Picture it: An old abandoned public swimming pool. Said empty pool hasn’t been used in decades. Except, of course, by the junkies and date rapists.

What once was a water wonderland is now a sea of used syringes (AIDS anyone?) empty bottles and dried-up piss puddles… Can you smell it?

What does one do with such a glorious space?

How about throw a wicked pool party (no water of course, d’uh)? Get a line-up of the hottest bands and invite 5000 Brooklyn kids along from the ride. It’s obvious really

Obvious or not, it works. So well, in fact, that this summer, the party’s third, the McCarren Pool Parties were one of the staple events on the New York Summer calendar. The line-up was also bigger and better, with The Breeders, Ronnie Spector, MGMT, The Hold Steady, The Liars all booked.

It’s not just the headliners that make this little afternoon bash so much fun, though. It’s often the smaller artists (Fuck Buttons, Ting Tings, Deer Tick) which gives this indie-kid wet-dream such a distinct vibe.

Thankfully, it’s also not full of indie kids (which in Brooklyn is an achievement in itself). Yes folks, that’s right, in a place where tight black jeans are a religion not just a fashion item and where you’ll actually turn heads by NOT being covered in tattoos, the pool parties are a great mix of families, oldies and even the occasional metal head from the '80s who still hasn’t let go. It’s this inclusive vibe that makes it so gosh-damn enjoyable.

And the best part - you don’t have to pay a cent to get in. Yup, you can lap up the action without spending a single dollar.

The parties are a small part of a ‘screw-you-NYC’ Brooklyn music scene that has been gaining momentum over the last few years. With the iconoclastic success of bands like local five-piece the National proving you don’t have to subscribe to the stringent Manhattan philosophy of play, sign to label and prove worthiness to experience heady success, it makes sense to keep the parties local too.

JellyNYC, the events company behind this gem of an event, is the musically inspired lovechild of Alexander Kane and Brooklyn producer and music geek Doug Defalco. These two buddies were booking shows around Brooklyn and wanted to do more. By chance Alexander went to a 'dance piece' held at the pool and thought, what a great fucking place for a great fucking party. Three years later, here we all are. Chilling in an empty pool.

That's why the pool parties work so well, it's a venture that started between two best buds with a whole lot of love. That love-for-the-party vibe is still present every Sunday afternoon. It wasn't designed to make money or be a haven for cool kids. It was an idea between two music enthusiasts who simply wanted to share their devotion.

If you can’t be assed watching the bands, the folks at Jelly NYC have covered all bases. Amuse yourself on the slip 'n' slide (or watch others make a fool of themselves - yes ladies, your nipples will pop out of your bikini tops if you propel yourself down a piece of slippery plastic at 100 miles per hour) or if you feel even more adventurous, risk your life on the dodgeball court.

It’s like being back at school only there are no teachers to tell you not to play because you didn’t finish your homework. Oh, and they sell beer. But as they say in life: All good things must come to an end. Sadly for the kids of Brooklyn, that time has come.

After seeing what a fine public space the pool had the potential to be the local council decided to spoil the fun, putting water back into the pool (the nerve). Sadly, the pool will soon be a haven for kids to pee in and pretend they didn’t once again.

So even though it won’t be around for too much longer, kluster takes off its hat, throws on its swimsuit and denim cut-offs and salutes the best thing to come out of the New York summer. We love you McCarren Pool Parties, even without the water you still manage to provide that lovely splash of good clean musical fun.