The Country Club has a fun backyard Bywater pool
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

The Country Club is inside a gorgeous Italianate center-hall cottage in the Bywater. Photo: Chelsea Brasted/Axios
In a city known for its welcoming, LGBTQ+-friendly vibe, The Country Club stands out as an especially inclusive oasis in New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood.
Why it matters: The Country Club not only has a super fun drop-in pool, but it's got a chef-driven kitchen with dishes to impress, too.
The vibe: The Country Club is at home inside an Italianate center-hall cottage built in 1884, but the space has been updated with modern, cheeky decor and smart uses of space.
- Inside, that means bold wallpapers and colorful cane chairs.
- Outside, dozens of lounge chairs surround a decently sized pool, which is bordered by a huge backyard bar, and a hot tub is tucked away in one corner.
- All of it just plays home to a typically boisterous, friendly crowd, especially on weekends and during drag brunches.
/2024/08/22/1724346917472.gif)
Between the lines: Traditionally LGBTQ+-friendly, The Country Club was known for years for being clothing-optional, but that changed about a decade ago.
- While visitors these days keep their most intimate parts covered, the venue is still distinctly body-positive, so it's easy to feel comfortable waltzing across the pool deck in a barely-there ensemble.

The vibe: I visit midday and midweek, so the crowd is small, and it's easy to scout out a lounge chair in the shade.
- A breeze slides through the palms overhead, and I sip on a boozy cocktail called "This Daq is Bananas" of the seasonal menu.
- Happily, the free WiFi is spotty at best, but this is the perfect place to ignore my laptop for a few and catch up on the latest assignment for my romance book club.
If you go: You can drop in at the pool any day of the week for $20, or get an annual membership. See website for details.
- The full food menu is available poolside, or you can forgo the backyard dip and grab a table inside.
- If you do visit the pool, bags and IDs are checked at the door. It's 21 and up.
Go deeper:
