Tennis Court 7

Public courts still exist. Tennis Court 7 is one of them, tucked in the northwest Bronx where the grid gives way to green slopes and the Major Deegan hums a block east. The chain-link fence and asphalt surface are standard-issue New York, but the view across the Harlem River toward Inwood Hill Park is anything but.

If you’re chasing a weekday evening match or a weekend lesson, the address is 129 Terrace View Ave, Bronx, NY 10463—right off Mosholu Parkway, where the 1 train lets off at 231st Street. No lights mean play wraps at dusk, so bring a jacket and plan accordingly. Nets are usually up, balls are usually bouncing, and the only reservation you need is a willingness to wait your turn.

Questions about court conditions or group slots can be sorted by calling the Parks Department hotline at 311, though the map will get you there faster. Directions are here: map. If the wind’s right, you’ll hear the whistle of the Metro-North trains rolling past the old Putnam Bridge abutments—proof you’re exactly where you should be.