“There is usually a daily saga around the sign-up sheet for the court. The rules require a permit from the Parks Department, but also a reservation for the court. The sign-up sheet is posted at the park house first thing in the morning for that day’s play, but I get regular complaints about the fraud going on.

People sign up their friends, a local player even offers it as a service, and there are instructors — both local and not — who hog up the court to give lessons, which is not permitted by the city without a permit and not permitted at all at this location. (Public spaces cannot be annexed for private business.) Then sometimes the sign-up sheet disappears, people’s names are crossed off, etc etc.

“It really has gotten out of control,” one player told me. “All these pros are making good money at the expense of the city and other players who want to use this PUBLIC court.”

———- I want to start playing tennis for the first time next year. Not at this court, rather in Queens. Hopefully everything at the this court is sorted out for next year.

What would happen if like six people walked up to the pro and said, "You're done. Get the f*ck off the court." Is he going to volley them all tough or something?

I can already see the crazy news @ 11 headlines.

gee rich people neighborhoods sure have the drama /s

Yeah I know a court in Brooklyn this is a problem too. One guy gives a lesson and then waits for his other instructor friend to come give a lesson, essentially unethically hogging the court for hours.

I mean the basic etiquette is first-come first-serve and needing both playing there to start, and not taking over an hour. "Hand-offs" and shit like that shouldn't fly.

And yeah, I'll definitely be a huge (justified) asshole if I see that continue at my local court.

An on a similar note, losing all the East River courts in Manhattan this year last was huge (due to redoing the park to raise the seawall). Already a lack of easy-to-get-to places to play, and that was one of the best. Still at least another couple years until those will be re-made.

The good thing is that you’re very unlikely to get physically assaulted by someone who uses the city’s tennis courts, even if you dare them.

Pier 42 between two bridges has 4 courts that just recently opened to offset the loss of the east river courts https://www.manhattantennisassociation.com/court-finder/pier-42