Pool on the Hudson River

About a year ago I was taking a walk down around Battery Park City and came across two outdoor pool tables located on the promenade of the Hudson River. I didn't stop to play but made a mental note. A few weeks ago I set out to find them again. Basically, they're located at the northern end of Battery Park City, in Nelson A. Rockefeller Park. They're practically right on the water, located between Warren and Murray Streets. There's an NYC Parks and Rec office right there, simply show them your ID and they'll give you the balls, a stick and a rack.

So I'm practicing and of course there's a very strong wind so the balls never stayed put long. Then this middle-aged woman who was riding on her bike came to a sudden halt and asked if she could take a few hits. Well, it turns out she liked talking more than she liked playing. But she was nice enough, and I could tell she had played before. After she left a woman in her early 40s and her son, who I'd guess to be around 10, came up and sat down to watch me. I asked if they wanted to play, but turns out just the boy did. He was super into pool, even knew rules to 9ball, so we played that. His mother confided in me that he's addicted to watching poker and pool on ESPN and that he loves anything that has to do with Las Vegas. She said he's a big fan of Ewa Mataya Laurance. This past weekend I went down there and played another kid (above) who was pretty quiet. This time it wasn't the wind that made it difficult, but rather seedlings that had fallen onto the table that would drastically change the direction of my slower hits.