The best cure for post-NICU Germ-A-Phobia ("GAP") is a hot summer day in New York City. With 95 degree temperatures your natural inclination is to head to water ... any water. Now some of our citizens have beach homes and others have the stamina to take the train or make the drive to one of our public beaches. If you have neither the real estate nor the sheer mental strength to tackle the commute to a beach, you go to Washington Square ... Fountain. Yup, you let your kid frolic in a giant New York City fountain, which likely has no filtration system, with 50 or so strangers.
But while you pack up your Purell and put away your Clorox wipes, take a look around and you'll see that there are young lovers enjoying the cool fountain (OK, well it is more likely they met two minutes earlier),
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and toddlers (seemingly unaccompanied by adults) enjoying the fountain. The best part of the fountain though is that you can run around endlessly with one of your best friends and never have to worry about wandering into the deep end.
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And history tells us that we are not the first intrepid souls heading into the fountain. The bathing suits have changed and we no longer throw people head long into the 2 foot fountain because we are far more safety conscious (look closely at the old photo below), but the enjoyment is the same.
After cooling off, Washington Square offers an endless parade of entertainment,
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which can serve as inspiration for a certain six year old to try her hand at acrobatics.
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And when it is time to leave the cool water of the fountain, there are always water balloons.... endless water balloons on a hot summer day.
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I <3 NYC!
ReplyDeleteSurely they put chlorine or something in the water to prevent algae growth? Around here, fountains with water that is not safe enough to drink (let alone wade in) all have big warning signs. Of course maybe this area is more concerned with liability issues. Virtually all fountains have big warning signs saying “stay out” or some equivalent also.
ReplyDeleteI love the way your posts capture the things that make your city so special. What wonderful memories your daughter is making!
ReplyDeleteNot to worry, there is a bromine filter at Washington Square Fountain and the city water is chlorinated, so the water is relatively safe, probably no worse than your average lake :)
ReplyDeleteThe power of germs is extremely overrated! Have a ball! Love, Dana
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