Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center
Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center
232 West 60th StreetNew York , NY 10023
212 397 3159
nycgovparks.org
M-F 6:30am-9:30pm; Sa-Su 8am-4pm
Named for a New York native who was the first woman to swim the English Channel, The Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center sports numerous facilities including a computer room, a basketball court, a workout center, and a dance studio. When it was first built in 1906, however, it was one of many baths opened under New York State law to bathe the poor and homeless. The term “baths” in this case meant showers, since actual tubs were hard to clean and caused jealousy among bathers who would soak for hours. The pool, housed by the magnificent Georgian bathhouse designed by architects Werner & Windolph, existed for those who had already cleaned themselves. When it was realized that most swimmers used the pool in the summer to get cool rather than clean, the center’s purpose gradually shifted from sanitary to recreational.