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We first wrote about these unlikely swimming holes last year when they mysteriously appeared at an undisclosed location in Brooklyn. Since then, they’ve made such a splash that across the city that the Bloomberg Administration commissioned Macro Sea to create a trio of them for all New Yorkers (and visitors) in the area to enjoy. The big red repurposed trash receptacles were emblazoned with the Macro Sea logo and look quite a bit nicer than the guerrilla versions that started it all.

In addition to an upgrade in attractiveness and venue, stringent pool safety was of the utmost importance and (lifeguards?) were around just in case anyone got in over their heads – though the dumpsters only went to 4’6″ deep. Colorful inner tubes were available to anyone who didn’t feel 100% confident in their swimming abilities, but those who wanted to show off their skills ignored the slightly smaller than Olympic size of the poolsand donned bathing caps and nose pincers. Eat your heart out Michael Phelps!

If you live in NYC and want to check out the pools – this weekend is your last chance! This Saturday will be the very last Saturday the pools will be open before being disassembled for the close of summer – sad, we know! So be sure you block out some time to take a dive, because while this year’s pools are open invite, next year’s installation might just be a little more exclusive!

+ Macro Sea

Photos: Jill Fehrenbacher, Diane Pham