Public courts and tracks.
Basketball, handball, tennis, pickleball and volleyball courts and running tracks in NYC parks, from NYC Parks' own list. NYC Parks' pages mention no permit for casual basketball, handball, pickleball or volleyball; tennis needs a NYC Parks permit until November 22, 2026 ($15 for a single play). The lit ones work after work.
4 parks, 18 tennis courts
“A permit is needed to use an outdoor court from the first Saturday in April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Single-play permits cost $15; full-season permits are $100 for adults 18 to 61, $20 for 62 and older and $10 under 18. Most courts are open from 8:00 a.m. to dusk.” NYC Parks, /permits/tennis-permits, read October 22, 2026.
- John V. Lindsay East River Park (NYC Parks page)12 tennis courts · Downtown · asphaltPermit neededMap of John V. Lindsay East River Park
- Pier 42 (NYC Parks page)4 tennis courts · Downtown · asphaltPermit neededMap of Pier 42
- Wald Playground (NYC Parks page)1 tennis court · Downtown · asphaltPermit neededMap of Wald Playground
- Washington Market Park (NYC Parks page)1 tennis court · Downtown · asphaltPermit neededMap of Washington Market Park
What NYC Parks says
“Organized leagues or special events need a permit to use an athletic field or court; for people under 18 the permit is free. NYC Parks' field and court map shows which have been permitted.” NYC Parks, /facilities/basketball, read October 22, 2026.
Tennis
“A permit is needed to use an outdoor court from the first Saturday in April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Single-play permits cost $15; full-season permits are $100 for adults 18 to 61, $20 for 62 and older and $10 under 18. Most courts are open from 8:00 a.m. to dusk.” NYC Parks, /permits/tennis-permits, read October 22, 2026.
NYC Parks' pages for basketball, handball, pickleball and volleyball courts mention no permit for casual play, and we found no Parks page for running tracks, so we add no rule for those. Pickleball: Parks' own pickleball page lists more courts than its dataset flags.
New to pickup? How pickup works on Parks courts, tennis permits included.
Source: NYC Parks, Athletic Facilities (last updated July 23, 2026) and Parks Properties for park names, on NYC Open Data, fetched October 22, 2026. Courts close for repairs and events; each park's NYC Parks page has the latest.