For Ample Lounge Chairs

MANHATTAN PARK POOL HOUSE, 36 River Rd., Roosevelt Island

THE BEST THING about the Manhattan Park Pool on Roosevelt Island, according to Stroller in the City founder Brianne Manz, is that “it’s big enough that it never feels overcrowded.” This is likely both because it’s a bit hard to find (it’s a tram-and-a-bus ride away for non– Roosevelt Island residents) and because management only gives out up to 40 day passes on weekends (passes for nonresidents are

$55 on weekdays, $70 on weekends and holidays). The result: an unusually ready supply of lounge chairs and umbrellas. The pool, Manz says, is also just really nice— there are clear views of the city, and the deck is painted by a different local artist each year. This summer, the pool was done over by Brooklyn artist Hratch Arbach—he created an immersive “ocean wonderland,” using nearly 75 gallons of paint, that involves a series of tree-trunklike concentric circles with bubbles streaming out from the center.