Shipe Pool — Local services in Austin

I always wonder if I'd feel differently about this park if I was a kid again.

This is the park I'd always dreamed of having back then: a neighborhood park I could walk to any time and pay literally nothing and go swimming. Such parks didn't exist where I grew up, they were fantasies just like sidewalks and fire hydrants and single payer health care.

The funny thing about fantasies is that the reality never holds up. While the park is nice, and it's certainly very nice for the cost, it's not somewhere I often want to go. I'm past the point of needing a neighborhood pool and there's nicer places if I just get in the car -- which I'll probably do anyway, because while it's walking distance, it's not that close.

I just see how dated it is and how crowded it is and how it's not a bad park, but it really needs some love and attention. Still, it's a hidden away neighborhood pool and park, so it's very "local". Go if you live in Hyde Park, otherwise, you'll probably find...

Nice pool, but terrible hours for recreational swim if you have kids. The only way to use the pool in the morning is to pay for swim lessons (which looks exactly like recreational swimming), or to be a lap swimmer. No recreational swimming until after noon. To me, this policy is missing the mark. Especially since everyone who is there for the "Swim Lessons" appear to be essentially using the pool for recreational swimming. The number of lifeguards clearly is not the issue either, as I was there in the morning when there were 4 lifeguards, but I think at least two of them were doing swimming lessons. My daughter and I were asked to leave because there were no lifeguards to watch the wading pool. This was mildly annoying to me, and my daughter was upset we could not continue to play and have fun. The lifeguards were polite. The City's Aquatics division was rude when I called for clarification on hours...

This is a nice pool in Hyde Park that has a large Olympic size pool with a lap lane and a kid pool that slopes to a depth of 2ft 6inches. My son loves being able to stand and still jump in and swim under the water. The only downside is there isn’t much space to put your belongings or spread out a blanket and rest. Also the kiddie pool is VERY warm. There is only street parking but there was plenty available Friday afternoon. They also have a shaded playground and swings. The restrooms are right next to the kiddie pool so you don’t have to walk far which is a bonus. Life guards are very attentive and the pool is clean! Overall...