Dumpster Pools Create Urban Oases

July 21, 2009— -- Some New York City residents are diving into Dumpsters this summer – but coming up squeaky clean and refreshed.

In the latest twist on staycations, Brooklyn swimmers have been taking refreshing dips in their newly crafted neighborhood Dumpster pools.

The transformation from waste to water was generated by Macro Sea, a New York-based design company looking to expand the concept around the country.

"Right now, we're interested in adapting existing spaces or pieces of real estate into something different," said David Belt, a real estate developer and president of Macro Sea. "With the pool project, we took an empty lot with a lot of junk in it and made it into a country club. And we just happened to use Dumpsters for swimming pools."

He also noted the irony of swimming in a place originally designated for trash.

"In this time we all feel a little like garbage, so swimming in a dumpster just seemed very appealing," said Belt.

Organizers have been trying to keep the location of the pools a secret, which has only added to their appeal. An article about the trend in the design magazine ReadyMade sparked a flurry of Internet commentary.

A recent Dumpster pool party in a rented lot along Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal attracted artists and filmmakers, and made the front page of The Arts section of the New York Times.

The swimming pool project is part of Macro Sea's larger plan for sustainable development, which is to take deserted strip malls and to convert them into parks, concert venues, and other interesting community spots.

"The nation's littered with these empty shopping centers, and they're sadly becoming this country's legacy," said Belt. "We're just looking to take these buildings that were made for a standard purpose and jazz them up a bit. Make them more exciting."

Belt, along with other company founders Alix Feinkind and Jocko Weyland, heard about the idea while looking to buy an abandoned strip mall in Athens, Ga. They thought the concept sounded interesting, so they decided to take it to the next level.