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Clearly the fastest-growing sport among Americans in the past year or so, pickleball has officially invaded New York via Hudson Yards, where CityPickle, a month-long installation complete with free court rentals and lessons, will launch on October 1.
In case you are, well, living under a rock and haven't heard of the sport yet: pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. Either two or four people can play at once, each player aiming to hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid paddles.
Some details about the new CityPickle program, part of the many offerings currently part of Backyard at Hudson Yards: the destination will be open from Mondays through Fridays between NOON and 7pm and between 9am and 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. New Yorkers can reserve the courts for free for one hour through the venue's website right here and opt to bring in their own paddles or rent custom ones for $10. Looking to develop your pickleball skills? For $100 an hour, you can sign up for clinics taught by USA pickleball Manhattan ambassador Katherine Hedden.
The timely offering is actually a precursor to the opening of CityPickles' first permanent location in Long Island City, scheduled for early 2023.
We're sure that playing pickleball among skyscrapers will soon become one of the best things to do in Hudson Yards, the rapidly developing neighborhood where most restaurant openings and local cultural pursuits seems to be gathering these days.