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| The upstairs lounge at CityView Racquet Club. |
By Liza Horan
New York—It had all the marks of a hot downtown club—the cool black-clad staff standing by the door, a velvet rope, a guest list, valet parking, a booming bass line, celebrities, and a packed crowd.
But instead of a dance floor, there were seven brand new tennis courts, four squash courts, spacious locker rooms, an open-air fitness area, and a spa.
CityView Racquet Club, a $10 million facility that sits atop the former Swingline stapler building in Long Island City (an 11-minute subway ride from midtown Manhattan), is more country club than nightclub, for sure. But it's grand opening bash on April 17 was a hip party that drew TV talk show host Regis Philbin and wife Joy (below right), reality stars Ramona and Mario Singer of Real Housewives of New York City, and former pro and TV commentator Justin Gimelstob.
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| Regis and Joy Philbin were on hand for the launch party. Regis hit a few balls with Justin Gimelstob. |
"It's great to see a nice new modern facility in New York," said Gimelstob, who is shopping for a home in the Chelsea neighborhood where his brother Russell lives. "Having a place this accessible is great (for pro players), so you're not dependent on living in Florida (for a top training facility)." Gimelstob, a member of CityView, said he had plans to hit with Andy Roddick, who recently purchased a Gramercy Park home with fiancee Brooklyn Decker. Venus Williams also has been spotted at the club.
While the three-story facility's decor is as sleek and modern as the lobby of a W hotel, lush and natural touches—like a 30-foot palm tree, indirect lighting and wood accents—give it a comfortable air. An outdoor area and Manhattan-facing windows provide the private club's namesake scenes.
For all the glitz of this first-rate club, there is even more substance. General Manager Michael DelPrete, who scouted for locations from New Jersey to Manhattan and Queens in a helicopter, has run tennis clubs in the area for more than 30 years and the group behind CityView currently runs other locations, including the Central Park tennis concession.
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| Former pro and CityView member Justin Gimelstob with CityView owners Joe Shabot, Eli Dweck and Michael DelPrete. |
"We've lost 33 tennis courts in the area over the last several years," DelPrete said, noting the closures of the Wall Street floating tennis facility, the Columbus Racquet Club, and, most recently, the Stadium Racquet Club that was destroyed for the new Yankee stadium, among other locations that were demolished in favor of real estate development. "We needed to find a new facility to handle the growing needs of tennis in the area."
Carla Hughes, who works for CityView in Long Island City and also at the Central Park concession said, "I've worked in tennis in New York for 25 years and watched 20 clubs close. I've never seen anything of this caliber."
The roof of the Swingline building, which dates from the 1920s, was perfect. "It was zoned properly from the beginning. It's a natural fit for someone who wants the best of the best," says DelPrete, who is a frequent player. "New York City and the surrounding areas definitely need a five-star facility."
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| A 30-foot palm tree graces the open space of the club, just outside the courts and locker rooms. |
The seven-member tennis staff, led by Kirk Moritz and Joe Perez, already has roots in the area, with most pros having worked in the New Year environs for year.
"They really recruited the staff they wanted—who knows the New York tennis market and are known in the New York area," said Moritz, who noted that racquet-customizer-to-the-pros, Roman Prokes, runs the pro shop. "I think this is the future of tennis in New York—rooftops."
Tennis memberships run from $4,100 to $5,500 year, plus $1,500 initiation. For details, visit CityViewRacquet.com.
