We have great news for any Hoboken residents who have been eyeing the Weehawken pool + keeping track of the ongoing exclusivity debate: after a long battle, Weehawken has officially opened up its pool to non-residents — which includes Hobokenites. Despite talk of adding one, Hoboken does not currently have a community pool — leaving the City Council to come up with alternatives for residents. This summer, the pool at Stevens Institute of Technology officially opened to Hoboken residents in an effort to provide locals with swimming options.
Last year, when Weehawken opened a spectacular pool complex complete with a water slide and amazing views of the NYC skyline, its strict no-outsider rule angered and frustrated many. A year later, criticism has mounted both locally and at a state level. Critics were quick to condemn Weehawken for creating an exclusive pool environment after having partially used state funds provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Acres Program. Now, as of August 3rd, Weehawken has decided to open its pool to non-residents for limited hours. The pool will be open to non-residents between the hours of 9:30AM and 12PM, and everyone from out of town must register beforehand. Read on for what we know about the availability expansion at the Weehawken pool, located at the Waterfront Park and Recreation Center at 1 Port Imperial Boulevard.
Background
Weehawken’s municipal swimming pool opened up in the summer of 2021 after battling three years of attempted planning and unexpected delays, per NJ.com. With gorgeous views of the NYC skyline, a water slide, a lap pool, splash pads, and more, this $10.5 million complex was quickly the envy of non-Weehawken residents — mainly because it was closed to everyone outside of Weehawken, even if you were friends with or related to someone who lives in Weehawken.
Read More: Public Pools in North Jersey to Keep You Cool this Summer
This news was particularly challenging for Hoboken residents, as Hoboken still does not have a community pool.
Come this summer, many started calling on Weehawken to open up its pool to non-residents. The conversation escalated when the state got involved. The pool had been built using some state funding provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Acres Program, and back in June, the DEP claimed it wasn’t right for Weehawken to restrict membership after having used state funding. The DEP was so steadfast that it even withheld $4 million in Green Acres funds for ongoing projects at the Waterfront Park until Weehawken opened its membership to non-residents, per TapInto.
Despite these efforts, throughout July, the pool remained exclusive — that is, until August.
The Pool Opens to Non-Residents
In a Nixle alert on August 3rd, the City of Hoboken announced that Weehawken has officially started permitting out-of-town residents to use the outdoor pool — though only for limited hours. The pool will be open to non-residents between the hours of 9:30AM and 12PM. Anyone from out of town who would like to use the pool must register beforehand. The Nixle alert also said that attendance will be limited due to Weehawken’s COVID-19 protocols, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
See More: Shake Shack, Cinnabon, + More are Coming to Newport Mall
For more information, you can call the Township of Weehawken’s Recreation office at (201) 319-6061.
Stay in the know with @thehobokengirl on Instagram and TikTok.
