Tennis court guide

The best public tennis courts in NYC

New York has hundreds of public tennis courts, from a 26-court center in Central Park to a hidden set of red clay on the Hudson. The hard part is never finding a court, it is finding one worth the trip and someone to play once you get there. Here are the best public courts borough by borough, what makes each one worth playing, and how to actually get on. Every court below has a live page on Doyouplay where you can see who plays there and line up a partner before you go.

Season permit: $100 adults, $20 seniors, $10 juniors (covers every NYC Parks court)
Single play: $15 day pass, per person
Booking: Reserve online up to about a week ahead, or first-come at the gate
Season: Early April to just before Thanksgiving
Free, no permit: Hudson River Park, first-come on the Hudson waterfront

How the NYC permit system works

Almost every public court in the city runs on the NYC Parks permit. A full-season permit is $100 for adults, with cheaper rates for seniors and juniors, and it covers every permit court in all five boroughs. If you are only playing once, buy a $15 single-play day pass instead. The season runs from early April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. At the busier centers you can reserve a court online up to about a week ahead; everywhere else it is first-come, with a gate attendant signing players in for the next open hour. A handful of courts are free and unstaffed, with no permit checked at all.

44 public courts mapped in New York

See all courts in New York

Manhattan

Central Park Tennis Center

The classic. Twenty-six green Har-Tru clay courts plus a few hard courts, tucked below the 96th Street transverse, make this the city's biggest public tennis center and its most sought-after. The clay plays slow and is kind on the knees, the setting is pure New York, and prime weekend slots vanish weeks ahead, so book early or show up at opening. Central Park Tennis Center: hours, permits, and tips.

96th Street red clay, Riverside Park

The rarest courts in the city. These ten courts in Riverside Park are the only public red clay in New York, and one of only about four public red-clay facilities in the entire country, the same crushed-brick surface they play the French Open on. A volunteer association grooms them by hand all season. Play for a $15 day pass at the gate or an NYC Parks permit; two courts book online, the rest are first-come. If you have ever wanted to slide on real clay without flying to Paris, this is it. The 96th Street red clay courts.

Riverside Park, 119th Street

Ten hard courts resurfaced in 2022, on the Riverside Park promenade near Columbia and Morningside Heights. Quieter than Central Park, and a short walk from the 96th Street red clay if you want to try both surfaces in a day. Riverside Park 119th Street courts.

Hudson River Park

Free hard courts on the Hudson waterfront on Manhattan's west side. No permit, first-come, and open year-round, with river views and a breeze off the water. Hudson River Park tennis courts.

Fort Washington Park

Quiet hard courts in Washington Heights, by the river under the George Washington Bridge, with big Hudson views. A standard NYC Parks permit court that rarely draws a crowd. Fort Washington Park tennis courts.

Brooklyn

McCarren Park

The social heart of north Brooklyn tennis. Seven hard courts on the Williamsburg and Greenpoint line, busy from morning to night, with a real community scene. Bring a permit or day pass and expect a wait at peak hours. McCarren Park tennis courts.

Fort Greene Park

Six well-kept hard courts on the slope of one of Brooklyn's best parks, in the heart of the brownstone belt. Friendly, central, and a favorite of the local tennis crowd. Fort Greene tennis courts.

Prospect Park Tennis Center

Brooklyn's main tennis center, at the south end of Prospect Park. Nine Har-Tru clay courts plus two hard, with lessons, programs, and a seasonal bubble that keeps play going through the winter. A reliable home base for south Brooklyn players. Prospect Park Tennis Center.

Queens

Astoria Park

Fourteen hard courts under the Hell Gate and RFK bridges, right by the Astoria Pool and the East River. One of the biggest and best-situated public sets in Queens, with enough courts that you can usually get on without a long wait. Astoria Park tennis courts.

The Bronx

Crotona Park Tennis Center

The Bronx's flagship: more than twenty hard courts in a historic park, one of the largest public tennis sites in the city, and home to a strong junior development scene. Rarely as crowded as the Manhattan centers. Crotona Park Tennis Center.

A few more worth knowing

You can book the outdoor and indoor courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, where the US Open is played. Pier 42 on the Lower East Side has hard courts right on the East River. And if you want clay without the Riverside trek, Sutton East Tennis Club keeps red clay courts under the 59th Street Bridge, though that one is private.

Find a court and a partner

New to the city's system? Our full guide to NYC tennis, permits, and partners walks through booking in detail.

Found your court? The other half is a partner who actually shows up. Find players near you on Doyouplay, or browse every court with live availability.