Toni Marquez (pictured above)
Retiree, Upper West Side
Are you a regular here?
I used to go to this pool when I was a young girl till I was a teenager. Then I moved away from the neighborhood, and now that I’m retired, this is my new life again. I actually travel from the Upper West Side to come here because it brings back many memories.
How do you spend your time outside swim class?
I am an avid TV-show-audience member. I was just at Kelly and Mark last week. So I do all that — The View, Tamron Hall, Kelly Clarkson I’ve done twice already. Jimmy Fallon. I did Drew Barrymore, and I’ve won a lot of gifts on all of them, too.
What’s the dynamic like among audience members?
Ninety-five percent of them are from out of town. The other 5 percent are the regular locals, which is me. The guards know who I am: “Hey, Toni, how are you?” That feels good. But I enjoy going by myself. I keep in touch with a lot of people I’ve met in the audience, like this one young lady I met on The View last year. She was from out of town. After the show, I helped her with directions and we took the bus uptown together. Every other Monday, she’ll give me a good-morning text: “How are you today? How’s life going?” Just simple things like that.
Melody D. Walton
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
Milagros Medina
Retiree, East Harlem
How else do you stay active?
By going to my doctors’ appointments, walking to the mall, picking up my granddaughter once a week. I take her to the park. She’s 4 years old and smart as a whip. I keep her busy, she keeps me busy.
Jennifer Jones
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
Betty Santos
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
How long have you been swimming here?
Since I was a kid. And let me tell you, back then at night, this pool was beautiful because they had night pool sessions and the water had light. Oh my God. It was gorgeous. They don’t do that anymore, though.
Julia Tindal
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
Rachel Nickerson Luna
Writer, Harlem
Deborah Murray Hackle
Retiree, East Harlem
Sally Schaffert
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
A lot of your classmates grew up around here. Did you too?
I’m from upstate, but I used to live in California in the 1970s. I was living in Oakland, and there was an earthquake in San Francisco. So I decided in 1978 to come back because I’d rather be in a hurricane or a blizzard any day. If the earth opens up, you’re going with it.
Inez Simmons
Retiree, East Harlem
Vera Lucia Zeveloff
Retiree, Harlem
Iris Rivera
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
How was the class today?
Oh, it was great. It went so smoothly. I think you work out better in the water. You don’t feel the arthritis pain or anything like that.
Leda Grasso
Retiree, East Harlem
Carol Miller
Retiree, El Barrio
Margarita Burgos-Ulanga
Retiree, El Barrio
How have you seen the neighborhood change over the years?
I feel that it’s gotten better. It’s changing. The only thing is the rents are high. There are so many people applying to the housing lottery that you have to hit the Lotto — you have to be really lucky to get that apartment. So it’s hard. It’s hard for the young people. But I’m good here.
Maria Dones
Retiree, El Barrio
Rhonda Taylor
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
Do you have a favorite exercise to do in the pool?
I like when our instructor, George, pulls out the plastic tubes that you have to bend because that works on the arms and a lot of people do not have enough arm strength. They are used to walking, but they’re not used to using their arms.
Virginia Garcia
Retiree, Spanish Harlem
Denise Sturdivant
Retiree, East Harlem
Photographs by Frankie Alduino
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If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the August 11, 2025, issue of
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If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the August 11, 2025, issue of
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