Fort Washington Park Courts

In my quest to check out all the tennis courts in Manhattan, I took a trip up to Fort Washington Park. I heard there are some hard courts up there, just underneath the George Washington Bridge that not a lot of people know about. Indeed, when I was there one weekday, the courts were basically empty and no one was checking for a permit. Although I was under the impression one needed a NYC permit to play here, two players I asked while I was there claimed you do not. The problem with these 10 hardcourts is that, while it is probably easy to get on these courts, the court conditions were poor, at best. It looks like they have not been repaved in many years, and the lines were so faded that calling shots might be problematic, and the nets did not even have the center tape.

My Wimbledon Experience

As mentioned in my previous post, it is a goal of mine to attend all four Grand Slam tournaments solast year I went to London for Wimbledon 2007. I have to be honest: as a spectator, Wimbledon was not as exciting as the US Open. First of all, it rained almost nonstop, so we actually did not get to see a whole lot of tennis. Second, there is something about the way the grounds are layed out that felt cramped. I love walking around the National Tennis Center at the US Open - the grounds are beautiful, spacious, and there are so many different food courts and vendor shops to visit. This is not the case at Wimbledon, so when the matches were delayed because of rain (which was often), there wasn't much to do. Another thing - Wimbledon has no night matches. I think this is a big miss. Not only do the spectators not get to see as much tennisbut there is something about going to a night match at the US Open that is electric. I know Wimbledon is all about old traditions, but the crowd and the whole event just seemed subdued. Maybe I am a biased New Yorker, but from a spectator-sport point of view, the US Open has Wimbledon beat.

Wimbledon!

As I'm sure you tennis fans know, Wimbledon started yesterday. It has been a dream of mine to attend all four Grand Slam tournaments (and as a lifelong New Yorker I have been to the US Open dozens of times) so last year I made the trip across the pond for Wimbledon. Since I didn't purchase tickets in advance (which needed to be done through a ballot system approximately six months prior to the tournament), I joined the queue. Wimbledon sells about 500 tickets each day for Centre Court (these are the people you see on tv camping out in tents), but they sell 6000 ground admission tickets. These tickets entitle you to watch any of the matches on the side courts that have unreserved seating. So, if you don't mind waiting in line, it was actually pretty easy to get tickets to the matches the day of the event.
For more details, visit wimbledon.org

Paragon Sports

I think Paragon Sports is a great store. This sporting goods store has been a NYC institution since 1908 and you can find equipment and apparel for just about any sport here. But I have a bone to pick with Paragon. I was there over the winter and their tennis apparel department was reduced to two pathetic racks. There was basically no assortment. I went back again recently and things were much improved. The first floor area behind the cash registers was all tennis clothing for men and woman, and they did have a great selection, with brands like Nike, Addidas, Bolle, Prince and more. But does Paragon assume people only play tennis in the summer? What about indoor tennis? If you are looking for tennis clothing in the winter I guess you won't find it here.

Central Park Tennis

Yes, playing tennis in Central Park is beautiful - what's not to like about being in New York City, in one of the most georgous parks in the world, playing tennis surrounded by skyscrapers? Well, a lot. The staff at Central Park Tennis center has come up with so many rules and regulations that it takes some of the fun out of playing here.
To play in Central Park, you must have a NYC tennis permit ($100), or you may purchase a single play ticket ($7).
Court reservations are taken from 10am-2pm weekdays by calling 212-280-0205; you must have a permit or a reservation ticket ($7) to reserve courts in advance. Beware, the phone line is always busy.
Players must check in at the tennis center no less than 15 minutes in advance of their court time otherwise the court will be given away. They aren't kidding; this has happened to me.
If you can abide by the Gestapo-like staff at the tennis center, it is a great place to play. There are 26 har-tru courts here and 4 hard courts, as well as lessons, a pro shop, locker facilities and a snack bar.
Closest subway: B/C to 96th Street.


http://www.centralpark.com/pages/attractions/tennis-center.html

Lower East Side Courts Under the Bridge

A few years ago I played tennis at the public courts on the East River. At the time, it was relatively easy to get on them (no one asked me for a permit), but the court conditions were very run down. I heard that these courts were redone so I went back recently to take a look. I found the 12 hardcourts were indeed redone and seemed to be in good shape. To play here, you do need a NYC tennis permit. Sign up takes place at the courts and I'm told the wait is usually an hour on weekends. During the week when I stopped by, most courts were empty so if you can play on weekdays that seems like your best bet. One downside: these courts are a little difficult to get to. The closest subway is the F to 2nd Avenue or Delancey Street, and then walk across the Delancey Street footbridge; the park is across the FDR Drive.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=East+Side+River+Park%2CNew+York%2CNY%2CLower+East+Side

Golfsmith - not just for golf

With a name like Golfsmith, I was surprised to discover that this store has one of the best tennis departments I have visited in a while. This is a great store for everything from raquets - demo's, stringing, or purchase - and a large assortment of tennis apparel. Brands include Nike, Ellesse, Bolle, Addidas and more. For store locations or to buy online, visit golfsmith.com