Summer hours for parks, libraries, pools, and recreation centers

Parks.  CityLab has an article, "Why Do Parks Close at Night?"," and coverage on Paris' response to the current European heat wave reports that a number of pools are staying open til 10 pm, temporary pools are being opened in underserved neighborhoods, and some parks will be open 24 hours ("Paris prepares pools, parks and 'cool rooms' for predicted heatwave," Guardian). From the CityLab article:

It was just another Saturday when I stumbled across a busy park in Seoul last year. The Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a 4-mile strip of greenery built atop a former rail line, was packed. Couples, families, and groups of friends planted themselves throughout the park, picnicking as buskers belted out songs.

It was midnight, and from the look of things, the night had just begun.

In many ways, it wasn’t an unusual scene at all. Nightlife is a fixture of vibrant urban parks all around the world. But it’s a rare thing to find in the U.S., where parks often close after sunset—even if there’s nothing stopping you from walking in if you really want to. …

In 2018, the Trust for Public Land surveyed parks in the 100 largest U.S. cities and found that most close from dusk to dawn, while some others are open until 11 p.m. A few remain open later into the night, but they’re the exception to the rule: The National Mall in Washington, D.C., is open 24 hours, for example, and New York City’s Central Park closes at 1 a.m. Still, aside from a handful of joggers and late-night strollers, you’re unlikely to find a lively crowd in either park at night.

Libraries.  For years, I've thought that public libraries should be open later hours, particularly on the weekends, and throughout the year not just in the summer.  But it's rare that this is the case.

The National Library and Archives of Quebec, which in Montreal functions as the central library, does stay open til 10pm, Tuesday through Friday (the library is closed on Mondays).

Five of Montgomery County, Maryland's branch libraries located in conurbations: Bethesda; Germantown; Gaithersburg; Rockville; and Silver Spring; stay open til 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer.

(Many of DC's public libraries are now open on Sundays, and til 9pm most nights Monday-Thursday.)

Langdon Outdoor Pool, DC.  WTOP-radio photo.

Pools.  Most outdoor pools seem to be open during the summer, and close around Labor Day, even though in southern cities and cities like DC, it can remain hot all through September and into October. For summer hours, the latest that DC's outdoor pools operate is 8pm. This should be extended.

As mentioned in the Guardian article about Paris, they are keeping pools open til 10pm and perhaps later during the heat wave.  Shouldn't pools be open later in the summer anyway?

Also see the 2016 Washington City Paper article, "It Feels Like 108 Degrees, But D.C. Pools Start Closing Sunday," which discusses how DC starts closing outdoor pools in August, with most closed by Labor Day.  Even though August and September are some of the hottest months in the summer.

Recreation Centers.  For years, I've argued they should be open later on weekends year round, and later still during the summer.  To be fair, DC's rec centers are open til 9pm, Monday-Friday, although the Chevy Chase Community Center is open til 10pm.  But all rec centers close early on the weekends, and some aren't open on Sundays.

Night-time basketball leagues are frequently suggested as a summer time activity for inner city youth, but not if rec centers and basketball courts are closed.