Tom Brady loves it. Lebron James, too. Ditto for about 4.2 other Americans. And now they can play in a climate-controlled facility only 20 minutes from Midtown Manhattan on the 7 train.
CityPickle recently opened a pickleball facility in Long Island City.
Located at 9-03 44th Rd., the 10,100-square-foot venue has four indoor courts with 21-foot-high ceilings. A bar, restaurant, and retail shop are also on site.
The courts are available from Sunday to Wednesday, 7 am to 9 pm, and Thursday to Saturday, 7 am to 11 am. Prices begin at $10 per hour and paddle rentals are $6. (Or bring your own.)
Get ready for lessons, leagues, clinics, pick-up games, tournaments, and even a ranking system. Don’t play? Rent the spot for a party!
CityPickle’s co-founders are Mary Cannon (right) and Erica Desai (left) who actually met via tennis. Seen with Mayor Eric Adams below, they launched their company in August 2021 and now administrate courts in Central Park’s Wollman Rink, Hudson Yards, Union Square, and Brooklyn’s Industry City.
Pickleball was invented on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington, in 1965. The sport, which has singles and doubles versions, is played on a badminton-sized court with a modified tennis net. Players use a paddle and a plastic ball with holes.
Other popular Queens courts are Court 16, 13-06 Queens Plaza South in Long Island City, and outdoors near Beach 102nd Street and Shore Front Parkway in Rockaway.
Keeping up with the racquet sports theme, Queens has the only outdoor squash court in New York City and the biggest annual tennis tournament in the world.
Images: CityPickle