Ridgway Pool is at 1301 Carpenter St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147.
Phone: (215) 685-1848
Hawthorne Rec Center Facebook (last updated 2017)

Uniquely curvy pool
Ladders for pool entrance/exit
Single-stall unisex toilet/changing room
Temperate water that is noticeably cooler in the shade
Belongings allowed on pool deck
Adjacent picnic and playground areas

#MyPhillyPoolTour2024
I first noticed this pool when I began working downtown around 2000. When it was open, I would jog from work to this pool, jump in, and then walk back, grabbing lunch on my way back to work. I also came with a group of coworkers once, probably around 2012, which was a lot of fun.
Ridgway Pool is just south of downtown and the Gayborhood, hidden behind CAPA High School. I have often wondered why there are hardly ever queer folks (or adults in general) taking advantage of this partially shaded free pool. Especially since there is a single-stall changing room/toilet that is inside the pool area. But the lack of awareness can be a benefit if you are seeking a quiet oasis from South Philly and Center City.
I had heard reports of freezing water this season, which I have experienced (later in the day, during adult swim) in years past. But today the water was quite, nice though noticeably colder in the shady southern end of the pool. My friend and I were the only two adults in the pool, although one other was laying out on a towel on the pool deck.

The small picnic area outside the pool was bustling with a crowd of older adults playing games. The shady playground was empty (the entrance from Christian Street is permanently locked, which is how I overlooked the pool’s existence for years; you need to enter through the park at 13th and Carpenter).