About Town: Swimming in the Neighbor's Pool

Generation after generation, there are some things that you can always count on every summer in Fort Lee: Norm’s Ice Cream Truck, Hiram’s al fresco, and people wishing Fort Lee had a community pool.

Well, this year, our neighbor in Leonia heard our call and has opened its pool memberships to us. True, Palisade Park Swim Club has been a mainstay for many Fort Lee families for many years, but it can get extremely crowded since it has day rates, and often there is no parking or you get ticketed when you do find a spot. (Let's just say we were burned, but not from the sun.)

In searching area swim clubs, we were invited by Barbara Davidson, Director of the Leonia Recreation Department and Manager of the Leonia Swim Club, to come and visit the Leonia Swim Club while she and her staff readied the club for Friday’s big opening. So with camera in hand, off we went.

Located off Grand Avenue, just north of the historic Civil Hall Drill Hall, the club lies at the bottom of a small tree-lined hill. Almost immediately you feel like you’ve entered a country club—it’s that well-maintained and pristine. The club has one large pool that runs the length of the club and has lap lanes, a diving board and a slide. A white fence separates the pool area from the lounge area where there are rows of white lounge chairs on the grass that guests are invited to use so you don’t have to lug your own.

The kiddie pool is contained in a gated area that also contains a shaded area. The pool also has an overhead spray and two playhouses to entertain the kids when they’re not splashing in the water. It also has its own separate bathroom with a changing table within the gated area so you don’t have to go far.

The Swim Club has dressing rooms and showers for both men and women, and a snack bar that offers pizza, hot dogs, burgers, fries, ice cream, chips and so much more. Every half-hour there’s arts & crafts for different age groups, and there is a shaded table tennis area. The highlight of the summer season is when the pool hosts “Family Float Night.” On those designated evenings families are invited to bring rafts and floats and swim under the stars.

Perhaps best of all, the club offers group swim lessons that are ridiculously affordable. The lessons are taught by highly trained life guards and cost $20 for 8 half-hour sessions. You heard that right--$20 for 8 lessons!  They also have a swim team that competes with the swim teams of other swim clubs throughout the summer.

Membership cost is based on the number of people in your family and is as follows:

• 2 family members: $455
• 3 family members: $560
• 4 family members: $640
• 5 family members and more: $675

You can register at the Leonia Recreation Center, 370 Broad Avenue, Leonia, 201-592-5783.  Master Card and Visa are accepted, or you can pay by cash or check.

So if you don’t live in an apartment building or house that has a pool, and pool hopping at the Meds or Horizon House doesn't seem as fun as it did in 1976, why not consider joining the Leonia Swim Club? It’s a vacation that’s so close to home.

The Leonia Swim Club is located at Moore and Grand Avenue in Leonia