Open Squash, a non-profit “on a mission to make the game of squash more accessible and affordable to everyone,” will move into the space soon to be vacated by Eastern Athletic Club at 43 Clark St. Eastern will close for good on May 31, 2023. The target open date for Open Squash is sometime in the last quarter of 2024.
Open Squash currently operates a facility with 5 squash courts near Bryant Park. The Brooklyn Heights location will have 9 courts on the lower level and 1 on the upper, that will look something like this.
Sliding-scale membership discounts, junior scholarships and three membership tiers will be offered “to reach more diverse socioeconomic communities.” Their motto is “we are the opposite of exclusive.”
The Bryant Park location currently offers group clinics, private lessons, social events, and competitive games for different skill levels, as well as hosts the New York interclub league. For kids and teens, there are competitive programs, summer camps with income-based discounts, and coaching by world-ranked pros.
About opening on Clark St., Open Squash says,
The Brooklyn Heights location is currently home to Corner Squash and the Eastern Athletic Club, and for years has had a vibrant squash community that Open Squash very much hopes to support and grow. The plan is to begin renovation of the courts there in 2023, creating another full-service community squash center with at least 9 state-of-the-art squash courts – and to manage the renovation with the least amount of disruption possible to the existing community.
Read their entire announcement at this link.
If you’re an avid squash player and can’t wait for the 2024 opening (and don’t know anyone to sponsor you at that other tennis/squash facility or can’t afford it), another location in downtown Manhattan will open this fall. Membership sign-up is now available.
