#InTheLoop | Rockaway Gets First Ever Public Pickleball Court
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Sun, surf, boardwalk, great food. And now there’s a new reason to head to Rockaway this weekend, if not sooner: Pickleball!
NYC Parks unveiled the Shore Front Parkway Adventure Course last week.
The portion near Beach 102nd Street features the first designated public pickleball court in Rockaway along with a spectator seating area. An obstacle course designed to give users a challenging, full-body workout is in the middle. Closer to Beach 101st Street lies an adventure course with obstacles such as a netted challenge loop.
Public seating, metal shade structures, trees, permeable pavement, chess tables, and planting beds complete the scene.
“The people of Rockaway have been waiting a long time for this adventure course and pickleball court to finally open, so it’s great to be here and see this long process through to completion,” stated City Council Member Joann Ariola, whose district stretches from Woodhaven to Breezy Point. “These new amenities represent yet another step in the now near-decade-long recovery process post-Sandy, and add even further to the stunning rebirth we’ve seen from this incredibly resilient community.”
Pickleball’s popularity has been surging over the past few years. 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.
It was invented on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington, in 1965. The United States Pickleball Association published the first rule book in March 1984, not long after being founded. In 2021, the agency’s membership exceeded 53,000 enthusiasts.
The Shore Front Parkway Adventure Course is part of an ongoing effort by NYC Parks to rebuild the Rockaways after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The project received a little more than $4.7 million from FEMA through the Sandy Recovery Act, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.’s Office, and the City Council.
Images: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila