Dumpsters Make Splash as Swimming Pools

The newest hangout for the recession chic set is the Dumpster—transformed into a swanky pool. The repurposed, invitation-only trash bins, hidden on a private lot in Brooklyn, are gaining a reputation in the blogosphere and could soon pop up in formerly dingy strip malls. “It’s a very simple concept. There aren’t that many places to swim in New York,” the project manager tells the New York Times. And Dumpsters “are everywhere; they’re ubiquitous.”

Surplus Dumpsters are cleaned, lined with plastic, and filled with filtered water. Add a few cabanas, a boccie court, and some lounge chairs, and you have a secret oasis. The company hopes to use the concept to turn strip malls into artsy destinations. “It’s amazing,” says one partygoer. “It makes you wonder, as so many things in New York do, what’s behind every wall that you can’t see past.” (More Jay-ZTV stories.)