Padel Haus, the first padel club in New York City
Located in Brooklyn, it has four courts and is just the beginning of an expansion project for the company in the world’s most iconic city.
New York is, without a doubt, the most iconic city in the world. And, now, it also wants to become the home of paddle tennis. New York opens its doors to the sport of padel with the opening of the very first padel club.
Up to now, talking about padel catching on in the United States felt like a distant dream for promoters of the sport, which was invented in Mexico by Enrique Corcuera in 1969 and is rather like a cross between tennis and squash. In recent years, though, padel has been catching on across the country, depending on the local demographic with Florida, and especially Miami, being the most prolific. And while there is a cottage industry already working to develop it, padel is still fairly marginal. Note that there is an American version of tennis, called paddle tennis, now rebranded as Pop tennis, which is not the same as padel.
It has traditionally been so marginal that padel has never visited New York. There has never been any facility where you could play the game at all. Not even close. And in a city that adores tennis, where tennis is commonly played, depending on social class, despite its relatively high cost and need for space. Almost. In New York, everything is wrapped up with consumption, and padel has been looking for a gap that it could slip into for years.
“I am Mexican and when I was living here in New York I had a problem because I couldn’t play padel. And, like me, there are many other people who have been playing for years”, says Santiago Gómez, CEO of Padel Haus. A Mexican padel lover, Santiago lived in NYC for more a decade and has now returned after spending the covid pandemic back in his home country.
This summer, the city that never sleeps will see the opening of its very first padel club. Padel Haus strives to become the home court for all padel lovers who live in or visit the Big Apple and, at the same time, stands as an icon of the sport due to the symbolic nature of its location. At AS USA, we have been able to get a sneak peek at the project first-hand, prior to opening its doors to the public and while final preparations were being made.
Where is Padel Haus?
Padel Haus is located in Brooklyn, specifically in the Williamsburg neighborhood, at 307 Kent Avenue. An up-and-coming area, in the middle of a full revitalization push, aiming to profile young residents with strong purchasing power. New constructions are flourishing and it is billed as an escape from the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan.
“I looked at around 110 buildings over a period of six months. It is not easy to find the right place in the city, because of the high prices, obviously, plus our needs regarding size and height,” Gómez tells us about the choice of location.
As it wound up, the club is located on the banks of the Hudson River, just a few stops on the subway from downtown Manhattan and only 12 minutes from Soho, one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city. The location is ideal, and that will be part of its future attraction for travellers and residents alike.
“First the Spaniards, Argentines and Europeans who reside in New York will try it out. After them, the Americans will join in. New Yorkers are big fans of racket sports.” The CEO of Padel Haus is convinced that the project will be a success, and is preparing an exhibition match for September, featuring some of the best padel players in the world, in what would be the very first padel match in New York.
What is Padel Haus like?
Padel Haus is a small club with just 4 padel courts, but, given the constraints of New York City, like land prices and rental prices, added to business and constrution deadlines, it is going to become a clear reference point in the sport. Inconspicuous from the outside, it is well integrated into the sober architectural style of the newly-rebuilt area, where there is a clear mix of resident nationalities .
Padel Haus is a carefully thought-out space, with an elegant design that aims to be a social club and not merely a sports facility. You can rent a paddle tennis court, but the real aim of the company is to build customer loyalty over the medium and long term, offering memberships along the lines of a partnership format.
“To play for one hour it’s $35 as a member and $55 if you’re not a member”, says Santiago. “Per person and hour”, he later clarifies, stating that the price “is not expensive at all”.
The club will also have a school where their targeted young audience who move into this neighborhood will be able to learn more about padel. Who knows, maybe one day they will be able to bring their own sons and daughters to learn about the game.
The first padel store in New York
With a fast food area and players lounge, Padel Haus will also stand out for being the first official point-of-sale for padel equipment in the self-proclaimed capital of the world.
“At the moment, there is only one company that sells two types of only one brand of paddle. We are going to work with several of the big names of padel and we know that it will become a calling card”, says Gómez.
It is striking there has never been a store where you could buy padel equipment in a city that prides itself on being the marketplace of the world, where everything is bought and sold and where advertising is part of everyday photography. Many Latin American tourists, looking to pick up a new racket among their purchases, and at a more affordable cost than in their home countries, were left disappointed.
The future of padel in New York
The truth is that Padel Haus is only the first piece of the puzzle that is being put together. They are the first to arrive, but they will not be the last. The truth is that Padel Haus will probably be the catalyst for many others who will follow. More than likely, they will follow within a very short period of time.
Santiago Gómez acknowledges that his investment group already has “two or three other clubs” in mind for next year, but they are not the only ones looking to get a bite of the Big Apple. Several investment groups have expressed interest in the possibilities of padel in New York as a growth business opportunity. Some of them have their constructions fairly advanced and will be aiming to open their own doors some time in 2023.
Within the near future, surely, padel will look to become the latest fashionable sport in the United States. It will take time, it will have to break clichés, status, plus find that elusive x-factor, but it could happen. First of all, for any of this to take place, putting down firm roots in the largest American city is absolutely essential. New York is not just another step in the globalization of padel. Rather, it is a differential step. We will see where it leads us.