(Photo: Courtesy of the Asphalt Green)

• SWIMMING POOL

• The Asphalt Green

  555 E. 90th St.; 212-369-8890

  Asphalt Green’s 50-meter Olympic-size pool, pictured here—the only one you’ll find in Manhattan—is divided via electronic partitions among training triathletes, kids, and ordinary folks looking to stay in shape. Throughout the spring and summer, the Asphalt Green will undergo a gradual face-lift—the main pool will be closed June through August, so take advantage while you can.

• PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

• La Tourette

  1001 Richmond Hill Rd., Staten Island; 718-351-1889

  Staten Island’s La Tourette, an eighteen-hole par-72 course in the surprisingly bucolic Greenbelt park, remains a favorite among local pros for its challenging holes and well-maintained facilities. Look for La Tourette’s signature third hole, a par three over a brook, and the challenging fifth hole, a 438-yard par four with a slight dogleg to the right.

• SOCCER FIELD

• Pier 40

  West Houston and West St.; 212-627-2020

  Pier 40’s well-maintained fields are favorites among local leaguers. The Hudson River Park Trust has converted this former FedEx depot into a modest but substantial soccer emporium. The building itself is nothing to speak of (no locker rooms as of yet), but Pier 40’s three fields (two outdoor, one indoor) are some of the first to use state-of-the-art FieldTurf, the fake surface now preferred by the pros. The real gem is the smaller rooftop field, where breathtaking sunsets over the Hudson may, on occasion, detract from your “A” game.

• BASKETBALL COURTS

• Aviator Sports and Recreation

  Hangar 5, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn; 718-758-9800

  The recent demise of Basketball City has left a void when it comes to affordable indoor courts. Journey to the eastern edge of South Brooklyn to Aviator Sports and Recreation, a 170,000-square-foot athletic complex with three pro-size basketball courts, where just $10 gets you court time and includes full locker-room access. Be sure to grab a bite while you’re there: The food court specializes in Brooklyn-bred goodies like Grimaldi’s pizza.

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine