Finally - I love my pool!

Wait a minute - hairy showers are a bad thing? Next you're going to say that hot, running water in the locker rooms is  preferred.

You're some kind of crazy elitist. That's what you are.

You only say that because you're hairy enough that you probably make a mean hairball in the shower.  Us gentler light-haired folks are sensitive to such things.

you crack me up.  but I am happy for you.  And for those of us that are a little bigger and hairy, the showers and bringing a towel big enough to dry my whole body is just fine!!

I haven't been to the Oakdale location, but so far it beats Hopkins, Roseville and Edina.  You'll have to let me know how they compare.

I don’t drink the water, really I don’t, but the pool in St. Paul tasted funny.  Salty?

Oakdale vs. St. Paul

Similar

1. Lane Length seems the same
2. Number of swimmers at noon on a Friday (few)
3. No suit dryer, maybe the women’s locker rooms have them
4. Cleanliness, or lack thereof
5. Four lanes

Differences

1. Locker room layout, I prefer Oakdale
2. St. Paul had anti-slip pads in walkways around pool/locker rooms
3. Lanes seem wider in SP
4. O seems to have more light, SP was dark at the locker room end
5. SP had swim aides to use
6. Towel hooks near shower in O, but maybe I missed them in SP
7. Nice consistent water temp in SP

I really didn’t get a good feel for the pool area because I forgot my contacts, and feel a bit lost going from my locker to my lane when I can’t see more than three feet in front of me.  I liked St. Paul though, and will be going there again.  And it is a few minutes closer in mid-day traffic, probably more so this summer when 494/694 construction gets underway in Woodbury and Oakdale.