With the U.S. Open in full swing, many are motivated to pick up a racket and play some good tennis. When I lived in Manhattan NY, I was never able to play because there weren’t any free public courts available. The courts that were available required that you pay for the privilege of play time. Central Park Tennis Center requires you to have a season permit of $200 and pay $15 for one hour of play time. Midtown Tennis, where Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour plays every morning, has hourly rates ranging from $75-90 and seasonal rates between $1500 and $1800. If you want private lessons, expect to pay upwards of $120 and hour depending on your tennis pro. Looking at rates like that make me appreciate life in the Philly ‘burbs where my husband and I can just hop in a car to the local high school and play in one of the tennis courts there for FREE. No reserving, no waiting, no having to take a subway or cab and no paying out-of-pocket expenses for permits or hourly rates.
Tennis Courts: Urban Win 0, Suburban Win 1
U.S. Open tennis court. Source: altiusdirectory.com.
Suburbanologie 