Popular Tennis Court For Upper West Siders Set To Receive Repairs

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — There are generally three tennis courts that Upper West Siders play at — Central Park, the red clay courts in Riverside Park near 96th Street, and the hard courts in Riverside Park near 119th Street.

While the Central Park courts and the red clay courts are generally a bit busier, the hard courts farther uptown in Riverside offers a slightly more laid-back experience.

Now, those hard courts are receiving a repair job, the Riverside Park Conservancy and Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell announced on Thursday.

A total of $125,000 in funding recently secured by O'Donnell will go toward resurfacing the courts.

“The deteriorating surface impacts play and has the potential to become a hazard to players, and Assembly Member O’Donnell has stepped forward with funding for the necessary repairs and to restore the courts to their original condition,” said Mark McIntyre, Director of Riverside Tennis Association, in a news release.

The project is expected to begin in late June, weather permitting, and will take two to three weeks to complete.

During this time, the project will be split into two segments, allowing for half of the courts to remain open.

“We are overjoyed that these public courts are being restored with public funds,” said Joanie Schroeder, president of the 119th Street Tennis Association, in a news release.

O'Donnell also said he was "overjoyed" to secure funding for the tennis court project.