A ranking of the easiest pools to crash in Athens
The only way to beat the heat is to hit the pool
With the return of warm weather in Athens, students have been flocking to nearby pools. Where do most people go if they don’t live in a development with a pool? Friends can only have a certain number of guests and sometimes it can be hard to coordinate schedules.
Legion Pool doesn’t open to the public until May 22nd, so in the meantime, students will have to pool hop. Here is a rundown of the most frequented pools in Athens and how easy it is to get into them, even if you don’t live at any of the residences yourself.
EASY
A personal mini pool from Kroger
Mini pools are a great alternative if you don’t want to travel far or risk being caught.
Crashing pools is not for the faint of heart. If pool-crashing is not your thing, Kroger is selling mini pools for just $14.99. Make sure to get yours before they’re all gone and there’s no other way to escape the heat.
Towne Club
Caroline Hollar and Jordan Furr hopped in the freezing cold pool water after tanning for hours at the Towne Club pool.
In order to get into the gate of the Towne Club pool, you need to know the gate code, but most of the time people already at the pool will let you in. The Towne Club pool is rather small and the surrounding chairs have suffered a lot of wear and tear, but it is close to campus and easy to crash.
You will never be alone, which can be a good thing if you want to party or people watch, but it’s not conducive for studying for finals. As an added bonus, there is a sand volleyball court.
The Lodge
The Lodge has one of the biggest pools in Athens.
The Lodge is a gated community, but a lot of times the gate is broken or people can type in random codes to get in. In order to get into the pool, you’re supposed to use a key card. However if you just walk through the main office to get there, you don’t need a key card to access the pool.
The Station
The Station pool has trees that offer shade and tables for when residents want to eat lunch.
The Station pool has a gate code, but the fence is low enough to hop over. It is far enough away from campus that there are very few students who like to go there during the school days. There are normally a few people at the pool who aren’t students at UGA and don’t belong to the residence either.
MEDIUM
The Retreat
There are only 20 pool chairs at The Retreat North, so it does not draw large parties of people.
The Retreat pool is easy to get into if you have the code. There are three different points where you will need to put in the code, but once you go through the clubhouse, you’re fine to go into the pool area. There is never any security in that area and it’s a rather small pool, but it’s perfect for studying for finals or taking a nap.
The Ikon
Rachel Richardson and Torianna Wilson love the Ikon pool.
If you know someone who lives at the Ikon, they can give you the gate code to get in. Once you’re in, no one else will bother to ask you if you live there. The management will assume that you are a resident and they will even give you a pool towel to use. As an added bonus, there is a fire pit and a grill.
Athens Ridge
Jimmy Phan and friends pose for a picture during one of the many pool parties thrown Athens Ridge.
Athens Ridge is a gated community, so you’ll need a code to get in. Once you are there, you can hop over the fence of the volleyball court if you are athletic enough.
The Athens Ridge pool is sometimes monitored by security. On most days, the security officers are just there to make sure the people by the pool didn’t bring any glass cups. On days when there is a large crowd, they will ask to see if you are with a resident who is in possession of the key that is used to get into the gated community.
HARD
The Flats
The Flats pool is strangely shaped, but it also contains a volleyball net in the pool.
The pool gate at The Flats doesn’t lock, so it’s easy to get into. The only problem is parking – visitor parking is sparse unless you get the gate code and park behind the building.
The Flats has been known to send security officers down to the pool area to patrol and make sure guests are with residents when the pool is busy. They will ask for the residents to present their keys, but they do not limit the number of guests that the residents can have with them.
Georgia Heights
The Georgia Heights outdoor pool is located in downtown Athens.
The Georgia Heights pool requires residents to bring their key in order to enter the pool area. They will sometimes have people monitor the pool area to make sure there are no glass bottles and that no one is violating the rules.
The Standard
The infinity style pool at The Standard always draws a large crowd on the weekends.
The Standard pool is well known as the most luxurious pool in Athens. Even though it is hard to get into, it is well worth it. You need to have a key to get in, so you have to be with a resident to have access to the pool. Each resident is only allowed two guests, but they normally bring a large posse.