Cool in the pool
All you need for L.A. summer cool is this list of inexpensive public pools.
By Lea Lion
From the Los Angeles Times
June 25, 2009

The collective Southern California dream takes place around a turquoise,
kidney-shaped pool, right? Well, unless you've scored just the right
apartment, are extremely rich or have friends who are, chances are you are
getting hung out to dry in the heat of another L.A summer. Sure, you could
try the old sneak-into-the-hotel pool trick, but here are a few public
options that might even make your pool-owning friends jealous.

Annenberg Community Beach House: Located just a few doors down from the
"private" signs of the Jonathan Club, this Santa Monica newcomer is a club
for the people. The beach house is a modernist's dream with lots of stained
concrete, warm woods and glass. The historic pool is a shimmering, turquoise
rectangle surrounded by black and white marble tile. There is also a
Dwell-worthy spread of minimalist chaise lounges, bright orange umbrellas and
amorphous white plastic chairs that look more W Hotel then public pool.
During a recent visit, a goggle-clad eight-year-old was the only swimmer, but
chances are this place will be as crowded as a Hollywood nightclub when word
gets out. 415 Pacific Coast Hwy, Santa Monica, [phone],
www.beachhouse.smgov.net.

Griffith Park Pool: With the vast expanse of Griffith Park looming in the
distance, it might seem like the side of the I-5 isn't the most scenic
location for a pool. But pass under an ancient rubber tree and walk through
the archway of this historic stucco and tile structure, catch your first
glimpse of the impossibly long, impossibly deep rectangle of cool, blue water
and it's hard to remember how you got there in the first place much -- less
care about those poor souls who are still cooped up in their gas-guzzlers
nearby. Besides, the Griffith Park pool is a longtime local fave and the
shouts from splashing kids tend to drown out the roar of traffic. 3401
Riverside Dr., [phone], www.laparks.org.

Rustic Canyon Pool: After the big flap over the recent closing of the beloved
YMCA pool in Temescal Canyon, you might think that those poor Pacific
Palisades folks are permanently pool-deprived, but this smallish Rustic
Canyon swimming hole is one of city's nicest. The 20-yard-long pool, which
looks like a rectangle and triangle collided, is cool (read: unheated),
surrounded by trees (read: shady) and, best of all, drastically underused.
Sure, the depth only ranges from two feet at one end to four feet at the
other, but that's more than enough to dunk your head on a hot day. Besides,
you can't go wrong at $2.50 ($2 with library card) a pop. 601 Latimer Rd.,
Pacific Palisades, [phone], www.lacity.org.

Hansen Dam Swim Lake: Memories of the long car ride past the storage spaces
and auto parts shops of Glenoaks Blvd., will fade when this North Valley
aquatics center comes into view. Surrounded by the jagged mountains of the
Angeles National Forest, the one-and-a-half acre swim lake looks like a
shimmering turquoise mirage in the middle of the desert -- one with a Six
Flags-caliber double water slide at one end, that is. The area also features
a nine-acre recreation lake for fishing and pedal boats and a grassy area for
soccer matches. The only thing missing? Shade. 11798 Foothill Blvd., Lake
View Terrace, [phone], www.laparks.org.

To find a pool near you:

Los Angeles Public Pools: L.A. Dept of Recreation and Parks offers a
downloadable PDF with 63 pools, in the upper left hand of this page:
www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/aquatic.htm.

Culver City Plunge: 4175 Overland Avenue, Culver City. Rec swim: adults, $3;
kids and seniors, $2. Lap swim and 15-visit passes avail. See website for
hours. (310)-253-6680; www.culvercity.org.

McCambridge Park Swimming Pool: 1515 North Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank.
Residents, $1-4; non-residents, $4-10. See website for hours. (818).238-5381;
www.ci.burbank.ca.us.

Rose Bowl Aquatics Center: 360 N Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. Memberships avail.;
non-members, adults $2, kids $1. See website for hours. [phone];
www.rosebowlaquatics.com.

Santa Monica Swim Center: 2225 16th St., Santa Monica. Residents: $2 adults,
$1 kids; non-residents: $5 adults, $2 kids. See website for hours.
310.458.8700; www01.smgov.net/aquatics.

West Hollywood Pool: 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood. Resident:
adults, $2, kids $1; non-residents: adults $3, kids $1.75. [phone]
www.weho.org.