Harlem Pool, Rec Center Reopen In Time For Summer

EAST HARLEM, NY — A popular recreation center in East Harlem is one of more than a dozen across the city that will reopen on Monday after being closed for months during the pandemic, the city announced.

Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center, on First Avenue near East 112th Street, will welcome back its first visitors since it closed temporarily last March amid the onset of COVID-19.

The recreation center contains an outdoor pool, fitness equipment, locker rooms and outdoor athletic fields.

To minimize crowding, it will only be open initially to people who were active members as of March 2020.

Thomas Jefferson is one of 13 rec centers around the five boroughs that will reopen Monday, followed by two more on June 23.

New precautions will be in place, including reduced capacity and required mask-wearing. Equipment at the rec centers has been rearranged to maintain social distancing and will be cleaned regularly, the city says.

Many rec centers were repurposed during the pandemic to serve as COVID-19 testing and vaccination centers, mask and food distribution hubs, and education and child care centers.

"As our city continues to take great strides in recovering and reopening, we are thrilled to begin the process of reopening our recreation centers for New Yorkers to enjoy," New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement.