c/o CityPickle
Just over a year after pickleball first took over Central Park’s Wollman Rink, the popular game will return – but this time in a much more permanent way.
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CityPickle announced Monday that it will open 14 courts at Wollman Rink on May 1. Part of what’s new for 2024 is the pickleball surface, which The New York Times reports underwent a $250,000+ upgrade to create permanent flooring that will sit underneath the ice come winter. CityPickle reportedly split the cost of the new surface with Wollman Rink Partners, which operates the rink’s concessions. CityPickle told the New York Times that the new surface will drain faster following rainstorms, compared to the carpet-like surface used in 2023.
CityPickle’s 2023 installation attracted more than 56,000 pickleball players. A three-year-deal will make pickleball a fixture of Wollman Rink during the warm weather months, at least through 2026. The Wollman Rink facility claims to be the largest pickleball facility in the Northeast U.S.
City Parks commissioner Sue Donoghue told The New York Times that pickleball “really is aligned with what we want to do, which is provide access to the most up-to-date sports and active recreation.”
Pop-up pickleball courts, largely thanks to CityPickle, have appeared throughout the city in recent years, with installations at Hudson Yards, Industry City, and at JFK’s TWA Hotel. CityPickle also opened its first permanent facility, a 10,000 square foot indoor space in Long Island City in September 2023. Popularity of the game among all ages continues to grow, with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association reporting it as the fastest-growing sport in America. More than 13.6 million Americans played pickleball in 2023, which is more than flag football, indoor volleyball and badminton, among others.
The Wollman Rink courts will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with fees from $10 to $12.50 per player. The facility will also offer food and drink, courtside cabanas and a VIP Players Lounge. Reservations open April 24. For more information or to book, visit the website.
I would like to know where you found those price since it’s $60 per hour per person
I first read the penultimate sentence as: “The facility will also offer food and drink, courtside *cannabis* and a VIP Players Lounge.” I thought for a sec, Yeah, makes sense: the whole city now reeks of skunk weed, anyway. But courtside *cabanas* — well, that sounds pleasant, but then again, pickle ball blight — no thanks.