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[title]On a brilliant summer day, the waters of Lake Michigan can look as blue as the Caribbean (from a distance, at least). But sometimes we don’t want to find sand in places where the sun don’t shine, or we just want to cannonball off the high dive. Instead of schlepping to the lake, set out for the chlorinated waters of the Chicago Park District. It operates 50 outdoor pools—all free—which are open mid-June through Labor Day. Here are eight of our favorites.
Best cruising: Holstein Park (2200 N Oakley Ave at Palmer St, 312-742-7554)
Single folks: Ditch the pickup joints, slap on some self-tanner and head to Holstein Park. Its 25-yard pool is a magnet for Bucktown singles.
Best lap swim: California Park (3842 N California Ave between Grace and Byron Sts, 773-478-2609)
Once the mercury hits 90, we think running along the lake is for masochists. It’s also unnecessary, considering there’s a 50-yard, six-lane pool at California Park that holds lap swim seven days a week. Park staff even hauls out kickboards, pull buoys and a pace clock.
Best liquid lunch: Union Park (1501 W Randolph St at Ogden Ave, 312-746-5494)
The boss is out of town. You could look at it as a chance to catch up with work, but weighed against the prospect of getting half-naked with the co-workers you actually like and taking a lunchtime dip, the choice is obvious. Union Park is less than ten minutes away from the Loop on the Green Line. You’ll be in the water by 12:15pm, which leaves you more than a half hour for interdepartmental chicken fights and other aquatic horseplay before you have to head back.
Best water slide: Norwood Park (5801 N Natoma Ave at Ardmore Ave, 773-631-4893)
The only thing that trumps a Slip ’N Slide for summertime fun is a real live water slide. And we don’t mean a wimpy, five-foot wobbly wanna-be. We’re talking a full-fledged winding slide with sharp turns—one so high, you have to ascend a flight of stairs to get on board.
Best diving boards: Portage Park (4100 N Long Ave at Belle Plaine Ave, 773-685-7235)
If any Chicago park resembles a country club, this one’s it. There’s a fancy iron gate at the entrance, lots of flowery foliage and an Olympic-size pool so cush it played host to the 1972 Olympic swimming trials. But the pool’s best feature is its 25-meter diving well, home to a diving platform so high you’ll have to reposition your swimsuit before you exit the water.
Best hidden gem: Wrightwood Park (2534 N Greenview Ave between Altgeld St and Lill Ave, 312-742-7816)
A reality of city living is accepting the fact that you will never, ever, have a pool in your backyard. A lucky few get close, though. Wrightwood Park’s pool is so tucked away, many residents in the ’hood may not even know it’s there. We’ll admit it’s small (only about ten yards square) and never goes deeper than three feet, but if you have kids it’s a perfect training pool. (And let’s be real—hot tubs are small, too, but that’s never stopped us.)
Best water playground: Piotrowski Park (4247 W 31st St between Tripp and Kildare Aves, 312-745-4801)
Nobody wants doody in the pool. Lucky for us, some parents choose water playgrounds as an alternative to bringing Junior in the pool with his diaper. And lucky for parents, the water playground at this Little Village pool was built with the diaper set in mind. A playscape featuring slides, bridges, a tire swing and a built-in water gun atop a spongy, shock-absorbing floor. And a network of pipes sprays water everywhere, so the little ones don’t even know what they’re missing.
Visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com for more info.