Central Avenue's Empty Stores Became Hartsdale's Winter Courts

Hartsdale now has 34 indoor courts and simulator bays within a short drive along Central Park Avenue. All of them are in buildings that used to be a Walgreens, a furniture store, and a Buy Buy Baby. The newest one, The Picklr Scarsdale, holds its grand opening this Saturday, November 7. The town's own indoor racquet project at Anthony F. Veteran Park has been in the works since 2021, and its current target is September 2028.

So the private reuse of empty stores has moved much faster than the public plan. If you live in Hartsdale and want to keep playing after the outdoor courts close for the season, your options this winter are on Route 100.

In a Town of Greenburgh update posted October 29, Supervisor Paul Feiner described the corridor this way:

"Central Ave, with fitness centers, two golf simulator businesses and now a Pickleball facility is becoming a destination point for residents who like exercise and recreation activities. We're making Central Ave a fun place to spend time at."

Three Storefronts, Refilled

All three venues use Scarsdale mailing addresses. All three sit on Central Park Avenue in the Town of Greenburgh, the same road Hartsdale residents already take for groceries and errands.

Golfzon Social was announced first. In August 2022 the town announced it was going into the empty furniture store at 691. Daily Voice reported that it opened on Saturday, August 12, 2023, with food, bar service, lessons, and space to watch games. That took about a year from announcement to opening.

In February 2023 the town named the former Walgreens at 870 as X-Golf's new home. X-Golf now has 10 bays, a full bar and food, and it is taking registrations for its fall 2026 leagues.

The two golf venues already showed that a big retail box can become indoor recreation. The Picklr took the idea further and filled a 22,000-square-foot store with courts.

About Thirteen Months From Proposal to Open Play

The Picklr's timeline is the clearest sign of how fast this kind of conversion can go. Feiner first described the proposal in a Patch post in early September 2025. The plan called for eight year-round indoor courts at 1019 Central Park Avenue, and it needed a special permit from the Planning Board.

The application was on the Planning Board's agenda on February 4, 2026. It proposed a reception and retail area, a community room, locker and shower facilities, and private treatment rooms inside the existing building. The applicant's parking study showed plenty of spaces, and no exterior site changes were proposed. All of the work stayed indoors. The club opened to the public on October 17, 2026, about thirteen months after the proposal went public.

The club is locally owned. Heather Rhyu owns four Club Pilates studios and a Rumble Boxing studio in Westchester. Noah Allen is a tennis pro and coach with more than 25 years of experience. Inside are eight courts, including one championship-sized court, plus professional-grade court surfaces, a pro shop, and space for private events.

If you've never played, there are low-cost ways to start:

• Pickleball 101 is a free one-hour session on rules, positioning, scoring and gameplay. Paddles are provided at no charge.
• Beginner Open Play is first come, first served. It's free for members and $25 per session for nonmembers.
• A 15-day trial costs $30.
• Monthly memberships listed on The Picklr's Scarsdale page are Play at $149, Unlimited at $229, Pro at $269, Junior Unlimited at $119, and Family Unlimited at $499.

The club is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. You can walk in for open play or book a court ahead of time. Programs include competitive play, private lessons, clinics, leagues, tournaments, and junior programs.

The Park Project That Started First

Compare that with the indoor racquet facility planned for Anthony F. Veteran Park. Here is the history from the town's October 28 update:

1. June 2012. New York State approved a home rule resolution that let Greenburgh lease part of the park for a tennis facility for up to 30 years.
2. 2021. The town issued a Request for Proposals for a multi-racquet facility and chose Sportime Clubs LLC from the two viable bids.
3. End of 2023. Adding pickleball, paddleball and badminton required new state legislation. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins carried it through the Senate, Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky carried it through the Assembly, and Governor Hochul signed it. The town says this added many months of delay.
4. December 18, 2023. The Town Board authorized lease agreements for the indoor and outdoor facilities.
5. 2024. Review of Sportime's preliminary plans found that a new fire access road into the park was needed for emergency vehicles.
6. Late 2025 into 2026. The town and Sportime negotiated over the cost of that road.

The town says it and Sportime are still working through the remaining issues before construction. The goal is to open in September 2028 with seasonal indoor courts under an inflatable bubble in winter, alongside outdoor tennis facilities. The town notes the outdoor plans are subject to change. The leases would run 15 years, with options to extend up to 30 years, and the town expects them to bring in substantial revenue for its parks. The new access road would also improve emergency access for people using the park's pool and tennis courts.

Each step required a different approval, from state lawmakers to the Town Board to engineers who found the need for a road that didn't exist yet. The Picklr needed one special permit for an existing building with an existing parking lot.

There is also public interest in the park project's progress. Citizen Portal reported on October 13 that residents had seen few public updates over two years. They asked the Parks Department to post progress reports and to consider a public hearing with the vendor on financing and schedule. The town's October 28 update came about two weeks later.

What This Winter Looks Like on Route 100

Until the bubble at Veteran Park is up, Central Park Avenue covers most of Hartsdale's indoor court and bay time. Here's what each venue offers this winter:

• The Picklr Scarsdale, 1019 Central Park Avenue. Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with eight courts and the beginner options listed above.
• Golfzon Social, 691 Central Park Avenue. Each bay costs $50 an hour off-peak and $65 at peak times and on weekends, for up to six players. A full group of six at peak rates pays under $11 a person per hour. Book bays on Golfzon Social's Scarsdale page.
• X-Golf, 870 Central Park Avenue. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with tee times, lessons, clinics and leagues on X-Golf's Scarsdale page.

The Picklr's grand opening is this Saturday, November 7, starting at 1:30 p.m. Supervisor Feiner will join the owners for a ribbon cutting. There will be a live DJ, a food truck, raffle giveaways, quick open-play games, and tours of the club. Everyone is welcome, members or not.

If your route to Central Avenue starts near the train station, expect sewer construction on East Hartsdale Avenue. The town's November 1 update lists the safety measures: warning lights on the concrete barriers, restriped pedestrian crossings at 100 East Hartsdale and at Rockledge Road, an electronic sign warning drivers about pedestrians, and monitoring of the heavy steel plates. A snow-emergency plan is also in progress, and the town has asked for police to be assigned to the area.

Whether you're trying pickleball for the first time this weekend or setting up a winter golf league with neighbors, I'm always glad to share what's new around Hartsdale and the rest of Greenburgh. If you'd like recommendations for this season, reach out to Sami Vecchiolla. Let's Connect.