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Photo courtesy of Manhattan: Washington Square North - 5th Avenue

City fountains were popular spots for cooling off, especially among youngsters.

In July 1925, as “the sun rose intolerantly over a baked and soaked city,” children jumped into the fountain in City Hall Park. Newspaper Row, the center of the newspaper industry, faced the park, and newsboys had set their sights on its fountain. Looking on with a grin, Mayor John F. Hylan told city police to let the children splash. Mopping his sweaty brow, Hylan remarked, “That cool water looks good to me. I wish I could join them myself!”

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Water in the Melting Metropolis icon Water in the Melting Metropolis

Hot weather changes how New Yorkers behave, inspiring people to search for new ways to cool off in the summertime. As one journalist observed during a 1925 hot spell, “the only relief” in the city “was in water, wherever it could be found.” Water—whether it’s the fountains, fire hydrants, rivers, outer-borough beaches, public baths (both floating and on land), or public pools—could transform a sizzling summer day into a cool afternoon. Source: “Nation’s Death List 300,” New York Times, June 7, 1925, 1.