Ahead of our new shop opening in SoHo's Broome Street, we ask tennis tastemakers and New York locals, Racquet magazine to give us their hitlist for NYC.
Best independent venue for watching live music?
We here at Racquet are partial to Forest Hills Stadium - it’s set in the gorgeous and historic West Side Tennis Club, which was home to the US Open for a few decades and during its heyday in the 1970s, hosted Dylan and the Beatles - who arrived for their show via helicopter, landing on Court 4. Now bands such as Interpol, the xx and Sigur Rós come through on the regular. There’s not a bad seat in the house, but the best ones are former umpire and scorekeeping dugouts now reimagined as private VIP speakeasies with cocktails and tennis ephemera on the walls.
Best place to go after-dark and why?
Any true New Yorker ends their night at a classic diner - you’ll know you’re in the right spot if your menu is as thick as a phone book and the eats are all designed to soak up any excess substances. Joe Jr. on 3rd Avenue and 16th street can lay claim to one of the best hamburgers in the city, to boot, as well as a beautiful diversity of patrons. Do yourself a favor and order a grilled cheese on rye, matzoh ball soup and a chocolate egg cream. You’ll thank us in the morning.
Best park to practice your forehand?
David and I are big believers in the New York City public court scene - you’ll battle retirees for courts, see tai chi demonstrations, hear the shrieks of kids running through sprinklers and play against some of the most iconic (if not pristine) vistas the city has to offer. Our home courts are part of the Lower East Side’s Brian K. Watkins Tennis Center and a court will run you two $15 park passes per player. Just make sure you’re nice to the parks’ department employees because they are not here for any of your nonsense.
New York’s best-kept secret?
One of the city’s architectural marvels is Grand Central Terminal, serving nearly 70 million passengers a year via the Metro North and NYC subway lines that access the landmarked Beaux Arts building. Many a New Yorker knows to stop in for the classic raw bar and martini combo at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, fewer know to grab a cocktail at the Jazz age cocktail bar up the marble staircase, The Campbell, but almost nobody can find the secret elevator that takes you to The Vanderbilt, a single tennis court (with two practice ball machines) tucked away on the fourth floor with jaw-dropping architectural details.
Fred Perry New York is now open 483 Broome Street, New York, NY, 10013
