Comments (0) Best Pool With a View - 2006

Rooftop pool, Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center at UCSF Mission Bay

It's almost dizzying to keep up with the new development in the southeastern part of San Francisco, from high-rises in progress to the recently opened UCSF Mission Bay campus. But the school's Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center is worth paying attention to: This lovely modern facility features north-facing windows overlooking Downtown from every floor. Nowhere is the view better than from the six-lane, 25-yard pool on the rooftop (and its adjacent patio), a vista that takes in all the new skyscrapers and offers fresh angles on the ballpark, the Bay Bridge, and the East Bay. (There's also a second pool one level below for water-based exercise classes; its view is none too shabby.) Nonmembers have a few different ways to swim — for instance, one-day guest passes are available for $15. Better yet, it's available to rent for private parties.