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> Swimmers in Fleishhacker Pool which closed in 1971. That’s gotta be the biggest swimming pool I’ve seen. I was born in ‘74 (hello, fellow Gen X-er) and we we

> Swimmers in Fleishhacker Pool which closed in 1971. That’s gotta be the biggest swimming pool I’ve seen. I was born in ‘74 (hello, fellow Gen X-er) and we went to various public pools through the summer. The biggest was an “olympic sized” pool 20min driving distance from our house - and this one looks double that from the camera’s perspective.

lobochrome 3y ago
We had a 120m x 50m public pool around as a kid. It was fantastic, more like swimming in a lake. It got replaced by two stainless steel contraptions (one regular 50m pool and one "play pool"). The play pool has many features that are supposed to be "fun" for kids. But I remember the thrill of swimming to the centre of the pool and being away from everything. It felt like a real achievement and a little unsafe but in a good way. I suppose it wasn't easy to maintain and not as "safe".
gonzofish 3y ago
That was my first thought ok. I thought I was looking at the reflecting pool at the Washington monument or something. I’m completely in awe of the size of that pool. It actually is closer to the reflecting pool than an Olympic pool - Olympic pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic-size_swimming_pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic-size_swimming_pool - Reflecting pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_... - Fleishhacker pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool
ojbyrne 3y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool 300x50 meters.
- rr808 3y ago
  6.5 million gallons of heated sea water. No wonder it couldn't keep running.
  - bandergirl 3y ago
    They could have just stuck a nuclear reactor in it. Two problems solved.
    - pro-kythera 3y ago
      Don't go too close to those spent fuel rods on the deep end.
      - lionkor 3y ago
        Its fine just wear a lead jacket while swimming on that end
        bboygravity 3y ago
        Because the water doesn't block the radiation? uhm?
      - waterpowder 3y ago
        Obligatory xkcd: https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/
- pengaru 3y ago
  Sutro Baths was just north at the end of Ocean Beach, but half as long: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths It's a bummer there's nothing like these places there today.
  - 1024core 3y ago
    There are the casting pools in GGP, which are quite large, and (given the few people who use them for casting) could be converted into swimming pools.
  - wilsynet 3y ago
    It’s a two hour plane ride away, but there’s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Pool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Pool
    - pengaru 3y ago
      Nobody should be boarding a plane to swim in a pool somewhere else.
daggersandscars 3y ago
The original Broad Ripple Park (Indianapolis) Pool was the "largest in the world" at one point (250' x 500'). I knew people who swam in it, but it had been turned into basketball courts by the time I saw the former pool. Shortly after that, it was removed. The US swimming Olympic tryouts were held there in 1924 and 1952. https://indyencyclopedia.org/broad-ripple-park/ https://indyencyclopedia.org/broad-ripple-park/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifFaKeimuA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifFaKeimuA
r00fus 3y ago
What’s really interesting/sad is there used to be tons of really large pools created as part of depression era recovery act public works programs. Then later, when equal rights law allowed non-whites to use the pools equally, cities and communities closed the pools and filled them up instead of allowing integration. https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893972/why-arent-there-more-public-pools-in-california https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893972/why-arent-there-mor...
- teaearlgraycold 3y ago
  NIMBYism has been ruining America for a century.
  - DonHopkins 3y ago
    The term you're looking for is "racism", and it's been ruining America for a lot longer than a century, and it still is, in fact it's on a resurgence, as we all well know (but some try to deny).
    - teaearlgraycold 3y ago
      The terms aren’t mutually exclusive
      - DonHopkins 3y ago
        Calling blatant racism "NIMBY" is whitewashing. And "for a century" is historically incorrect and revisionist, if you were actually talking about racism, which I don't believe you were. What was the real point you were trying to make? It sounds to me you're offering "NIMBY", which has nothing to do with race, as an alternative theory to counter the parent's point that it's actually racism, which is extremely well documented and not legitimately contested, and has been going on for a lot longer than a century. Are you literally saying people don't want swimming pools in their back yards? Really??! That's news to me. Or is it actually that they don't want black people in their public swimming pools? That's not what "NIMBY" means, but mutually exclusively exactly what "racism" means. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY
sologoub 3y ago
Before it was demolished, had the chance to swim in the Moskva pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moskva_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moskva_Pool At 6,7m gallons (25k cubic meters) volume it was a bit larger and freshwater. The big deal about it was that it was used year round in Moscow. It was quite the experience to swim in it in the winter at -15C. -20C was the official operating limit.

lobochrome 3y ago

We had a 120m x 50m public pool around as a kid. It was fantastic, more like swimming in a lake. It got replaced by two stainless steel contraptions (one regular 50m pool and one "play pool"). The play pool has many features that are supposed to be "fun" for kids. But I remember the thrill of swimming to the centre of the pool and being away from everything. It felt like a real achievement and a little unsafe but in a good way. I suppose it wasn't easy to maintain and not as "safe".

gonzofish 3y ago

That was my first thought ok. I thought I was looking at the reflecting pool at the Washington monument or something. I’m completely in awe of the size of that pool. It actually is closer to the reflecting pool than an Olympic pool - Olympic pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic-size_swimming_pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic-size_swimming_pool - Reflecting pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_... - Fleishhacker pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool

ojbyrne 3y ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool 300x50 meters.

rr808 3y ago
6.5 million gallons of heated sea water. No wonder it couldn't keep running.
- bandergirl 3y ago
  They could have just stuck a nuclear reactor in it. Two problems solved.
  - pro-kythera 3y ago
    Don't go too close to those spent fuel rods on the deep end.
    - lionkor 3y ago
      Its fine just wear a lead jacket while swimming on that end
      - bboygravity 3y ago
        Because the water doesn't block the radiation? uhm?
    - waterpowder 3y ago
      Obligatory xkcd: https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/
pengaru 3y ago
Sutro Baths was just north at the end of Ocean Beach, but half as long: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths It's a bummer there's nothing like these places there today.
- 1024core 3y ago
  There are the casting pools in GGP, which are quite large, and (given the few people who use them for casting) could be converted into swimming pools.
- wilsynet 3y ago
  It’s a two hour plane ride away, but there’s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Pool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Pool
  - pengaru 3y ago
    Nobody should be boarding a plane to swim in a pool somewhere else.

daggersandscars 3y ago

The original Broad Ripple Park (Indianapolis) Pool was the "largest in the world" at one point (250' x 500'). I knew people who swam in it, but it had been turned into basketball courts by the time I saw the former pool. Shortly after that, it was removed. The US swimming Olympic tryouts were held there in 1924 and 1952. https://indyencyclopedia.org/broad-ripple-park/ https://indyencyclopedia.org/broad-ripple-park/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifFaKeimuA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifFaKeimuA

r00fus 3y ago

What’s really interesting/sad is there used to be tons of really large pools created as part of depression era recovery act public works programs. Then later, when equal rights law allowed non-whites to use the pools equally, cities and communities closed the pools and filled them up instead of allowing integration. https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893972/why-arent-there-more-public-pools-in-california https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893972/why-arent-there-mor...

teaearlgraycold 3y ago
NIMBYism has been ruining America for a century.
- DonHopkins 3y ago
  The term you're looking for is "racism", and it's been ruining America for a lot longer than a century, and it still is, in fact it's on a resurgence, as we all well know (but some try to deny).
  - teaearlgraycold 3y ago
    The terms aren’t mutually exclusive
    - DonHopkins 3y ago
      Calling blatant racism "NIMBY" is whitewashing. And "for a century" is historically incorrect and revisionist, if you were actually talking about racism, which I don't believe you were. What was the real point you were trying to make? It sounds to me you're offering "NIMBY", which has nothing to do with race, as an alternative theory to counter the parent's point that it's actually racism, which is extremely well documented and not legitimately contested, and has been going on for a lot longer than a century. Are you literally saying people don't want swimming pools in their back yards? Really??! That's news to me. Or is it actually that they don't want black people in their public swimming pools? That's not what "NIMBY" means, but mutually exclusively exactly what "racism" means. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY

sologoub 3y ago

Before it was demolished, had the chance to swim in the Moskva pool: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moskva_Pool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moskva_Pool At 6,7m gallons (25k cubic meters) volume it was a bit larger and freshwater. The big deal about it was that it was used year round in Moscow. It was quite the experience to swim in it in the winter at -15C. -20C was the official operating limit.