Asser Levy Public Baths

The Asser Levy Public Baths, also known as the Asser Levy Recreation Center, is a historic public bathhouse and recreation facility at East 23rd Street and Asser Levy Place near the FDR Drive. The facility is one of the oldest surviving public bathhouses in New York City.

The bathhouse was built in 1904-1906 as part of a Progressive Era campaign to provide bathing facilities to tenement residents who lacked indoor plumbing. Designed in a neo-Roman style with arched windows and decorative brickwork, the building was designated a New York City landmark in 1974.

The facility is named for Asser Levy van Swellem, one of the first Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam (now New York). In 1655, Levy successfully petitioned for the right of Jewish residents to stand guard on the city wall, an early victory for civil rights in colonial America.

Today the recreation center houses an indoor swimming pool that operates year-round and an outdoor pool open during summer months. The facility also includes a gymnasium and fitness equipment, all available free of charge through NYC Parks.

The survival and continued operation of the Asser Levy Public Baths connects modern New Yorkers to the city's Progressive Era commitment to public health and civic improvement, a tradition that remains relevant in a city where access to recreation facilities varies widely by neighborhood and income.