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Go ahead and make a racket because ping pod pods—appropriately called PingPod—are coming to several more locations throughout NYC this year.
PingPod will open locations in Downtown Brooklyn on February 15, on East 95th on the Upper East Side during early April and on the Upper West Side sometime in April. Like PingPod's current NYC locations, they'll be open 24/7.
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Here's how it works: You pick your location, reserve a time online and then get access to your table. The whole process is totally autonomous for some futuristic fun. Balls and paddles are provided, and you can even buy some drinks and snacks while you're there.
Everybody's welcome, from beginners to experts. You can even bring a few friends with you to cheer on the match. While there are no on-site employees, you can sign up for table tennis coaching or classes, from social meet-ups to advanced lessons.
Inside these airy, street-level spaces, you'll find about four or five tables, some even include a private pod that you can reserve. Pricing ranges from $15-$50/session, depending on demand and your preferences. A security firm monitors each pod 24/7, the company says.
PingPod's leaders said they wanted to provide space for play that's often lacking in urban centers. Their motto: "For fitness, for fun, for everyone." The company's leaders include a sports management expert, a finance pro and a table tennis champion.
The new locations opening soon will join PingPod's current NYC spots in Astoria, Williamsburg, the Lower East Side, the Garment District and another Upper East Side venue. The Lower East Side location, the first PingPod, opened amid the early days of the pandemic in 2020. There's so much demand, the brand says, they're expanding in NYC and beyond—New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and Miami.
With Valentine's Day coming up, PingPod could make a cute and quirky first date spot. If your date can't volley some jokes while gently hitting a plastic ball across the table, well, maybe that's a foul.