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Houston’s Second Ward Swim Club Oasis Makes Its Splashy Return

El Segundo Swim Club reopens this month with poolside yoga and a new live DJ series

As the spring season begins to heat up and Houston’s dog days of summer inch nearer, locals are already looking for ways to beat the heat. Thankfully, El Segundo Swim Club, the city’s only private outdoor swim club and bar, located at 5180 Avenue L in Second Ward, is days away from reopening for this year’s swim season. On Saturday, April 29, the 15,000-square-foot oasis, which features a full-service bar and a 1,350-square-foot cocktail-depth pool, will once again welcome in guests for fun in the sun.

Designed by Gin Design Group, El Segundo Swim Club boasts a fully outdoor space that combines industrial elements and colorful murals with lush landscaping, creating a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city’s urban core. Reserved for the 21-and-up crowd, guests can purchase day passes, starting at $20 per person, to gain access to the lively space from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The fee covers complimentary towel and sunscreen service, plus access to changing rooms, lounge chairs, and hammocks. Private cabanas for larger groups are also available to reserve in advance.

A woman lounging in a pool chair.
Day passes to El Segundo Swim Club cover complimentary towel and sunscreen service, plus access to changing rooms, lounge chairs, and hammocks.
Becca Wright

As it has in years past, El Segundo Swim Club offers appropriate provisions for lounging poolside. The club’s beverage program was built by hospitality vet Chris Frankel and features a number of mixed-drink carafes, frosty pitchers, summer cocktails, canned beers, and a collection of independent grower champagnes, while a rotating crop of food trucks park onsite giving guests even more options.

As part of the club’s 2023 programming, Sunday day passes will give guests access to complimentary yoga classes, which are offered at 11 a.m. weekly, and Sound Waves, a new live DJ series that will showcase 90- and 120-minute sets from national talent on select Sundays. The series kicks off on Sunday, May 7 with the Faint, and will continue throughout the spring and summer seasons, with the roster of guest DJs including Washed Out, Neon Indian, Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, Twin Shadow, Them Jeans, Disko Cowboy, and Fat Tony.

Houstonians need not wait to fill in their calendar with upcoming pool days — day passes for El Segundo Swim Club are available for purchase now via the company’s website and on Tock.

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