CityView, 43-34 32nd Pl., Long Island City; cityviewracquet.com
Playing tennis on even-surfaced clay courts indoors should not be as uncommon as it is in New York City, where any indoor private club is rare, let alone one with clay courts. That plus having the option of a shower in a clean locker room, a pregame workout in a gym, and a postgame lunch with tennis on the TV are all reasons to play at CityView in Queens. “It offers the best of a traditional club without the pretension,” says James Perkins, a visual artist and recent tennis convert. “The staff is amazing, the locker service is great, and they set up matches between members, which makes it fun and easy to meet others and play. I don’t know if I have met more businesspeople or artists at the club — it’s just a lovely mix of tennis enthusiasts.” The coaches have strong résumés, having been accomplished juniors, former college players, or even players with WTA or ATP points (i.e., who were low-level pros on tour). Three of the courts were recently redone, and there is free valet parking, which, again, is practically unheard of in the city. Says Perkins, “It is just a brilliant place to play during the colder months.” Depending on the membership tier, monthly dues run from $100 to $390, not including an initiation fee and hourly court fees.
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