Asphalt Green Aquacenter - Upper East Side

This is an outstanding facility. Given how busy it is, the staff is organized and friendly. The pool itself is 78º, perhaps 79ºF. and squeaky clean. Long course is difficult because there are eight lanes across only 20 yards, so passing in the middle is close to impossible. Still, I found swimmers to be cooperative although not particularly tied to lane speed. Swimmers have access to a full gym, steamroom, and sauna. Towels can be rented for $1.00. Unless you are staying in the neighborhood, getting to it could be a challenge.

Probably the nicest pool in Manhattan, but that is a pretty low bar. I'm from LA and there are a million pools out there nicer than this (Santa Monica City College etc.). The main problem with the pool is that during general lap swimming people pay no attention to the FAST, MEDIUM, SLOW signs and just get in wherever they want. Unfortunately, the lifeguards and staff do nothing to insure that faster people are in the fast lane, etc. The result is chaos. If you are a good swimmer, swimming during regular lap swim hours on the weekend is a nightmare. I swam there yesterday (Saturday) and there were two guys in the fast lane who were swimming glacially slow breaststroke and making zero effort to not get in my way. Like I said, nightmare.

You might as well save money and go to the Y.

For serious swimmers, Asphalt Green is one of the most frustrating places to swim. The facility is very nice but the members' lanes are often a complete disaster. The guards do not enforce lane etiquette or common rules for lane-sharing safety. There is an entitled group of members who, no matter how poorly and slowly they swim, will not move from whichever lane they've decided to jump into, even if multiple people are trying to work-out in the same lane cooperatively. This is not the complaint of a single bad experience but from someone who has swum there for years, on different days and at different times. This place is a nightmare for serious lap swimmers and, for the price, it's the worst deal in the city. Be warned!

The 50m pool is often configured for multiple activities taking place simultaneously. Asphalt Green is a venue that attracts serious swimmers. It's legendary for its competitive swimming instruction and Masters Swim Team, and regularly hosts swim meets for NYC's elite private schools. Lia Neal, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the Women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay, trained at AG and is now on her way to Stanford University on a full scholarship.

This is a really unusual pool for Manhattan - clean, cool temperature and regular lap swimming. The 50m pool is not usually open for lap swim and the admission price for visitors is steep. I believe the pool has been used as a training facility for Olympic swimmers.

Probably the nicest public access lap swim pool I've found on Manhattan Island … the water is good and clear … everyone was very nice and hospitable.