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Bad news for anyone who had penciled in one last cannonball before summer’s unofficial finale: the Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center in Central Park is temporarily closed due to flooding. The popular public pool, which sits near the Harlem Meer at 106th Street, was initially listed as closed because of a “mechanical issue.” But the problem is more water than machinery.
A spokesperson for NYC Parks told West Side Rag that flooding has taken one of the pool’s two main pumps and the adjacent splash pad offline. Central Park Conservancy and NYC Parks maintenance staff are working to dry the affected areas and get the pumps running again.
The pool’s website now simply says that Gottesman Pool is closed and apologizes for the inconvenience. An earlier NYC Parks notice had suggested a reopening next Monday, but that date was later removed, so there is currently no official word on whether swimmers will be back in the water for Labor Day Weekend.
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That is a particularly rough break for a pool that became one of the city’s buzziest summer cooling-off spots after opening in 2025. The Davis Center replaced the long-shuttered Lasker Rink and Pool with a year-round recreation hub; in the summer, its sparkling oval pool and lush northern Central Park setting have made it a welcome alternative to the city’s more crowded public swimming holes.
There’s another deadline worth noting for lap swimmers: adult lap-swim hours at Gottesman Pool end on Friday, August 28, meaning those sessions will not return this season even if the facility reopens before fall.
New York City’s outdoor pools are scheduled to close for the season on September 13, leaving only a short window for a potential return. Until Parks announces more, swimmers looking for a late-summer dip will need to make alternative plans—and perhaps keep their beach towels on standby.