In my last three months of living in New York, I got the opportunity to play pickleball all over Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

My pickleball journey began because it was difficult to get into a good tennis groove in the city. Public court reservations were insane (hello, Hudson River Park), and private options easily ran you thousands of dollars a year. To top that off, you then need to match-make and find a compatible tennis partner who has a similar schedule to you.

Enter, pickleball — a much more accessible sport that almost anyone can pick up and have a good time in a matter of hours. Additionally, pickleball has a strong open play culture, which is a style of play where people of any skill level can step onto a court and join a game. After a fateful Sunday in July at the Pier 2 pickleball courts (thank you, Shelby!), I became addicted to this incredible sport and went on a summer adventure to pickle all over New York before moving back to California.

If I’m honest, learning how organized open play worked at different locations was scary and took time — information about courts felt fragmented, I didn’t know a lot of the terms, and it can be intimidating to show up on your own. I wanted to create this guide with my learnings in hopes that you will be better equipped to head out there, find some good games, and feel the joy and community that pickleball has given to me. It was so fun to put this together and reflect on a great summer. Happy dinking!

The NYC Dinking Guide [Open-Play Focused]

A few terms, defined:

• Open play: A style of play where people of any skill level can step onto a court and join a game

• BYON: Court lines are painted on the ground, but you have to bring your own personal net in order to play

• Community nets: There is a storage box near the courts that have nets you can borrow for your session

A note on joining a local court community group:

Most of the courts I’m listing below have regular players who are a part of the community there. These communities have discussions and organize play via a digital forum such as WhatsApp, Slack, or TeamReach. The best way to get involved is to show up at the courts and engage with the players there — one of the best elements of pickleball is how social and community-oriented it is.

Manhattan

Uptown Community Play

• Riverside Park (Upper West) | 5 courts, Open Play 24/7: These courts opened in July of 2023, and was my personal favorite in all of NYC! There are often 4 social courts (any level) and 1 fun challenge court (3.75+) going during peak times. One unique aspect that I love about RSP is their sticker system - players are encouraged to put a colored sticker on their paddle to indicate their level, which helps match up folks for fun, competitive games. This group also hosts level-specific meet ups and clinics, which are all free for the community.

• Carl Schurz Playground (Upper East) | 3 courts, Open Play 24/7: Right along the East River, Carl Schurz has been around for some time and is where you go if you want guaranteed open play at any hour of the day. There are always folks playing - at 2pm in the afternoon there are often multiple stacks of paddles waiting for a court!

• Central Park Handball Courts (Upper West) | 6 courts, Open Play 24/7: Right in the heart of Central Park off 97th Ave is where you’ll find the CP pickleball community. Converted handball courts, you’ll find these courts are a bit short against the service line, but that doesn’t stop some of the city’s best pickleball players from getting their game on here. Half of the courts are reserved for intermediate / advanced play and in the afternoons the scene is very competitive! This group is also one of the most tight knit — they often host barbecues and social gatherings to bring the crew together.

Downtown Community Play

• St. Vartan (Murray Hill) | 4 courts, Organized Open Play & Community Nets: These courts can range from very empty to packed like sardines, especially on a Friday afternoon. Open play is typically organized via a Slack channel, but if you show up during peak times - weekday afternoons 5pm-sunset and most of the weekend - at least 1 of the courts will be designated as open play.

• JJ Walker (West Village) | 2 courts, Organized Open Play & Community Nets: These courts operate very similarly to St. Vartan, and is especially busy as the Houston courts (below) are currently under construction. Community is very friendly and welcoming, and celebs have even been sighted at these courts on occasion.

• (Currently Under Construction) William Passante / Houston Courts (West Village) | 5 courts, BYON: The OG pickleball courts where organized play happens, these courts are currently getting a big glow up! Check back in a few months for an update.

Brooklyn & Queens

Community Play

• Pier 2 (Brooklyn Heights) | 4 courts, Open Play 24/7: There are often 3 social courts (any level) and 1 high-level challenge court (4.0+) going during peak times. Weekends here between 12-4pm get really busy - expect waits of up to 90 minutes to play one game. The draw - these are some of the nicest courts in all of New York, you get a view of the water + Brooklyn bridge, and it’s one of the only courts with lights aka pickle until 10/11pm depending on the season!

• McCarren Park (Williamsburg) | 6+ courts, Organized Open Play & BYON: Ah, McCarren - good vibes, good people, grim courts! This is an open ballfield with pickleball lines drawn. The community (which communicates via Slack) is active in organizing fun open plays regularly on weekends and some weeknights.

Private Play

• City Pickle (Long Island City) | 3 courts, By-Hour Bookable Courts & Open Play: Great option if weather prevents you from getting your game on. A relatively new location, you can book courts by the hour ($120/hr, up to 8 people) or sign up for organized open plays ($48 to 2 hours). Courts are a bit tight and ceilings are low, so if you’re looking to practice lobs & ATPs, this location is not for you 😉 .

• City Pickle Pop-Up (Industry City) | 6 courts, By-Hour Bookable Courts & Open Play: Really cool venue that operates almost exactly like the LIC location, but at lower prices - courts are $80/hr, up to 8 people. This location is also near a bunch of cool restaurants and is just good vibes, so I would definitely check this one out if you can! The pop-up is planned to be open through November.

Hope you found this guide helpful — please feel free to send me any feedback and/or suggestions of courts or information I should add to make this more useful for those looking to pickle in NYC!