Fitzroy Swimming Pool

I have to say, my favourite thing about the Fitzroy pool is the anti-​hipster propaganda signs that state that no one may enter the pool wearing cut-​off denim shorts. LOL. Actually, wasn’t so funny when I turned up wearing cut-​off denim shorts…
In summer, the Fitzroy pool is like a tropical oasis — the water: blue and fine.
My only beef with the Fitzroy pool is the dank and swampy grassed section at the back (behind the kids pool), which would be so nice to spread out and sun bake if only they could lay down some new grass that isn’t 50% bindies.

My favorite time here, as echoed by the others, is when you can go without the crowds.
Weekdays, when the sun comes out, and you have a book or two to read… that’s when this place shines!
The design is just beautiful. The pool is so clean, as are the facilities. There’s covered and uncovered spots to grab a seat and just relax.
When it’s busy, it’s cute to see-​and-​be-​seen, but that’s by the end of the summer when I got a tan and haven’t eaten in months but not just yet…

How lucky we are to have access to such a pool so close to the city. This is a 50 metre outdoor pool that provides for the littlies as well with separate a kiddie pool. There are spacious surroundings with a lot of lounging area, although there is a distinct lack of grass. The pool is mostly clean and chlorine levels are well maintained.
The spa is large enough for eight and it can get busy in the sauna and steam room. Lap swimmers mostly use the pool year round (thanks to the solar heating, this is easily possible in winter too), but in the warmer months hoards of people flock the pool, especially on weekends. On Sunday afternoons in summer, live bands play and the party atmosphere is contagious. Open since 1908, there are numerous photos and plaques to provide some history. Also there are huge cautions in Italian, to remind you of the history of Fitzroy.

I’d never been to a trendy pool before I arrived in Melbourne, a pool known for being largely comprised of children’s piss? Sure. A pool famous for its hot chips? Oh yes. Yes please. A pool notorious for having razor blades jammed in its waterslides? Absolutely. And by the way, South Auckland I’m talking to you. But a trendy pool? This I had to see.
For a visit to the Fitzroy Swimming Pool during summer is like no other. A beautifully retro pool originally built in 1908 and saved from closure in the nineties by its vociferously loyal locals, the Fitzroy Pool is where you NEED to go if a) you’re on the pull, b) you’re into ogling beautiful bodies or c) you really, really like to show off.
That said, being happily ensconsed myself — ergo absolutely not on the aquatic, terra firma, or any kind of pull — and being more likely to be found in a burkini than a bikini; if, like me, you go to the pool to cool off rather than to show off you can still enjoy the Fitzroy Pool.
On Sundays, the Fitzroy Pool plays host to DJs — yes, DJs — which, granted, I’ve avoided like the plague. Hipsters in bikinis I can handle. Hipsters in bikinis with bodies so taught they don’t mind dancing with nary a piece of clothing in sight? You’lll find me at the pub tucking into a roast.
Hatred for the beautiful people aside, Fitzroy Swimming Pool really is the bee’s knees. There is a sauna and steam room — where I’ve seen the occasional American Indian looking fellow having a mistily transcendent experience — and even a spa pool which are all invaluable during the cooler months.
And for those that care about looking good at the pool there’s even an adjoining gym. Truly something for everybody. What’s not to like?!

The Fitzroy pool does earn its rep as the northside’s ‘hipster pool’. In summer it’s tatts and Ray-​Bans through the stands and there are occasionally DJs spinning soul and funk on Sundays. It was even mentioned in Monkey Grip for chrissakes.
BUT for those who frequent the pool all year round and actually, you know, swim laps, it’s also one of the better 50m pools around and home to a friendly local swimming community. Generally the people here know their lane etiquette, which is so important to a good lap pool, and before the Lorne Pier To Pub the atmosphere becomes really encouraging and excited.
There’s also an upstairs gym, a sauna, steam room, spa and multiple classes, including yoga. The change rooms could sometimes be a little cleaner, but there are new stainless steel basins and new mats in the Men’s so it seems like they’re really trying to tidy things up.

When the doc told me my back was fucked, I thought ‘Noooooooooooo, years of pain and suffering’. Though I wasn’t necessarily wrong, what I found was that swimming laps and spending a good deal of time dangling from the lane ropes acts as a release like no other. Hence my love affair with public swimming pools began.
Through geography, Fitzroy Pool became my local. And I gotta tell you, there’s a lot to like. Firsty, the place is a clean, 50 metre outdoor pool — these elements are crucial to enjoyment. The staff are aloof but the prices are pretty good, especially for concession multi-​pass tickets (25 swims for well under $ 50 = WIN!). The change rooms are spacious and generally pretty clean, though there is, like any public space that facilitates nudity, an unsavoury element of leering men just hangin’ (literally) in the change rooms.
Negatives are the overt poseury of many pool patrons and the inevitable verrucas that stem from shared, damp spaces. They’re easily overcome by the serenity of the swim however. Just let the dappled sun dance through the clear water as you cut your way to the other end.
Hot tip: avoid the fast lanes as they’re inevitably frequented by fuckheads in flippers who have something to prove. Equally, winter is far better than summer due to lack of crowds and heated water.

I don’t really think you can go too wrong with pools. If it is hot sunny then any sort of water is worth a dip into. However, the Fitzroy pools are particularly special with their history and location. There is a lot of room to chill pool side as well as a sauna, spa and steam room for those colder days.
On warmer days it can get very busy. So if you want to swim lengths I strongly suggest avoiding the hot sunny days (especially weekends). It is heated so is actually quite nice to swim in during winter months after the initial cold run to get into the pool.
It’s opening hours are Mon-​Thur 6am-​9pm, Fri 6am-​8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-​6pm. It also has a little kids paddling pool for the whole family to enjoy.