Philadelphia Opens First Round Of City Pools Just In Time For Start Of Summer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Just in time for the start of summer, Philadelphia has opened up its first round of city pools.
At the Fishtown neighborhood pool off of Girard Avenue, it's the first time in six years that this pool has opened. It underwent a multi-year, $4 million renovation leading up to Tuesday's opening. The renovations include a brand new pool, deck and a sprayground.
This is one of the dozens of pools opening this summer. Also opening Tuesday are the pools at Mill Creek Playground in West Philly and the pool at Samuel Rec Center in Port Richmond.
But all pools can't open because the city is still having issues finding lifeguards. Only 50 of the city's 63 pools will be open this summer.
The majority of the rest of them will first open between now and July 4.
Because they weren't able to open all pools, Parks & Rec says they picked pools to maximize resident access, selecting both the biggest pools and ones in neighborhoods that had the most use.
CBS3 spoke with a father who was spending the day here with his family.
"It gives us a place with our children to go out to, somewhere local that we don't have to travel to New Jersey or another pool. Somewhere we can walk down the street and go to and take them for the day," Nic Sporer said.
The Fishtown pool is one of 50 opening in the city this summer.
"We've very lucky. It is really unfortunate for everywhere else. The kids in this city need something to do after. I think it will help everyone if more were open. So hopefully we'll see a change with that," Sporer said.
If you want to see when, or if, your neighborhood pool is opening this year, click here.
