Pickleball Palooza Coming To Washington Heights: What To Know

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Pickleball-mania appears to be making its way to Washington Heights.

Highbridge Park near 2301 Amsterdam Ave. will host the Highbridge Pickleball Palooza on April 16 within the pool area of the park.

A total of eight pickleball courts will be set for the tournament of 16 teams using a round-robin format.

The tournament will run from noon to 4 p.m., and you need to reserve a spot to join. You can do that by emailing Trevor.Merk@parks.nyc.gov.

The At-Times Controversial Rise of Pickleball in New York City

The ball-and-paddle sport has skyrocketed in popularity over the past couple of years.

However, that rise has sparked confrontations across the city, with parents and players swatting at each other from the West Village to Hell's Kitchen to the Upper East Side.

The issue generally revolves around the sparking of a turf battle between park goers, parents, children, and ardent pickleball players.

That turf battle has centered around how much space in public parks should be taken over by pickleball courts, especially when it takes away area from children trying to play.

Most recently, a Community Board 8 meeting on the Upper East Side took place on how much pickleball space should exist within Carl Schurz Park, and if the sport deterred kids from playing.

The city’s Parks Department actually banned pickle play at a West Village playground last December after similar concerns were raised.

On the flip side, several players told the Upper East Side community board how pickleball has rejuvenated and changed their lives, with multiple people claiming the game has gotten them off the couch and active in the community for the first time in years.

The solution has generally been to for the Parks Department and conservancies to be more specific about where pickleball can and cannot be played within a park.

The Highbridge Pickleball Palooza is the only pickleball event on the official Parks Department schedule for the next couple of months in the Upper Manhattan park, but Patch will keep an eye on the rise of the racket-and-ball sport in Washington Heights and Inwood.

Patch reporter Peter Senzamici contributed to this report.