The Experience: When you step through the back doors of this nice but fairly average-looking YMCA facility, located at the intersection of 183 and 51st St., you will feel as if you are stepping into another world. There is a beautiful resort-like pool area, with a water playground in the midst of a large shallow play area for children. The play area includes a playscape that kids can climb up on and shoot water onto people below, a slide with fountains that spray on the slider on the way down, and a tunnel to crawl through underneath. There is a tall sculpture with cups which are being continuously filled with water, and dump their load of water when they fill up on those standing below. We found that the back side of the playscape was a quieter place to sit in the shallow water out of the spray of the fountains. In addition to the water playscape with a slide, there are two real water-park style water slides on one end of the pool. There is a more traditional pool on the other side with lap and recreational areas. All pool areas, including the water slides, are carefully monitored by lifeguards. The locker rooms are very nice and include showers. You do need to be a member to use the pool, but if you ask for guest passes at the front counter, you should receive at least one, good for your whole family. The sign-in sheet indicated that there is a limit of three guest passes to be used per family per year.