Pickleball Clubs in New York
Quick Answer: New York’s club tier runs wide. Gotham Pickleball in Long Island City charges $60 or $120 a month, Pickle1 in the Financial District runs $50 to $149 a month, and CityPickle Times Square asks a $2,900 initiation plus $249 monthly, as of September 2026. Non-member open play runs $20 to $65 per session.
No single number describes what pickleball costs in New York. Monthly memberships range from $50 to $249, initiation fees from nothing to $2,900, and a two-hour open play session from $20 to $65. Alongside that sits a volunteer-run neighborhood layer that charges nothing and a Parks Department membership at $150 a year.
Which dedicated pickleball clubs operate in New York City?
Gotham Pickleball runs two Long Island City sites: the original at 5-25 46th Avenue with 4 indoor Laykold Cushion Plus courts, and a second at 52-37 2nd Street in Hunters Point with 8 Pro Cushion courts, 6 indoor and 2 outdoor. Both list hours of 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Pickle1 occupies the ground floor at 7 Hanover Square in the Financial District with 3 indoor courts.
CityPickle runs a 7-court club on the 8th floor at 1501 Broadway in Times Square, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends, plus a seasonal 14-court outdoor site at Wollman Rink in Central Park.
PKLYN sits at 80 4th Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn, with 5 courts, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Hell’s Kitchen Pickleball Club occupies the 7th floor at 660 12th Avenue and describes itself as a pickleball and social members club established in 2024, with unlimited open play and court access.
What do New York pickleball club memberships cost?
Gotham Pickleball sells two tiers. A Weekday Membership is $60 per month with 25 to 50 percent off off-peak court reservations plus weekday open play discounts. A Premier Membership is $120 per month at a promotional rate running through September 2026, with 20 percent off peak courts, 50 percent off open play, 20 percent off tournament entries and 25 percent off clinics.
Pickle1 sells three monthly plans and a pass package. Pickle1 Pro is $149 per month with 25 percent off courts, 50 percent off open plays and early booking. Open Play is $99 per month for 50 percent off open plays with priority booking. Off-Peak Open Play is $50 per month for midday and late-night sessions. An Off-Peak Pass Package is $170 for 10 passes, or $17 per pass.
CityPickle Times Square sells one membership: a $2,900 initiation fee plus $249 per month, or $2,739 billed annually. Paying monthly for a year comes to $2,988, so the annual option saves $249, exactly one month. The club states only 120 memberships will be offered in 2026.
PKLYN sells a Premium Membership carrying 20 percent off nearly everything, early booking, rolling pricing, two free open plays a month and private showers, but does not publish the monthly price as of September 2026. Its contacts are 347-835-5596 and hello@pklyn.com. Hell’s Kitchen Pickleball Club does not publish pricing either, listing 212-977-1372.
Can you play in New York without a club membership?
Yes, and the published non-member rates spread wide. Gotham Pickleball charges $20 per two-hour weekday open play session, running Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and $40 per two-hour session at peak times, which is $10 and $20 per hour. Clinics are $60 for 90 minutes, or $40 per hour.
Pickle1 charges $30 for a 90-minute open play, or $20 per hour, and $34 for a two-hour open play, or $17 per hour. Court rental is $120 per hour at peak and $80 off peak, and non-members are welcome.
PKLYN charges non-members $110 per hour for a court against $88 for members, with drop-in from $25 for two hours, classes from $40 for 60 minutes and six-week leagues from $360, or $60 per week. CityPickle Times Square charges $130 per hour for a peak court and $65 per player for a two-hour open play, which is $32.50 per hour, with clinics from $30. The $20 Gotham weekday session and the $65 CityPickle peak session are both two hours, so the gap is $45 for the same court time.
How does open play work and how are skill levels sorted?
Gotham Pickleball runs both rated and unrated play across its clinics, open play, leagues and tournaments, which lets a newer player avoid rating-gated sessions. Pickle1 states its open plays and leagues are organized with players of a similar level, and PKLYN routes reservations through CourtReserve and recommends a DUPR account for certain programs.
Sessions run a fixed length with paddle stacking between games. Games to 11, win by 2 is the standard format, and the two-bounce rule applies under the 2026 rulebook.
Where does the free and community layer fit?
New York’s neighborhood pickleball communities are largely volunteer run and carry no formal membership. The NYC Pickleball guide describes groups coordinating through Slack channels and TeamReach codes rather than dues, and asks long-term participants to contribute, since volunteers bring the portable nets, tape and paint. Named examples include the Marine Park group in Brooklyn with 8 dedicated courts and a Fairview Park community on Staten Island of more than 100 players using 3 dedicated courts daily from 8 a.m. to sundown. The Major Owens Community Wellness Center in Brooklyn runs leveled indoor open play weekday mornings at $25 for two to two and a half hours.
The Parks Department layer sits in between. BK Reader reported NYC Parks recreation center memberships at $150 a year for adults 25 to 61, $100 at centers without indoor pools, $25 for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities, and free under 25. At $150 a year, that costs less than four peak two-hour sessions at CityPickle Times Square, since four at $65 is $260. Outdoor and municipal options are covered in the guide to pickleball courts across New York.
How do you join a New York pickleball club?
The dedicated clubs run on booking platforms rather than walk-up desks. Gotham uses gotham.podplay.app, CityPickle uses citypickle.podplay.app, Pickle1 uses pickle1.podplay.app or its own app, and PKLYN uses CourtReserve. Creating a free account and booking one session is the low-risk first move.
To add structured coaching, compare instructors through the roundup of pickleball lessons in New York. For scheduled team competition rather than open rotation, the guide to pickleball leagues in New York covers season formats and entry routes.
Which New York club fits which player?
A Queens or Brooklyn player on weekday daytime hours pays $10 an hour at Gotham Pickleball’s $20 weekday open play, against $17 an hour at Pickle1 and $32.50 at CityPickle Times Square. A Financial District worker who plays midday or late night fits Pickle1’s $50 Off-Peak Open Play plan or its $170 ten-pass package.
A Brooklyn player who wants a neighborhood club with leagues and a DUPR-linked structure fits PKLYN in Gowanus, calling for a membership figure first. A player for whom the club is also a workspace and social base, and for whom cost is not decisive, is the audience CityPickle Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen are built for. A player on a tight budget belongs in the neighborhood community layer or a Parks recreation center membership, free under age 25.
Frequently asked questions about pickleball clubs in New York
How much is a pickleball club membership in New York City?
Published monthly rates run from $50 at Pickle1 to $249 at CityPickle Times Square as of September 2026, and CityPickle also charges a $2,900 initiation fee. Gotham Pickleball sits between them at $60 and $120 per month.
Can you play at a New York pickleball club without joining?
Yes. Gotham, Pickle1, PKLYN and CityPickle all publish non-member rates, and two-hour open play sessions run $20 to $65 by club and time of day.
Which New York club has the most courts?
Among those covered here, CityPickle’s seasonal Wollman Rink site lists 14 outdoor courts and Gotham’s Hunters Point site lists 8, ahead of CityPickle Times Square at 7, PKLYN at 5, Gotham Long Island City at 4 and Pickle1 at 3.
Is there free pickleball in New York City?
Yes. Volunteer-run neighborhood groups play on public courts at no cost, coordinating through Slack channels and TeamReach codes rather than dues, per the NYC Pickleball guide.
What does a NYC Parks recreation center membership cost?
BK Reader reported it at $150 a year for adults 25 to 61, $100 at centers without indoor pools, $25 for seniors and veterans, and free under 25.
Do New York clubs use DUPR?
PKLYN recommends a DUPR account for certain programs, Gotham Pickleball offers both rated and unrated play, and Pickle1 groups its open plays and leagues by similar level.
Which New York club publishes the lowest open play rate?
Among the clubs covered here, Gotham Pickleball’s $20 weekday two-hour session is the lowest published figure as of September 2026, against PKLYN drop-in from $25, Pickle1 at $30 for 90 minutes and CityPickle at $65.
Is CityPickle at Central Park open year round?
The Wollman Rink operation is seasonal outdoor play at 830 5th Avenue with 14 courts, a cafe and a pro shop. Confirm current dates on the location page before traveling.
A side-by-side comparison saves real money in a market this wide, and the directory of pickleball clubs lists the city’s options with addresses and contact routes in one place. Pair it with the New York court guide if free public courts near a club matter.
Written by the Pickler Junction Team.
