Birchwood Towers

The birchwood swim club is my favorite local pool. Not many pools in the area let outsiders in. The pool is a nice size with plenty of chairs. Had a great time on a warm summer day! Came on a busy day and had a swim plus played a game of bingo.
Overall felt like the staff was great. My only complaint was that the price was a little high ($ 20 for an adult and the sun is gone by 2).

Not Worth The Money
I was a long time member of Birchwood Towers Swim Club until it stated progressively going downhill. The membership fee is pricey and non-​refundable. Other than having to commit to using the pool every weekend in order to make it financially worthwhile, there is no added benefit to being a member. The pool itself is on the small side, and heated — which is fine if the weather is on the cool side, but kind of icky when the temperatures reach over 90 degrees. Hours of operation are very unreliable (they sometimes close early due to «inclement weather,» which just means an overcast sky with no rain in the forecast). At any given time they are apt to close off the entire pool area for a private «water aerobics» class. The class itself is more like a dance party for seniors, which is fine — but if they kept the schedule consistent and perhaps posted the hours when the pool would be inaccessible to other paying guests, I ‘d be able to plan my trip more effectively.
The staff are incredibly rude and nasty, particularly to families with young children (even the most well-​behaved kids). I’ve seen firsthand the way they arbitrarily enforce the rules, ignore people who genuinely need assistance, and show an utter lack of regard or even respect for members and visitors alike. To be honest, this kind of surprises me, because there are other swimming facilities in the area (some are pricier, but most cost either as much as, or even a little less than, Birchwood) with highly-​trained, professional staff who are courteous and friendly — not a bunch of obnoxious high school kids with weird Napoleon complexes.
Needless to say, after enough negative experiences I chose not to renew my membership. I’ve told myself that I might pay the twenty bucks at some point to check it out again (that’s the weekend day rate), but with the other pools in the area (Flushing Meadows, Central Queens Y and Forest Hills Swim and Tennis Club, to name a few) I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Can’t say I’ve missed it.