Save Basketball City

Images_3Some times when places open up you wonder what did we ever do without them?  Basketball City would be one of those places. 

Basketball City is located next to Chelsea Piers.  You can’t miss it from the Westside Highway.  That large white round object.  Tennis courts do not exist underneath but a building housed with one basketball court after another.  There are also locker rooms, a weight room and NYPD’s mounted unit. 

The place has been packed since it opened.  I can’t guess how many public and private schools in the city use the facility for their practices and games.  On the weekends, there are leagues, birthday parties and the works.  During the summer, there are camps for both boys and girls. 

Last night I received in my email box a letter about saving Basketball City.  That the Hudson River Park Trust (their landlord) is planning on ripping down Pier 63 and building a park.  I’m all for parks.  The westside is transforming daily.  But, getting rid of Basketball City without an suitable alternative location is a travesty.  The basketball courts that have been provided to the kids in the city has become an integral part of many organizations sports programs.  Each program would be a major loss without this fantastic facility. 

They are asking for your help. Please call and email the following officials immediately to express your support for Basketball City and your outrage that these kids will no longer have a place to play. Please contact the officials listed below ASAP (and cc to [email protected]).

Call 311 and say that you want to complaint filed directly to the Mayor, or send and email http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Or call Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President, 212-669-8300, [email protected]
or Governor Pataki, (518) 474-8390, http://161.11.3.75/govemail (link for email).

I am contacting all 3.  Losing Basketball City would be a major loss to NYC. 

Comments (Archived):

  1. Anthony Rip

    Basketball city provides basketball courts to white collar business men who are willing to buy courtime to play inside. The fact is Basketball City is an eyesore along the Hudson waterfront and the fact that the mounted police are breaking the law by not moving out is a shame. Rip the bubble down and return the watherfront to the people of NYC.

  2. Peter Wunsch

    While it is true that Anthony is correct about businessmen renting the courts it is also true that schools with teams from 5th grade through high school play games and practice there. Eliminating the facility leaves a great gap for all the city schools that do not have the funds to own their own gyms for kids. Many schools even rent the space for gym classes during the day when the businessmen are at work. Finally,the Hudson River Park Trust is easily influenced by well to do community sports programs who control the fields they develop rather than let everyone play.

  3. cory

    this is an absolute tragedy. politics at its worst.

    thousands of kids will be left on the street without basketball city. you have middle school and high school programs that are totally dependant on the facility. not to mention, thousands of kids under 10 years old that the facility handles for camps and clinics throughout the summer.
    imagine entering your high school basketball season, and you have a chance at a college scholarship, and your season gets canceled due to no place to play.

    the worst part is that they clearly cant rip it down because the police are there. isnt it more important to have our police in a local venue than having no place to store the horses?

    this is politics at its worst. and the politicians should be ashamed of themselves for not even acknowledging the kids that will be effected by this distastrous decision.