Which pool to join?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how do these private pools work?

I mean once you manage to join one, what is the culture like? Do families go for a whole Saturday and just hang? I guess you get to know other families? Or are the pools so big that you feel like a stranger?

Are adult beverages allowed?

To answer your question on whether families go and hang out: The pool families can be very cliquey. That may work for you and it may not. Sucks if you are outside of the clique. The cliques at our pool can be very closed off and it is not a friendly atmosphere in general IMHO. Again, it might work for your family though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how do these private pools work?

I mean once you manage to join one, what is the culture like? Do families go for a whole Saturday and just hang? I guess you get to know other families? Or are the pools so big that you feel like a stranger?

Are adult beverages allowed?

Evening is a popular time at our pool. People like to set up shop at a table with a brought dinner or pizza (or other) delivery. Adult beverages definitely allowed. A lot of kids are friends from school or the swim team, and many families know each other and socialize. The board arranges a few social opportunities throughout the summer- all day Fourth of July fun, adults only crab fest, ice cream socials, etc.

The easiest way to get to know other people is to have a kid on the swim team, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Agreed...swim team parents tend to be tight....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how do these private pools work?

I mean once you manage to join one, what is the culture like? Do families go for a whole Saturday and just hang? I guess you get to know other families? Or are the pools so big that you feel like a stranger?

Are adult beverages allowed?

Yes, but no glass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how do these private pools work?

I mean once you manage to join one, what is the culture like? Do families go for a whole Saturday and just hang? I guess you get to know other families? Or are the pools so big that you feel like a stranger?

Are adult beverages allowed?

Evening is a popular time at our pool. People like to set up shop at a table with a brought dinner or pizza (or other) delivery. Adult beverages definitely allowed. A lot of kids are friends from school or the swim team, and many families know each other and socialize. The board arranges a few social opportunities throughout the summer- all day Fourth of July fun, adults only crab fest, ice cream socials, etc.

The easiest way to get to know other people is to have a kid on the swim team, IMO.

The best thing is to join the pool that your friends already go to. Then you just fit in to a ready made group.

[Anonymous]

McLean swim and Tennis is small but really nice and easy. Right next to the high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

What did they do in your area? Just a lot of public pools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Highlands is really nice...it is tucked back in the woods away from any main roads so it kind of gives you a sense of being "away" from everything.

The swim team is division 1 but isn't nearly as intense a program as Chesterbrook, Overlee, or Tuckahoe....it really depends on what you are looking for...

Long time Chesterbrook member here. Highlands is nice, and I would recommend it over Chesterbrook. In my opinion the recent renovation of Chesterbrook ruined the pool. Not only did they not achieve some of their primary goals (which I won't get into) it's hot as the 9 circles of hell now that it's all concrete and most shade trees are gone.

Swim team there is absurd, unfriendly, and crowded. Two of mine were on it as younger (year round) swimmers and both hated it. One switched to diving, which was a lot more fun.


THeir biggest advantage is that they have two big pools compared to most clubs' one. (not including kiddie pool)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

at this point they reflect the people in their neighborhoods who want to join. At our pool, some houses are deaded with memberships, but everyone is on a wait list and it goes in chronological order. Membership is restricted to the zip code the pool is located in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

This whole area is very (self) segregated, frankly. Nothing to do with the pools. We're members at Chesterbrook, live in the Langley district, actually closer to Langley pool. Handful of other AA families around us, but not many. More South and East Asians. We don't have any issues with it, and we do know the history of the pools. (DH's family is originally from DC/NoVA)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

at this point they reflect the people in their neighborhoods who want to join. At our pool, some houses are deaded with memberships, but everyone is on a wait list and it goes in chronological order. Membership is restricted to the zip code the pool is located in

Not in Fairfax County. Where are you?

[Anonymous]

I regret not joining Tuckahoe - the initial fee really turned us off but if we had joined 5 years ago, it would have made up for itself in gym costs alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

at this point they reflect the people in their neighborhoods who want to join. At our pool, some houses are deaded with memberships, but everyone is on a wait list and it goes in chronological order. Membership is restricted to the zip code the pool is located in

Not in Fairfax County. Where are you?

Eastern Fairfax

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there so few public pools in VA?

There’s a terrible history of white people creating private pools so that they could exclude Black folks from swimming. Here’s just one article about the phenomenon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/10/americas-swimming-pools-have-a-long-sad-racist-history/

And that pretty much continues with the private pools...

I’m a white person who lives here but is from another area. The private pools feel very segregationist to me (still).

This whole area is very (self) segregated, frankly. Nothing to do with the pools. We're members at Chesterbrook, live in the Langley district, actually closer to Langley pool. Handful of other AA families around us, but not many. More South and East Asians. We don't have any issues with it, and we do know the history of the pools. (DH's family is originally from DC/NoVA)

I have to agree with this. The pools mentioned in this thread are largely not located in diverse areas. The membership process itself is not discriminatory (join a waitlist, become a member by paying the fee when your number is up, sight unseen), unless you view the large fee itself as discriminatory.