summer agenda

Hip Second Ward Swim Club Returns with a Splash

Hip Second Ward Swim Club Returns with a Splash

HOUSTON’S INFAMOUS HUMIDITY is already creeping in, but cool and casual El Segundo Swim Club has the antidote to beating the heat. Houston’s only private outdoor swim club and bar — with a 1,350-square-foot swimming pool, cabanas and adult beverage service — will officially reopen for the spring and summer swim season Saturday, May 4.

“El Segundo Swim Club is the premier spot for those seeking a fun and unpretentious, yet sophisticated pool club in Houston,” said Matthew Healey, owner of El Segundo Swim Club in a statement. “We’re excited to reopen our doors and bring our relaxed, international vibe to our friends and those visiting our city right here in the Second Ward.”


The East End swim club, a 15,000 square-foot oasis, features an oversized cocktail-depth pool and a full-service bar. As you step through the club’s stacked stone entrance, you will be transported from a concrete jungle into an urban retreat where the drinks are always flowing.

El Segundo Swim Club channels the eclectic, bohemian and laidback energy of Houston while also layering colors and murals that are reminiscent of vintage Rio. Oversized, sculptural palm fronds, a mix of industrial elements and lush landscaping create a chill environment, kind of like visiting a friend’s whimsical backyard pool.

Reserved for those 21-plus years of age, the club features amenities including hammocks and lounge chairs, complimentary towel and sunscreen service and changing rooms available for all guests. For guests or groups looking for an upgraded experience, multiple private cabanas are available and can be reserved.

The swim club’s beverage menu, curated veteran mixologist Chris Frankel, features a variety of summer cocktails, a collection of independent grower Champagnes, mixed-drink carafes, frosty pitchers and canned beers. Food is available for purchase during peak hours via rotating food trucks.

Day passes (from $25) to access El Segundo Swim Club are available through the club’s website or TOCK.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
People + Places
art

New Artist-Run Gallery Rises and Hits the Ground Running with Diverse Group Show

Sarah Sudhoff (photo by Katy Anderson)

SINCE THE 1970s, Houston’s cultural scene has only grown richer and more diverse thanks to the DIY spirit of its visual artists. As an alternative to the city’s major museums (which are awesome) and commercial galleries (again, awesome), they show their work and the work of their peers in ad-hoc, cooperative, artist-run spaces — spaces that range from the traditional white cube interiors, to private bungalows, to repurposed shipping containers.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Houston’s Grammy-Nominated Music Org Gets ‘Bach’ to Basics with Concert and Book Release

Matthew Dirst (photo by Jacob Power)

FOR FANS OF early music — an often scholarly lot who aren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves — bad-boy Baroque-era painter Caravaggio certainly nailed something in his dramatic 1595 painting, “The Musicians.” (Simon Schama talks about this in his TV series The Power of Art.) One look at his masterpiece, and you feel as if you’ve stumbled upon and surprised a roomful of dewy-eyed musicians, their youthful faces swollen with melancholy, with the lutist looking like he’s about ready to burst into tears before he’s even tuned his instrument. So no, you certainly don’t need a Ph.D. to enjoy and be moved by the music of Handel, G.P. Telemann, or J.S. Bach, but a little bit of scholarship never hurt anyone. Knowing the history of this music may even deepen your appreciation of it.

Keep Reading Show less