Pickleball in Pittsburgh: 10 places to play in the Steel City

Grab your paddle and head to these courts for a game of pickleball in Pittsburgh.

It’s got a funny name, it has a short learning curve, and it’s the hottest new sport your grandparents play.

That’s right, we’re talking about pickleball, an engaging sport that’s best described as a mix of tennis and ping pong. Pickleball has recently been taking the world by storm, and that includes the parks and courts of Pittsburgh. In fact, Pittsburgh has added so many pickleball courts in recent years that there are now dozens of courts in and around the city where you can flex your pickleball skills.

We’ve put together a list of 10 of our favorite places to play. Because the game is so popular, note that most courts are first-come, first-served, with waiting players taking to the court once a game ends.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Aspinwall Recreational Area – Aspinwall

Not far from the banks of the Allegheny River, Aspinwall Recreational Area has two outdoor pickleball courts that are both free to use. Plus, Aspinwall will soon be adding four pickleball courts to the borough park, meaning even more courts will be available for residents and pickleball enthusiasts.

Frick Park – Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh

Frick Park is an urban forest in the middle of the city, as well as a recreational gem. Behind Frick’s Blue Slide Park, you can find three outdoor courts that are especially great for morning play, before the workers of the world retreat from the pickleball courts to their jobs.

North Park – Allison Park

Beautiful North Park hosts eight outdoor pickleball courts and is a great pickleball option for those who live in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. The courts are located northwest of North Park Lake. Bonus: Once you’ve finished playing, you can reward yourself for your win (or alternatively, for your exercise) with a scoop of Millie’s ice cream or a drink at Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe at the North Park Boathouse.

Schenley Park Oval Sportsplex and Skating Rink – Oakland, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park offers two opportunities to play pickleball during the summer months. The Schenley Oval Sportsplex has four pickleball courts with a queuing system that makes it easy to join a group if you haven’t come with three other players. And if you want to reserve a pickleball court at a Pittsburgh city park, you can set your sights on the Schenley Park Skating Rink. The rink is usually a skating rink, but during the summer it’s transformed into pickleball courts — between July and September, you can book an hour’s worth of play for your group online. It’s just $5.37 to book a court.

SouthSide Works – South Side, Pittsburgh

Built less than a year ago, a free-to-use “Sport Court” can be found within the South Side’s retail and entertainment complex known as the SouthSide Works — thanks, redevelopment! If other players are waiting, groups of four may use one of the two pickleball courts for up to an hour. Also, if you don’t have your own pickleball equipment yet, you can rent balls and nets from Pins Mechanical, a nearby duckpin bowling bar.

Verona Riverbank Park – Verona

Just north of Pittsburgh across the Allegheny River, the borough of Verona is a small community with a thriving civic and cultural scene. One community asset, Verona Riverbank Park, is also home to four public pickleball courts that the park describes as “state-of-the-art.” These outdoor courts are open from 9 a.m. until dark each day. Courts numbers 1 and 2 are open for drop-in play at any time, though courts numbers 3 and 4 can be reserved ahead of time via an app. And if those courts are not reserved, then they’re also available for drop-in play!

Washington’s Landing – Troy Hill, Pittsburgh

Washington’s Landing, formerly known as Herr’s Island, has a whopping 10 courts for outdoor public play, all renovated less than a year ago. This is a great location if you want to limit the amount of time you need to wait to play, though note that with so many courts, queuing can get a bit chaotic. You can get to Washington’s Landing — an island in the middle of the Allegheny River — by taking the 30th St. Bridge from Troy Hill. 

Want to play indoors (or plan for winter play)?

The city has two recreation centers that feature indoor pickleball courts and offer public play during specific windows each week. Both the Brookline Recreation Center in Brookline and the West Penn Recreation Center in Polish Hill have two indoor courts. Currently, the Brookline center is open for pickleball play between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays while the West Penn center has pickleball play between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Mondays and between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. You can check with Pittsburgh Citiparks or the individual rec center to confirm play times. 

New to pickleball? Here’s where to learn to play.

The pickleball courts at Washington’s Landing host pickleball clinics each week for players who have never picked up a pickleball paddle as well as for beginning players still new to the sport. You can book a clinic spot online for roughly $15.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.