The art of the tennis court reservation
To play tennis in New York City, you have to be in the know
If you’re a New York tennis player, the greatest battle isn’t your opponent or your mind—it’s competing with 8 million people for an open tennis court.
New York City has about 500 public tennis courts—not counting the rooftop boutique fitness clubs that charge hundreds per month. To play at a public court between April and November, you need a $100 seasonal permit or a $15 single play pass (that has to be physically mailed to you in advance). Even if you have all the paperwork, you’re still at the mercy of paper sign up sheets, unspoken etiquette, and on-court players who pretend they don’t realize they’ve been playing for over an hour.
Things easier to do than get a court in NYC:
Getting into St. John’s University
Getting your parents to visit
Getting a table at Balthazar
But why? Shouldn’t the greatest city in the world provide more public courts? We host the U.S Open for crying out loud.
Here’s a breakdown of why it’s so difficult to find a court in New York City:
Tennis court budget allocations are modest
According to the latest available information, NYC Parks operates with a budget that makes up 0.55% (more than $242 million) of the city’s total budget even though the city’s park system takes up 14% of the total land and welcomes 527 million visits per year. With this budget NYC Parks maintains and manage the parks. Mayor Eric Adams proposed allocating 1% (about $484 million) of the city’s budget to NYC Parks—however this commitment has not been fulfilled and the department’s budget has actually been reduced.
Additionally, NYC Parks generates revenue off the $100 seasonal permits they sell you. In 2023, the department sent out over 25k permits to adults aged 18-61. These permits provide up to $2.5 million annually to support the maintenance and operation of tennis facilities.
However, tennis courts allocations are relatively modest within the overall budget. To put it into perspective, when the city reconstructed seven courts in Forest Park, Queens in 2011, $1 million was allocated by Council Members Elizabeth Crowley and Eric Ulrich. Pre-construction allocation of East River Park tennis courts is $2.2 million.
Having space is status
In the city, space is limited. If you have space you have status. Finding space to play tennis isn’t just about recreation in New York—it’s about access and identity. Flat, open, quiet space is rare, yet symbolic. When you manage to get an hour on a well-maintained and nice court (especially one with a view) you’re occupying a valuable space.
Space means luxury and who gets this space should be democratic in theory, but in practice, it’s about gatekeeping. It’s about knowing when and where to show up, the different rules for each court, and essentially being in the know to have this momentary space and status.
The tennis culture war
Traditionally, tennis is a sport about etiquette. There are unspoken rules of the court such as you follow a queue of first-come, first-serve, you should only play for an hour (unless you’re playing doubles, then it’s two hours), and try your best to be quiet and keep out of other’s courts.
With the influx of new tennis fans, many don’t know these rules—and that’s okay. But if we don’t have some kind of social structure we’re just cavemen with racquets.
In New York City, where everything is trendy, tennis is unfortunately one of those trends that cause influencers and the like to flood the courts and hit moon balls into other’s court. In turn, this creates grumpy regulars who show up to Fort Greene at 6:55 am to sign up with their own marker even though the courts don’t open up til 7. Players are constantly competing about who “gets” to take up space in tennis. Should it be the guy who wakes up at 6 am to get to the court first or should we allow new younger players to have a chance to grow the sport?
Different rules for different courts
Okay this is definitely the most valuable part of this post so here’s a breakdown of popular courts in NYC and how to get on them.
Private Tennis Facilities:
Prospect Park Tennis Center (Brooklyn)
Offers hard and clay courts with year-round availability. Courts can be booked online up to one week in advance. For assistance, contact tennis@prospectpark.org or call (718) 436-2500.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (Queens)
Features both indoor and outdoor courts. Players must have a registered Court Reserve profile to book online up to two days in advance; phone reservations are not accepted. Court fees vary based on time and court type.
Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (Manhattan)
Members can book courts up to two weeks in advance, while non-members can book 24 to 48 hours in advance. Reservations can be requested online.
Vanderbilt Tennis Club (Manhattan)
Located inside Grand Central Terminal, offering hourly court rentals. Availability for the next seven days can be checked online. For seasonal court availability, contact jerry@suttoneasttennis.com.
Provides indoor and outdoor court rentals. Online bookings are available up to two weeks in advance. For seasonal indoor court reservations, email reservations@stadiumtennisnyc.com.
Park Courts:
Roosevelt Island's Octagon Tennis Courts (Roosevelt Island)
Open from April 1 to November 30, reservations are required and can be made online up to two days in advance. Reservations are available in one-hour increments.
Hudson River Park Tennis Courts (Manhattan)
According to user discussions, these courts may not require a permit. It's advisable to check the latest information directly from the park's official resources.
McCarren Park Tennis (North Brooklyn)
Booking a tennis court at McCarren Park in Brooklyn varies between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Here's how you can secure a court:
Indoor Season (Day after Columbus Day to April 27):
During the indoor season, all seven courts are covered by a bubble and operated by the McCarren Tennis Center. Courts are available for rent daily from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM.
Outdoor Season (April 28 to Columbus Day):
In the outdoor season, six courts are available to NYC Parks tennis permit holders.
Central Park Tennis Center (Manhattan)
Operating Hours and Season:
Season Duration: The tennis season runs from the first Saturday in April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
Daily Hours: Courts are open from 7:00 a.m. until dusk.
Permit Requirements: To play on Central Park's tennis courts, a valid NYC Parks tennis permit is required during the tennis season.
Reservation Procedures:
Advance Reservations:
Only full-season permit holders can make advance reservations for Central Park courts.
Reservations can be made online up to seven days in advance (excluding the day of booking) until midnight prior to the day of play.
Each reservation costs $15 per court, per hour.
Walk-On Play:
Available when courts are not reserved.
Courts are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Single-play permits can be purchased in person at the Central Park Tennis Center; cash is the only accepted payment method.
More Free Courts:
10 courts, well maintained, off the M train (kind of).
These courts fly under the radar and are tucked behind a mini-forest and baseball field
10+ courts with shaded benches, rarely crowded.
Just enough courts where you won’t have to wait in line long, river breeze is nice in the summer, go at golden hour for bridge views.
20 courts, wide open in the morning and freezing public water fountain.
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