Dunn-Marquette Recreation Center
(4025 Minnesota Ave.; 314-353-1250)
One of 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer's first acts upon taking office eight years ago was to overhaul and reopen the pool at Marquette Park in south city — the largest outdoor pool in the city of St. Louis. The price of reconstruction was taking out the deep end, but that's fine: The pool is a giant, turquoise, L-shaped slice of heaven in the summer, full of laughing children, flirting teens, smiling parents, and surprisingly attentive lifeguards. Best of all, it's free and open to the public, as long as you fill out a simple form. It's easy to underestimate how crucially restorative a pool can be on hot summer days, but Marquette (pronounced "mar-kwet" in the neighborhood) is just the place to restore both your own sanity and your faith in humanity.