Washington Park Lakehouse, Albany, NY
Plus, the Washington Park Lakehouse is obviously perfect to house a concession stand or changing rooms for swimmers/iceskaters.
I can only assume that it used to be used for both purposes, and I guess I’m not sure why it hasn’t been brought back. I understand that there’s probably a liability factor and insurance issues to sort out, but it seems like it would be so easy to rope off a swimming area and clean off some ice to skate on in the winter months. right?
AND, I think it would bring a really nice community aspect to an already near perfect park. Even if there was a small admission to swim in the pond or skate on it, I think it would be worth it and really popular. (doesn’t the idea of going ice skating on a Friday night with your love interest sound really nICE? nICE. hahahahahahaha.)
What do you think.
I’m it isn’t already being allowed.
But in this cold, my love interest and I are thinking more along the lines of going to Cafe Lena in Saratoga for 70′s night.
However, I absolutely love taco’s and ever since you mentioned the taco bar and other things taco related :-) .. I wonder if we should go there sometime soon. But where is there? in Albany near what?
And how many extra work-outs would I have to do after?
Yes–I totally agree–ice skating in the park sounds awesome! Buckingham Pond is fun, but a less central location. Swimming though? Hmmm….I’ve smelled my dog after a swim in the lake and I can’t say I’d be too inclined. Speaking of skating…anyone know a good place to pick up a pair of used skates?
I remember a long time ago when I was in elementary school people used to ice skate on the pond. Not sure why or when it stopped though. I wouldn’t want to ever swim in it though. I think Washington Park was built over a cemetary and I’ve heard stories (myths, rumors) about things being found in the pond.
Does it freeze over well enough to skate on it?
I’ve ice skated there before. It used to be shoveled off with signs that said skate at your own risk. It was only about 6 years ago… Ahh the memories
I haven’t ice skated in years!! Need to bust out my skates!
Skating is a great idea- but swimming?? Holy hell- have you seen the toxic waste that pond turns in to around August???
While we’re at it, why can’t Albany afford to open up the Empire Plaza rink? That was a popular place to skate!
Jen, Play It Again Sports is usually a good place to get used skates, but they tend to have limited stock this late in the season. Goldstock’s has the best selection of good ice skates in the Capital Region.
skating would be beautiful on the pond, especially if the play house was lit up with a little hot chocolate booth. However, I have to agree with the others who have smelled their dogs after coming out of the pond. I use to let my dog swim in the pond and would just throw him in the tub when I got home to get rid of the funky smell. That lasted until I found a hypodermic needle stuck in the mud and then a person sadly dumped a dead fighting pit bull in to the water.
use to skate on it….skates are on the porch….let’s go.
Bert
I would love to skate on the pond. Swimming on the other hand, no way. It’s too dirty. The Empire State plaza ice rink is the perfect place to skate, with a view of the Egg, capital, plaza, Christmas tree, and music. Too bad they closed it. I read that it costs approximately $150,000 to keep open and operate. They should charge people to skate on it and ask for volunteers to work. I would volunteer to sit in the booth and play music while people skate. I remember someone played Led Zepplin one year while my friend, Jen and I skated. It was great. It is state owned property so it is up to OGS, and the governor maybe? Washington Park is owned by the city, correct? There used to be signs posted that said “no skating” near the pond. Not sure if they are up this year.
#11 – Actually the signs said, “stay off the ice or keep off the ice”.
I would also propose that the interior streets in the park be closed on spring/summer weekends as they do in many of the NYC parks. Walking, running, biking, blading, boarding, are all death defying acts in WP. It will pay for itself, Mayor JJ, just think of the extra revenue from vending permits, parking tickets and boots!
Would you really want to swim in that?? I wouldn’t! Ice skating though – that sounds fun!! I’m thinking they don’t allow it for liability reasons
There used to be skating on the lake until about 10 years ago. The city would post signs saying whether it was safe or unsafe to skate. It seems over time it became unsafe more often than not. Swimming? Yechhh! You would probably sink from the weight of the algae on you. Every lawn chemical used in the city ends up in that pond.
I love the Lakehouse! I wish it was put to better use.
@13
Obviously you’ve never lived near the park. Eliminating those parking spots in the summer would make an already nightmarish parking situation unbearable.
It’s bad enough when you have to move your cars for all the summertime races; having to completely remove them every weekend would force everyone out of Center Square.
Love ice skating, that would be really nice :)
I just spoke with Nick D’Antonio, commissioner of Albany’s Department of General Services, which has authority over Washington Park, the lake and the lakehouse. The staff regularly measures ice on the lake. When the ice is thicker than 7 inches — a depth judged sturdy enough to support multiple people — the department permits walking or skating on the lake, at your risk. “We don’t promote it or maintain it, but we won’t chase people off,” D’Antonio tells me. When the ice is thinner than 7 inches, signs go up warning people to stay off.
Any official sanction and promotion of the lake as a skating destination obviously would require expensive maintenance, staffing and liability insurance.
@zack
I used to live on Madison and took the parking “nightmare” in stride as one of the costs associated with the benifits of living downtown. Certainly a PIA, but a reality of city living. If it can be done for races and special events, AND it can be done in NYC, I think it’s worth looking into.
@vdub & @zack -
I spoke to the mayor about closing the park to vehicular travel on weekends years ago and he gave a completely lame answer about “emergency traffic.” I understand that ambulances and other emergency vehicles may need to cut through the park to get to Albany Med, but, most people would move out of the way of an emergency vehicle, wouldn’t they? Somehow they manage to do this in NYC where they have millions and millions of people – couldn’t we figure it in a city of less than 100,000? Summer weekends, when students are out of session and many residents are away, there is usually plenty of parking anyway. As far as the Lakehouse goes, we had our wedding in Washington Park and I would have loved to have had my reception in the Lakehouse, but it wasn’t an option. What an incredible waste of a potentially lucrative, beautiful space.
Steve you took this post very seriously. Is it 7 inches now or what? haha
Does anyone ever go to Swinburne Park to skate? I have been there in years but it used to be fun. And I too love the Lakehouse,so many possiblities….
I am so glad I stumbled across this site – I have spent literally hours trying to find out what you folks have just informed me – that is if skating was ever allowed on Washington Park Lake. I am working on my grandfather’s diary and when he stayed in Albany in January 1903 he talks about going to the park and skating. He doesn’t say which park either, so that took long enough working out how many parks were there in Albany in 1903 and where could you skate… so thanks for having this conversation, I was more pleased than you can imagine to find it:-)
I lived on Madison for a few years and ONCE, about two winters ago, a big square in the middle of the pond was shoveled off (I assume for skating). I didn’t get a chance to try it out, but it looked like great skating.
That is a beautiful venue for all sorts of things; but I never knew about the skating part. I don’t think it gets that cold for that long of a period of time to really freeze that well.
@Edna: Kim M and her kids were skating (about a month ago) at Swinburn Park; the only place I ever skated as a kid.
I along with many others learned to skate and play hockey on both WP and Buckingham ponds. I dont think we are at 7 inches this week but not sure. In order to skate the area needs to be cleared and maintained a bit. I remember the city truck plowing Buckingham pond for us (that was a great way to test the ice) but I never noticed WP being plowed. We would just show up and play. I think we need a group to shovel the pond in order to skate.
Reasons why I would never swim in Washington park pond:
#1. Hobo Urine
That is all.
Didn’t Washington Park have paddle boats you could rent during the summer? This was probably over 20 years ago, so it could be just some made-up childhood memory of mine. I’d never swim in there, but ice skating or paddle boats in the summer would be nice.
I love the idea of skating not the idea of swimming. I moved up to Albany the summer before they stopped the free ice skating in the plaza.
FYI, I drove by on Saturday and there were people out on the lake playing hockey.
You can Skate on Washington Park Pond now – there are signs up – skate at your own risk. I went ice skating today. It was beautiful. Spread the word. Ice Skating is allowed when the signs are up saying you can skate.