Photos by Paul Ker.

The McCarren (or McClaren, as Hizzoner Bloomberg repeatedly called it) Park pool, like Brooklyn and the rest of New York City in the 80s, was useful mostly as a symbol of urban decay and the failure of the Great Society. But while Brooklyn picked itself up as the years went by, the pool stood empty still, an out of place relic that belonged more to the era of flappers and Louis Armstrong than hipsters and James Murphy. Today, the pool, decorated with flag bunting and restored to its proper glory, was reintroduced to Brooklyn. It hosted the mayor and the borough president, dozens of adorable moppets and most importantly, was filled with a million gallons of cold water. And it will be open all summer long, for free. Here are some scenes from the first day:

Check out Paul’s Flickr page for more!