By Kali Morgan, Summer 2024
Mander Pool is at 2140 N. 33rd St., 19121.
Phone: (215) 685-3894
Mander Playground Facebook
Rectangular pool
Max depth: 5 feet
Stairway with railings!
Wheelchair lift (with bum battery in Summer 2024)
Belongings (except towels) must be kept outside of pool deck during free swim
JULY 17, 2024 – Update
I went back with my friends Merri Beth Rich and Jenny Glover for an awesome aqua fitness class today at noon. Unlike my last visit during free swim, we were allowed to bring our belongings into the pool area. The pool provided water float barbells for the class, which was largely retirees. The class happens Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at noon, and a $1 donation to the playground is requested (but not mandatory) at the gate, which seems reasonable.
There were at least 40 people in the class today, the water was perfect (cool but not cold), and the crowd was super friendly (largely folks over 50 so the three of us fit in). Although they had been working out in previous weeks and knew the routines, the other participants and the instructor helped ensure that I understood the exercises.
I also had a chance to look over the wheelchair lift and restroom/changing facilities, which are separate from the main rec building where I had previously volunteered. The pool building has multi-stall men’s and women’s rooms with accessible stalls. Between the two restrooms is a nice cold water fountain, which really hit the spot after working out.
JULY 8, 2024
This is the first pool I’ve been to that has both stairs and handrails on either side of those stairs.
Probably the last time I was in this pool I was with Heather Nicole and Jess Amber when they were children and there were no swim spots open at Smith Playground. My wife and I had also both been in a few times to cool off over the years.
One thing I always remember about this pool and playground is that every time I’ve gone there has been music playing. Today the music was on quite low from a tiny little wireless speaker on the side of the pool — which is very different from any of this season’s visits where lifeguards have individual earphones to hear what they want and swimmers don’t concern themselves with music except for during aqua fitness classes.
I had previously volunteered at this rec center, and as I recall there were multi-stall gendered restrooms inside of the building.
We were not allowed to bring bags inside, though we were allowed to bring in
our towel, clothes and shoes. There were bikes, strollers and bags lined up outside of the pool area but nothing to prevent them from bringing taken, so pack light if you are concerned. Some of the pools I went to as a kid had a similar rule, I suppose to deter people from hiding others’ belongings in their bags when they leave. (In spite of the “no bags” rule, our towels and shoes got swiped on multiple occasions when we were kids, so I was relieved as an adult that these rules often do not seem to apply, at least not during adult swim or Aqua Zumba).
Accessibility: There are stairs with railings! Praises be! While we were there, someone in the pool had left their prosthetics next to the stairs, and there was a parked wheelchair next to the entrance.
According to the rec center website, there might be a lift for wheelchair-bound persons, and it is there! But the battery was bad…
Swimming Philadelphia 