The Country Club has a fun backyard Bywater pool

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.

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:

• 12 New Orleans hotel pools you can drop into anytime.
• 13 mostly-free public pools in New Orleans.