Aquatics
We are devoted to creating a welcoming family environment. Our full 25-yard, 4-lane pool is kept at a warm 88 degrees, creating the perfect atmosphere for our swimming lessons and Family Swim. Our family-friendly locker rooms offer infant changing stations and individual private changing stalls.
Infant, Toddler & Pre-K
In addition to our Infant, Toddler and Pre-K swim classes, we offer Family Swim sessions every day of the week as part of our Family Membership. For young children we encourage a combination of structured swimming classes and play time in the water, and consistent exposure to the water leads to happy, successful swimmers.
Bubble Babies
This drop-in class helps our newest little swimmers become comfortable in and around the water. Songs and games introduce beginner swim skills (such as kicking, splashing, and blowing bubbles) and create a fun, positive experience for young children in the pool. For baby and their adult.
Bubble Babies classes are drop-in and FREE for Center Family Members.
Water Otters
Water Otters offers the same drop-in fun as Bubble Babies, catered towards an older age group. Come splash and sing your way towards learning basic swim and safety skills! For children aged 18 months -2.5 years and their adult.
Water Otters classes are drop-in and FREE for Center Family Members.
Begin2Swim Program
These registration-based beginner swim lessons offer more personal instruction and a progressive curriculum for children who are ready to take the plunge! Children learn safety skills, breath control, proper body position, and basic arm and leg movements. Through a more structured class setting, swimmers begin to independently follow the lead of the instructor. After completion of the Begin2Swim program, swimmers may be ready to move up to the first level of our Pre-K Swim Lessons.
Pre-K Swim Lessons
Our small-group lessons promote safety, fun, and friendship. We love incorporating a social aspect into swimming - an activity that is often thought of as an individual sport. The result is an environment where children encourage, support, and learn from one another (and simply have a blast swimming!)
Our Pre-K classes have only 3-4 children per instructor, and swimmers are placed into groups based on age and ability.
Week-Long Booster Sessions
Our week-long Booster Sessions are offered during the Summer months and select school breaks. Swimmers attend every day of the scheduled session for an hour each day. This consists of a 30-40 minute structured swim lesson, followed by 20-30 minutes of free swim, games, and play with the instructor - creating a fun, camp-like experience for your child, with lots and lots of skill practice!
Booster Sessions are offered for ages 3 and up. Visit our registration page to sign up!
Private Lessons
Private swim lessons are offered to Center Members of all ages, although we typically recommend swimmers have a parent/guardian participate with them in the water until age 3. Private lessons will cover the same curriculum as our group classes, but are recommended for children with special needs or who may be more successful with one-on-one instruction rather than in a group setting.
Contact our Aquatics office (swim@manhattanyouth.org) for additional information.
Pool Pals
For children under 5, we offer our Pool Pals program. Pool Pals allows your child to safely have fun in the water, while you stay dry! Pool Pals sessions are not swim lessons—they are unstructured one-on-one play sessions during which our swim staff provide individual support, supervision, and interaction with your child while encouraging fun in the water.
Family Swim
Family Swim hours are offered every day at the Center. Have fun with family, meet new friends, and reinforce swim skills. See our schedule for current Member hours.
Youth & After-School
Our small-group lessons promote safety, fun, and friendship. We love incorporating a social aspect into swimming - an activity that is often thought of as an individual sport. The result is an environment where children encourage, support, and learn from one another (and simply have a blast swimming!)
Youth Swim Lessons
Our small-group lessons promote safety, fun, and friendship. We love incorporating a social aspect into swimming - an activity that is often thought of as an individual sport. The result is an environment where children encourage, support, and learn from one another (and simply have a blast swimming!)
Children are placed into classes by age and ability and class size for this age is limited to 3-6 children per instructor (depending on the skill level of the swimmers.)
We offer classes for all swimming levels - from the inexperienced to the most advanced swimmers. Registration is based on a semester schedule, and we accept rolling registration based on availability. Visit our registration page for more details.
After-School Swim Lessons
We are proud to additionally offer our Youth Swim Lessons through our After-School Programs at PS 89, PS 234, PS 150, PS 276, PS 343, and PS 397. Children receive the same instruction and swim experience as our Youth classes during their assigned swim block, in addition to pick-up directly from their classrooms at school dismissal, snack, transportation to the Community Center, and childcare activities provided by our wonderful After-School counselors and directors.
To find out more on our After-School programs, please click here.
Please note that swim offerings and schedules vary by school.
Week-Long Booster Sessions
Our week-long Booster Sessions are offered during the Summer months and select school breaks. Swimmers attend every day of the scheduled session for an hour each day. This consists of a 30-40 minute structured swim lesson, followed by 20-30 minutes of free swim, games, and play with the instructor - creating a fun, camp-like experience for your child, with lots and lots of skill practice!
Visit our registration page to sign up!
Tritons Swim Team
Our Tritons Swim Team offers advanced swimmers the opportunity to gain increased endurance, improve fitness and self-confidence, refine their stroke technique, and learn competitive skills and sportsmanship. Our goal is not strictly to develop fast swimmers. Our goal is to develop great student-athletes and well-rounded young adults, who can balance schoolwork, practices, and a variety of other activities - all with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, respect for themselves and others, and support from their team, coaches, and parents.
Enrollment in the Tritons Swim Team requires an evaluation with one of our coaches. Swimmers choose their own practice schedules, between 2-4 days per week.
For more information, please email tritons@manhattanyouth.org
Intro to Water Sports
Intro to Water Sports is a registration-based program offering swimmers grades 3rd-6th the opportunity to explore new, fun, and challenging ways to enjoy the water. Each month-long mini-session will introduce swimmers to a new Water Sport including Water Polo, Synchronised Swimming, Snorkeling, and more!
Participants must be in able to effectively demonstrate 25 yards freestyle and feel comfortable treading water for an extended period of time. All Intro to Water Sports sessions will be taught primarily in the deep section of our pool.
For more information, call 212-766-1104 x298 or email swim@manhattanyouth.org
Middle & High School
Our Middle and High School swim programs are geared specifically towards adolescent swimmers. Whether new to swimming or an accomplished team swimmer, we offer a class or program for everyone!
Teen Swim Lessons
It's important for our Middle and High-School aged swimmers to feel confident about participating in a swim class. Our Swim Instructors for these classes have years of experience working with Middle and High School students in camp, classroom, and aquatics settings. Classes of all abilities are offered, from beginner to advanced.
Tritons Swim Team
Our Tritons Swim Team offers advanced swimmers the opportunity to gain increased endurance, improve fitness and self-confidence, refine their stroke technique, and learn competitive skills and sportsmanship. Our goal is not strictly to develop fast swimmers. Our goal is to develop great student-athletes and well-rounded young adults, who can balance schoolwork, practices, and a variety of other activities - all with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, respect for themselves and others, and support from their team, coaches, and parents.
Enrollment in the Tritons Swim Team requires an evaluation with one of our coaches. Swimmers choose their own practice schedules, between 2-4 days per week.
For more information, please email tritons@manhattanyouth.org
Intro to Water Sports
Intro to Water Sports is a registration-based program offering swimmers grades 3rd-6th the opportunity to explore new, fun, and challenging ways to enjoy the water. Each month-long mini-session will introduce swimmers to a new Water Sport including Water Polo, Synchronised Swimming, Snorkeling, and more!
Participants must be in able to effectively demonstrate 25 yards freestyle and feel comfortable treading water for an extended period of time. All Intro to Water Sports sessions will be taught primarily in the deep section of our pool.
For more information, call 212-766-1104 x298 or email swim@manhattanyouth.org
Adult Aquatics
The Downtown Community Center strives to promote continuing active lifestyles through our Adult Aquatics Programs. We offer both open swim sessions and various swim classes for all abilities. All Adult Aquatics classes are included in Center Membership.
Contact our Aquatics office at 212-766-1104 x298 or e-mail for additional information.
Adult Lap Swim
During designated hours, lanes are reserved specifically for Adult Lap Swimming. Please note that we can only guarantee lanes during these specified times - lanes cannot be guaranteed during other Family Swim hours.
Adult Beginner and Intermediate Swim Classes
These drop-in, Members-Only classes are great for Adults who have fears of the water, are new to swimming, or want to learn proper strokes and breathing enabling them to swim for longer distances. Our swim instructors for these classes are trained specifically to teach adults beginner and intermediate swimming skills. These classes take place at the same time in the pool, but we offer two groups each week based on skill level so we can be sure to offer the most appropriate level of instruction for each individual.
Adult Advanced Swim Training
These drop-in, Members-only Adult classes are designed to help advanced swimmers improve their speed and swimming endurance (in our Fitness/Endurance class) or learn new strokes and refine their stroke technique (in our Technique class). Join our Swim Team coach and advanced-level instructors for weekly sessions, customized for the participants of each particular class. Our experienced instructors will help you achieve your swimming goals.
Glide Fit @ The Downtown Community Center
This high-energy aquatic fitness class will give you an intense workout on top of an unstable surface in the water on our Glidefit boards. You’ll be introduced to stretches and exercises to build strength from head to toe while you raise your heart rate in a fun new way.
Classes are FREE for Center Members or available to non-members for a fee.
Questions? Email swim@manhattanyouth.org or call 212-766-1104 x298
Adult Private Lessons
Our Adult Private lessons can be adapted to the individual needs and specific goals of each swimmer. They are offered only to Center Members.
Contact our Aquatics office at 212-766-1104 x298 or e-mail swim@manhattanyouth.org for additional information.
Senior Aquatics
The Downtown Community Center is proud to offer a free Senior Aquatics program for community residents ages 65+. We offer both open swim sessions as well as various senior fitness classes and swim lesson clinics. Seniors love our warm water and welcoming staff. To participate in our Senior Swim program please fill out the Senior Swim Application, which can be found here
See our Fall Schedule for current swim and class times.
Contact our Aquatics office at 212-766-1104 x298 or email swim@manhattanyouth.org for additional information!