From the August issue: When the U.S. Open kicks off at the end of this month, hundreds of
thousands of fans will flock to Flushing Meadows to watch the world’s
tennis greats battle it out.
But while New York has long been home to the Grand Slam tournament,
it is not the most hospitable place for tennis aficionados: Because of
the high cost of land, tennis courts are few and far between. In
addition, several high-profile courts, such as Long Island City’s
Tennisport and the facilities above Grand Central Station, are
scheduled to close soon. Although there are still courts in private clubs and public parks,
the building boom of the past five years that resulted in the
construction of luxury amenities — from pools to waterfalls — rarely
involved the erection of tennis facilities. [more]