Crotona Park Tennis Center

Crotona Park Tennis Center, operated as the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, sits at 1720 Crotona Ave at Claremont Parkway in the Crotona Park East neighborhood of the South Bronx. The facility offers 22 outdoor hard courts, all lit for evening play. A 12,000 sq ft two-story clubhouse completed in 2017 houses classrooms, a pro shop, and administrative offices for New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL), the on-site operator.

By subway, take the 2 or 5 train to Freeman St and walk south on Southern Blvd to Claremont Pkwy. Alternatively, ride the 2 or 5 to Prospect Ave and catch the northbound BX17 bus, which stops directly in front of the center. The 22 courts are the largest concentration of public tennis courts in the Bronx, within Crotona Park's 127.5 acres.

This is a staffed, permit-required facility. General public play during the outdoor season requires an NYC Parks tennis permit. Permit prices: $100 for adults (ages 18 to 61), $20 for seniors (62+), and $10 for juniors (under 18). A season permit covers all NYC Parks outdoor courts, not just Cary Leeds.

If you prefer a single visit, a $15 single-play day pass grants one hour of court time at any NYC Parks outdoor court, including Crotona Park. Purchase permits through NYC Parks online or at designated permit offices.

The season runs April 1 through the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Outside that window the courts are closed to the public. Note that NYJTL delivers over 6,000 hours of free court time annually through its community programs, but those are structured programs, not open public play.

The Cary Leeds Center opened in 2017 following a multi-year public-private renovation designed by architect GLUCK+. It functions as the flagship facility of NYJTL, the largest youth tennis organization in the United States.

Crotona Park has a long competitive history. The ITF Women's Circuit Bronx Open was held here from 1996 to 2012, drawing top-100 professionals as a US Open tune-up. The tournament returned in 2019 as a WTA International event at the Cary Leeds Center, bringing professional tennis back to the South Bronx.

The center also runs Saturday Night Lights, a free weekly Saturday evening program funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), open to all Bronx middle and high school students. NYJTL describes it as the only tennis Saturday Night Lights site in New York City.

Crotona Park itself spans 127.5 acres and is sometimes called the Central Park of the South Bronx, serving Crotona Park East, Belmont, Tremont, Morrisania, and West Farms. The 22 courts here represent a meaningful public asset for those neighborhoods.

For more places to play, see the best public tennis courts in NYC or browse every court in the city. Then find a partner at your level on Doyouplay before you go.