1984-85 budget, but plans stalled after neighbors successfully stopped the project, worried that illicit activity would return.”

Apparently the negatively reputed site is just cursed with bad luck, as it seems you’re more likely to witness violence and horror than not on any given day. The NYPD has nevertheless reported everyone is safe at the pool, saying there are always many cops present.

Robert & Jeff, studio musicians in their mid-40s who sometimes play in the park, were relaxing underneath a tree.
Is this the hottest New York City summer you can remember?
Robert: I’ll tell you, last week I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds.
Is there anything you like to do in this weather?
NAME?: We like to come down to the park in our off time, meet new friends and gamble.

Helen Hope, an 18-year-old model, was reading in the shade.
What are you doing to stay cool in this heat?
I’m staying in the shade and drinking lots of water. I’m also eating a lot of Pinkberry.
Is there anything you like to do outside in this weather?
I like to hang out in the park and stay very still.
What are you reading?
I live in a women’s residence and an old woman was handing out books so I took this one [Five Quarters of the Orange].

Reed Dunlea, 25, who works at WNYC, was eating french fries in the park.
What do you like to do to beat the heat?
I like to go swimming—this past weekend I went to two beaches in upstate New York. I’ve also been to the McCarren Park Pool.
Did you witness any violence at the McCarren Park Pool?
Unfortunately no.

Ron, 72, is retired and was tanning on a park bench in jean shorts with a bottle of cold juice and a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips.
What do you do to stay cool in this heat?
I drink Crystal Light and stay hydrated, unfortunately it’s frozen right now.
Is this the hottest summer you can remember here?
It’s not the hottest summer but it’s definitely one of them.
Is there anything you like to do outside in this heat?
I like to sit in the sun. I’ve been coming here since I was 9 and it’s basically the same.

Photo by eddzis, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Just days after a teen punched a cop in the face and a group of teens attacked a lifeguard at McCarren Park Pool, more teenage violence  struck the Williamsburg park last week when a 16-year-old was stabbed and beaten close to death by a group of other high schoolers.

A Walk in the Park reported that the victim, whom most news sources are identifying  only as Carlos to avoid a repeat of the incident, was chased from a soccer field around the park by a group of about eight teens just before 9:30 p.m. last Friday. The group surrounded him by a baseball field and began their attack.

A couple was seated on a bench right next to the beating. “They were swinging baseball bats, punching him and throwing things. They hit him with a bottle. It was the whole group, everybody was getting their punches in. They seemed hell bent on killing this kid,” one of the witnesses told A Walk in the Park.

The witness called 911, and the attackers fled when they were told the police were coming. Carlos was attacked twice more by onlookers who pretended to come to his aid, however, before he was finally left alone, other witnesses said. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he received 27 stitches and four staples in his head.

Three men have since been arrested for the attack: Seth Martinez, 16, and Kenny Nunez, 15, and Argenis Zarzuela, 18. Each has been charged with attempted murder, gang assault, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing. They are due in court today.

The attack has sparked criticism from community members, including Carlos’s mother, for the park’s lack of police. Both NYC Parks and the NYPD  have no officers assigned to the park — or, for that matter, almost all other parks — as permanent posts.

“There’s not enough protection in that park,” Carlos’s mother told WPIX.  “And thanks be to God, it’s a miracle from God that he made it.”

McCarren Park Pool before it was filled in. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

 Fecal matter, although expected, adds to the pool’s list of problems

Remember last week’s article saying that unwanted waste is more welcome in a pool than fighting? Well, the sentiment was heard.

The just-reopened, newly-renovated McCarren Park Pool was closed for the third time since its unveiling on June 28 because, per DNAInfo, someone had a “diaper accident” in the pool.

The closing marks a tumultuous re-beginning for the young pool but, on the bright side, and if you overlook a poor child’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of his bladder, no violence was involved.

The brown floatie poses less of a danger and concern for Brooklyn residents than the two closings that preceded it, which were both because of violent altercations between police and lifeguards and pool attendees. There was also another case, just hours before one of the fights, where three lockers in the pool’s locker room were broken into and robbed.

Just like with the last closing, residents hit Twitter regarding the closing again, albeit with a lighter heart than before.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

A popup pool opened Friday in Brooklyn Bridge Park with an exclusive capacity of sixty swimmers. The pool, with its view of the Manhattan skyline, opened preceding the weekend heatwave which was expected to surpass the 100 degree mark, though it only hit a recorded high of 95. Brooklyn Bridge Park pool will be open for at least five years and has a sandy beach, lounge chairs, picnic tables and a concession stand, reports WNYC. 

State Senator Daniel Squadron helped raise $400,000 from Albany to install the pool, which he hopes will become permanent, according to WNYC. For the time being, hopeful swimmers will have to arrive early or during off peak hours to get into the tiny pool, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The pool is intentionally shallow with three lifeguards, designed with families in mind.

Community advocates have allegedly been pushing hard for some time for the pool’s installment. Head to Brooklyn Heights to beat the heat this summer without the frenetic madness of McCarren Park pool, but remember to get there early.

—Alissa Fleck