The Brooklyn Pickleball Club That Began on a Taped-Up Court

Here is a Brooklyn origin story worth knowing. During the pandemic, former real estate lawyer David Friedman played daily with a regular crew at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, back when city courts were marked out with tape, chalk, or spray paint. As that pickup scene grew from a few dozen players into thousands, he set out to build a permanent home for it. PKLYN opened in October 2024 inside a bright Gowanus warehouse, with five courts under 23-foot ceilings and deep purple walls chosen to keep the ball easy to track. His pitch is simple, a third place somewhere between home and the office.