The Palisades Swim Club

     It is to the eternal shame of Orangetown that it does not have an outdoor municipal pool.  For those residents who do not want or cannot have a pool of their own, there is nowhere local to go, as even the pool at Tallman State Park is closed.  When I was a kid, my buddies and I spend long summer days at the municipal pool in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, along with about a thousand other kids and adults.  We thought we were in hog heaven.  For many years now, my wife and I have been members of the Palisades Swim Club, located on Route 9W in Palisades.  Originally open only to residents of Palisades and Tappan, it now is open to all who apply for membership.  One thing that hasn't changed over the years is its essentially  low-key nature.  One large pool, one kiddie pool, two tennis courts, a snack bar and bath house, and that's it.  No frou frou, but who needs anything more than a cool dip on a ridiculously hot summer day?