When you think of Portland summers, lazy days at the pool,
clubhouse romance and frenetic swimming lessons don't
immediately spring to mind. That happens in Short Hills,
N.J., or Cleveland, Ohio, not in our city, right? Well,
break out the Bullfrog, because when the sun's out, Portland's
pool scene is pretty splashy.
True, there's no telling who's been swimming in public
pools, or what they've been doing in there besides the
backstroke, but an examination of 11 Portland Parks
and Recreation pools yielded surprising results. Sure,
there were the predictable jubilant and screaming children,
but I also came across Sno-Kone carts, attentive lifeguards
and revolutionary filtering systems. Not for nothing
did the National Recreation and Parks Association name
Portland's the No. 1 aquatics department among cities
with a population over 250,000 last year. The following
pools are outdoors unless otherwise noted.
All
pools except SWCC charge $2.25 daily admission for adults
and seniors, $1.25 for youths. Children under 2 are admitted
free with a parent.
SWCC
daily rates: 0- to 2-year-olds and centenarians get
in free; $2.25 children; $3 teens; $4 adults; $3 seniors.
Rates will go up in October for non-Portland residents.
All
of the pools offer a deal on Tuesdays: Open-play swim
admission is 75 cents for kids and adults.
Times
are valid through summer season.
BUCKMAN
(indoor)
320 SE 16th Ave.
823-3668
Aquatic Amenities:
Few and far between
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Pick-up soccer
games on the school playing fields, playground, indoor
concessions
How Are The Bathrooms? Enter
at your own risk; the locker room is quite spacious
though.
Particulars:
Lap swim: 6:15-9 am, 11:45 am-1 pm, 5:20-6:15 pm Monday-Friday.
Teen swim: 7:30-9 pm Friday
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You This
indoor pool is small and dark; you'd have to be on Prozac
and Viagra not to feel depressed in this aging
facility.
Bonus
Great close-in location
COLUMBIA
(indoor)
7701 N Chautauqua Blvd.
823-3669
Aquatic Amenities:
Plenty of fun and functional flotation devices
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Columbia Park
offers tennis, horseshoe pits, ball fields and sweet-smelling
trees in a residential setting. Indoor concessions are
available.
How Are The Bathrooms? Adequate
Particulars:
Lap swim: 6-8:30 am Monday-Friday; noon-5 pm Saturday-Sunday
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You
This pool is housed by a geodesic dome. The observation
area consists of bleachers; there is no adjoining sun
deck or patio.
Bonus
Well-managed front desk
CRESTON
Southeast 44th Avenue and Powell Boulevard
823-3672
Aquatic Amenities:
All the kick boards you could ask for, two tube slides
and a poolside basketball hoop; a cement divider bisects
the pool, separating lap lanes from open swim
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Creston is an
undulating, woody park with picnic areas, lots of tall
trees and a tennis court; concessions are at the front
desk.
How Are The Bathrooms?
Not bad, better than some of the others
Particulars:
Lap swim: 7:45-9 am, 4:45-6 pm Monday-Friday. Teen swim:
8:50-9:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 6.
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You
There is a parking area at Southeast 42nd Avenue and
Rhone Street.
Bonus
The pool is sunk deep in the park, distancing
it from the noise of Powell. Unusual features: a grass
perimeter around the pool and a rooftop observation
deck.
DISHMAN
(indoor)
77 NE Knott St.
823-3673
Aquatic Amenities:
Diving board, starting blocks, separate whirlpool, small
tube slide, storerooms full of pool equipment
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
The pool is part
of the Dishman Community Center. There are basketball
courts and a gym but no outdoor facilities. Concessions
are available.
How Are The Bathrooms?
One of the best locker rooms of the bunch: big, bright
and clean. There are family changing rooms, too.
Particulars:
Lap swim: 6-8 am, 11:30 am-1 pm, 6-7:25 pm Monday-Friday;
11 am-1 pm Saturday; noon-1 pm Sunday, 1:10-4:10 pm
and 4:15-5:45 pm Saturday-Sunday
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You This place
is positively swarming with kids, making it very loud,
and it gets quite warm on a summer afternoon.
Bonus
The pool is larger than many of the others.
DISHMAN
2300 NE 33rd Ave.
823-3674
Aquatic Amenities:
The usual equipment plus movable tot slides; it has
the same cement divider as Creston, which separates
lap lanes from open swim.
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Situated between
the high school and the park in one of the most Pleasantville
neighborhoods in town; ball fields and shade trees offer
plenty of room for R&R. Numerous bike racks are
a nice touch.
How Are The Bathrooms?
Utilitarian but hygienic; family changing rooms
Particulars:
Lap swim: 6:30-8 am, noon-1 pm, 4:45-9 pm Monday-Friday;
noon-1 pm and 4:30-6 pm Saturday-Sunday. Teen swim 9:05-9:55
pm Monday-Friday through Aug. 6
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You This is
a family-oriented pool with a strong suburban atmosphere.
Bonus
"Ainsley's Hawaiian Shaved Ice" stand out front; lots
of lounge chairs
MONTAVILLA
8219 NE Glisan St.
823-3675
Aquatic Amenities:
Two tube slides, poolside basketball hoop, starting
blocks, a flotilla of flotation equipment, lap lanes
are separated by cement divider
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Located behind the
Montavilla Community Center and next to Montavilla Park,
which, while small in size, offers tennis, ball fields,
a playground and concessions
How Are The Bathrooms?
Wet and dark
Particulars:
Lap swim: 4:45-6 pm Monday-Friday. Teen swim: 8:50-9:30
pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday through Aug. 6
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You 82nd and
Glisan is a busy intersection, but the traffic noise
doesn't spill over into the pool area too much.
Bonus
A Burgerville sits right across the street, perfect
for easing post-swim hunger pangs.
PENINSULA
6400 N Albina St.
823-3677
Aquatic Amenities:
The usual stuff, poolside basketball hoop
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
This is about as
good as it gets: a rose garden to rival Washington Park's,
tennis, playing fields, hoops, playground, outdoor concessions
and the gorgeously remodeled 1913 community center.
How Are The Bathrooms?
Decent
Particulars:
Lap swim: 9:30 am-1 pm Monday-Friday; 1-5 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Theme pool parties 6:30-8 pm Wednesdays through Aug.
11
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You The pool
is part of a gorgeous park and facility, but it's not
the biggest one in Portland.
Bonus
Spanish-style architecture lends this pool a spirited,
California flavor.
PIER
North St. Johns Avenue and Seneca Street
823-3678
Aquatic Amenities:
Small tube slide, poolside basketball hoop, usual pool
accessories
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Pier Park is heavily
wooded, with picnic areas, tennis, playground, softball
field, nice walking trails.
How Are The Bathrooms?
Spacious and relatively clean
Particulars:
Lap swim: 11 am-12:50 pm, 4:30-6:30 pm Monday-Friday;
1-5 pm Saturday-Sunday
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You This is
an old facility with minimal bells and whistles (no
concessions even).
Bonus
The piney smell in the air brings you back to summer
camp.
SELLWOOD
Southeast 7th Avenue and Miller Street
823-3679
Aquatic Amenities:
Large tube slide, play structure in the shallow end,
poolside basketball hoop, tons of colorful accessories
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
On the border of
picturesque Sellwood Park; nice neighborhood for walking;
cool clubhouse with concessions, sunscreen, goggles
and swim caps
How Are The Bathrooms?
Basic, not as grand as the clublike architecture
may lead you to believe
Particulars:
Lap swim: 7 am-12:45 pm, 4:15-7:15 pm Monday-Friday.
Teen swim: 8:55 till dark Monday-Friday through Aug.
6
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You There's
a bit of a tony, country-club attitude here; the pool
has "zero-depth" entry (a slope instead of steps) and
a high-tech filtration system that recycles all the
water every two hours.
Bonus
This is the only pool with an unusual shape--oval. Plus
there's a "Snow Dee-Lite" shaved ice stand out front.
SOUTHWEST
COMMUNITY CENTER
(indoor)
6820 SW 45th Ave.
823-2840
Aquatic Amenities:
You name it, they've got it: 120-foot curved tube water
slide, interactive waterworks structure, decorative
geysers, rope swing, water tunnel, whirlpool, wheelchair
access.
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
The two indoor pools
are housed in the SWCC, newly opened in June and situated
next to Gabriel Park. There's a sun deck, fitness classes,
a weight room, gyms and more.
How Are The Bathrooms?
Lovely and new; four family changing rooms
Particulars:
Lap swim: almost around the clock, call for complete
schedule
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You Pools have
trendy zero-depth entry and every cubic centimeter of
water is recycled every hour in the kids' pool and every
two hours in the lap pool, which cuts down on chemical
use.
Bonus
The kids' pool and changing rooms feature fun, colorful
tiles hand-painted by local schoolchildren.
WILSON
1151 SW Vermont St.
823-3680
Aquatic Amenities:
Big, curvy tube slide, small tube slide, diving boards,
starting blocks, heaps of equipment, quality lounge
chairs
What's In It For Land-Lubbers?
Pool is adjacent
to Wilson High and its expansive playing fields; outdoor
concessions
How Are The Bathrooms?
The bathrooms are managed by the school,
not the parks department; very spacious, typically dark
high-school locker rooms
Particulars:
Lap swim: 7 am-noon Monday-Friday. Teen swim: 9:10 pm
until dark Monday-Friday through Aug. 6
What The Brochure Doesn't Tell You There are
two separate pools.
Bonus
The management strives to create a vacationlike atmosphere
with lots of open-swim time.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published July 28, 1999
