The Brooklyn Dumpster Pool phenomenon picked up a new head full of steam over the weekend with the Daily News and the New York Post writing about the secret swimming spot on Saturday and The New York Times getting in on the action on Monday. Thankfully, my colleague, Katherine Sharpe and I were able to pin down Jocko Weyland, 1/3 of the Macro-Sea team responsible for the pools' creation, and he agreed to take us for a swim yesterday. Following is a report in short form. Enjoy!

 

The day started in mid-town Manhattan on an appropriately humid day...

 

 

With all the usual mid-town sights and sound...

 

 

that can be fun in the spring and fall but turn unusually oppressive in the summer heat...

 

 

So we decided to get outta mid-town via Grand Central and head downtown for lunch...

 

 

We ended up at Cafe Habana in SoHo. Cafe Habana has always had a cool eco-friendly vibe (check out the Habana Outpost for instance) and on this visit we were particularly interested in their plastic cups made from plants...

 

 

What you're missing in the above photo is the bedlam going on immediately to our right caused by the filming of "Gossip Girl." It was very entertaining to see the stars literally chased through the streets by teenage girls with cameras while blase body-guards kept things under control.

 

 

After lunch we hopped on the F train to head to Brooklyn in search of the now infamous dumpster pools.

 

 

We got off at Carrol Street...

 

 

and since we were early decided to hit up the Gowanus Yacht Club...

 

 

where we quenched our thirst, chatted with the bartenders, Chris and Elana, listened to the Sex Pistols...

 

 

and checked our messages...

 

 

one of which informed me that Jocko would be late picking us up in part due to the fact that Oprah had called the Macro-Sea folks and wanted to talk to them all about the dumpster pools. Who are we to argue with Oprah! So we waited. On the corner we ran into Hannah Tinti of One Story. That was cool!

 

Jocko picked us up with his two friends fresh from skating Owl's Head Skatepark in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and took us to the secret location, which, as you might suspect, considering the pools are made out of dumpsters, looks more like a junk-yard than a country club.

 

 

Which of course is part of their charm. And like in any good junk-yard, if you poke around you'll find some pretty cool things like these doors...

 

 

or this tricked-out out-house.

 

 

But we were here for the pools and they did not disappoint. Hidden around a corner from the entrance, there they were, three beautiful, Macro-Sea constructed...

 

 

crystal clear pools...

 

 

surrounded by a lounge replete with deck chairs...

 

 

and cabanas...

 

 

and a Bocce court.

 

 

Katherine took a dip first and found it quite satisfactory. As I talked to Jocko about the project and his various travels I secretly removed my shoes in preparation for my first dip in the trash bin...

 

With time ticking I excused myself from the conversation and made my way to the pools where many kids were having a great time...

 

 

I approached the water, dipped a toe, and dove in. When I came up for air, Katherine asked, "So, what do you think?" I thought for a quick second and said...

 

 

"It's like a pool, only it's a dumpster, which I really appreciate!" With my time running low, I did a few laps in all three pools, tested my breath holding abilities, did a cannon-ball and exited the pools, ready to proclaim my love for dumpster diving.

 

I dried off, l chatted with Jocko a bit more and got ready to leave. As we were getting ready to hit the subway again, a woman from the neighborhood shyly walked up to Jocko. She explained that she and her husband run a dried fruit company and that if they could come for a swim now and then they'd be the official snack provider for the Brooklyn Dumpster Pools. She left some of her wares for the group to sample and they were delicious. I think a deal had been struck. Then, just as we were saying our goodbyes, the model Erin Wasson rolled up. She wanted to talk to Jocko about doing a fashion show at the pools. I'm not sure if a deal was struck there but regardless, there-in lies the greatness of the dumpster pools. For whatever reason they seem to cut across social and economic boundries and attract people from all walks of life. In the midst of stretches of cooling water everybody's differences vanish for a bit. It seems that Macro-Sea might really be on to something. At least in Brooklyn. At least on hot, humid days.

 

Katherine and I parted ways. She went home to Greenpoint, I headed to mid-town to meet my wife and go to my first ever Yankee game at the new stadium. Our seats in right center field were amazing and though I'm a certified Yankee hater, the fantastic day gave way to a truly magnificent night when Hideki Matsui hit a walk-off home-run in the bottom of the ninth that eluded my grasp by a mere five feet. All was right with the world...

 

 

Afternoon images: Katherine Sharpe

Gossip Girl Image: NY Mag

Hideki Matsui image