AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING SPORT IS COMING TO BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
Three new pickleball courts will open this Spring on Pier 2
Brooklyn Bridge Park today announces the addition of three pickleball courts at Pier 2. The new courts come as the sport of pickleball has become popular in New York City and around the country. Pickleball, described as a fun sport that combines elements of ping pong, badminton, and tennis has been gaining popularity in the U.S. and around the globe. The International Federation of Pickleball currently boasts 60 member countries, and the Sports & Fitness Industry Association estimates that 4.2 million people played pickleball in 2020, up 21 percent from the year before.
Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court, with a modified tennis net. It is played with a ping-pong like paddle that has a longer handle, and a plastic ball with holes, and can be played as doubles or singles. All ages and all skill levels can play pickleball. The under-utilized bocce courts that have been on Pier 2 since 2014 will be removed to make way for the new pickleball courts.
“We are excited to bring this sport to Brooklyn Bridge Park,” said Eric Landau, President of Brooklyn Bridge Park, “It is great exercise, enjoyed by all age groups, and keeps getting more and more popular.”
“Brooklyn Bridge Park is already a great space for all Brooklynites to enjoy, said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Especially in this time, when our outdoor spaces are so crucial, I’m happy that the park is able to be responsive to demand for fun, social activities that Brooklynites want, like pickleball.”
“The new pickleball courts replacing the underutilized bocce courts at Pier 2 signal that Brooklyn Bridge Park consistently stays ahead of the curve. New Yorkers win when our public spaces are responsive to what our communities need. I’ll be on the courts next spring!” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler.
“Bringing pickleball to the park not only recognizes the increasing popularity of the sport, but also affirms the ongoing commitment of Brooklyn Bridge Park to being a world-class waterfront park,” said Ira Katz, native Brooklynite and an avid Pickleball player.
Pickleball in the Press
In May, the Montreal Gazette noted that pickleball has been called the fastest growing sport in Canada.
NY Mag’s Intelligencer asks: Is the Next Great Pastime … Pickleball?
“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and popular with seniors, offering a good workout year round with low-impact on joints.” NYCWomen: Pickleball: A Popular New Sport
BBC News: Pickleball: The racquet sport experiencing a pandemic boom
About Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park, one of the largest and most significant public projects to be built in New York City in a generation, has transformed a once dilapidated industrial waterfront into a vibrant and thriving 85-acre civic landscape. Brooklyn Bridge Park stretches 1.3 miles from Atlantic Avenue in the south to Jay Street north of the Manhattan Bridge, spanning the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO along the East River. The self-sustaining park was designed by the award-winning firm of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. and features expansive lawns, rolling hills, waterfront promenades, innovative playgrounds, a greenway, sports facilities, and the popular Jane’s Carousel.
The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (BBP) develops, capitally improves, maintains, and fully operates the Park as a 501 (c) not-for-profit, controlled by the City of New York. BBP is responsible for the day to day operations of the Park, including horticulture, maintenance, capital planning and construction, event permitting, and concession oversight.
Contact: skrauss@bbp.nyc