The 10 red clay courts at 96th Street in Riverside Park are public tennis courts under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The Courts are open for play 7 days a week from mid-April until early December.
Play officially begins at 7:00 AM. Closing time varies with the length of day, but the last hour of play generally begins one hour and fifteen minutes before sunset.
The courts are closed during periods of rain and remain
closed until dry and deemed playable. Reopening will be announced on the
RCTA Hotline: (212) 978-0277.
To play, you need either:
•A Seasonal New York City Tennis Permit; or
•A Single Play Ticket (day permit) for $7.
Courts are assigned on a first come/first serve basis. There are no reservations or advance signings. Courts are assigned for the next available hour only. That is, if the current hour is booked, assignments will then be made for the upcoming hour. If and when the upcoming hour is booked, the following hour will be assigned. The sign-up policy is designed to keep the courts as available as possible and to give everyone an equal chance to sign-up for a court on any given day.
Both players must be present at the gate to book a court. (This rule is generally suspended during the weekday, but is firmly enforced during the weekend).
Play is limited to one hour of court time for singles players. Doubles players can book two hours of play. All four doubles players must be present at the gate to book a court for 2 hours.
Season permit holders do not have priority over day pass holders.
Season tennis permits may be purchased at the Arsenal in Central Park, 830 5th Avenue at 64th Street (in front of the Central Park Zoo) or from Paragon Sport Sporting Goods, Broadway and 18th Street, in Manhattan. Adult permits are $100, Senior permits (over 62) are $20, and Junior permits (under 17) are $10. For further information about season permits call: (212) 360-8131
Flat-soled (no heels please!) tennis shoes must be worn at all times to protect the clay surface.
Players provide their own racquets and tennis balls (though we do have a few racquets in stock that can be borrowed, with the understanding that if you break a string, you must pay for the restringing. Participants play at their own risk.