By Kali Morgan, Summer 2024

Piccoli Pool is at 1501 E. Bristol St., 19124.
Phone: 215-685-1249
Piccoli Playground on Facebook

Polygonal L-shaped pool (rectangular with extra shallow/tot area)
Depth: 2 to 5 feet
No lanes or lines
Full sun, temperate water
Ladders for pool entry/exit
Stairs required to enter pool deck from Bristol Street and Castor Ave
Possible stair-free entry to pool deck from playground gate
Dress code relaxed

#MyPhillyPoolTour2024

JULY 20, 2024
I swam here several times between 1976 and 1985, and I do finally remember the pool, though I couldn’t visualize it as I drove from Simpson Pool to here today. This pool is bigger than Simpson, but similar in shape and scope. It was the closest pool for us to walk to from Simpson when that pool was full during free swim, although sometimes there was double disappointment.
The playground is about to be redone, which will make it more accessible – thank goodness, since it is not very accessible at the moment – but I’m thankful to see it before the overhaul happens, and I’m thankful that the playground is open this summer and not shut down like so many in West Philly.
Stairs are required to access the pool from the main gate at Bristol Street and Castor Ave, but there is a back door to the pool that may be accessible via chair, even though they do not have a chair lift in the pool.
It’s an L-shaped pool with a shallow tot section. There are stairs and railings in the shallow part of the pool.
Water temperature was mild. Even with half the pool closed there was still plenty of space to party during this Saturday afternoon free swim.
Staff did not seem to be stressed about the dress code at all. A variety of ages — families, single adults, older kids — were wearing hats and t-shirts.
There are no lap lines painted on the bottom of this pool.
The rec center and toilets are a full block away from the pool entrance, so you might want to stop in before you jump in the pool. Oddly, there was a wheelchair ramp to the men’s room but a step required to get into the women’s room.
The thing I was most thankful for was that the old-school-style sprinkler still had a pool for kids and no dress code, so that kids could sit in the water even if they didn’t have shorts etc. And if the pool got full enough, they could hang out there until the next shift opened.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product of the Piccoli Park makeover in the future. But I hope that the seals at the fountain (which match the seals at Mander’s Pool entry) find good homes and live on!