World Travel Guide

City Guide  - New York  - Sport
Sport

Boasting some of the USA's top sports teams, acres of parkland and beaches and state-of-the-art sports complexes, New York is a sports mecca offering the very best in spectator sports and a comprehensive array of activities for lovers of the great outdoors.

The ultra-modern Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, a 30-acre sports village on four beautifully restored early twentieth-century piers at 23rd Street, at West Side Highway on the Hudson River, has emerged as a major attraction and weekend retreat since it opened it doors in 1995.

The national sports are baseball, basketball and football and New Yorkers are sports mad and justifiably proud of their stop league teams including the Knicks, Mets, Giants, Jets, Rangers, MetroStars, and New York Liberty.

The baseball season, which runs from April to October, attracts huge crowds and Shea Stadium, in Queens, is home to the New York Mets (web site: www.mets.com) major League Baseball team, while the New York Yankees (web site: www.yankees.com) can be found at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The American football season kicks off in September and New York's two leading football teams The New York Jets (tel: (516) 560 8200; web site: nfl.com/jets) and The New York Giants (tel: (201) 935 8222; web site: nfl.com/giants) now play in New Jersey at the Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Tickets sell out well in advance and there are long waiting lists.

The local basketball season runs from October to April and Madison Square Garden (tel: (212) 465 6741) is the home of New York's celebrated team The New York Knickerbockers (the Knicks) (web site: www.nba.com/knicks). Ice hockey is also hugely popular and New York's National Hockey League teams include the Rangers who play at Madison Square Garden (tel: (212) 465 6741), the Islanders whose home ground is the Nassau Coliseum (tel: (516) 587 9222) and the Devils who play at the Meadowlands Sports Complex (tel: (201) 935 3900).

Flushing Meadows in Queens hosts the US Open Tennis Championships, which takes place in late August to early September and features some of the world's top seeded players.

Beaches:
There are several fine beaches in New York City, such as Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Bowling:
Bowlmor Lanes, 110 University Place, between 12th and 13th Streets (tel:(212) 255 8188), is Manhattan's premier bowling centre with 42 lanes.

Golf:
The American Golf Corporation (web site: www.Americangolf.com) is the world's largest golf course management company which offers more than 30 golf courses worldwide and numerous courses in New York City, including Clearview Golf Club, 202-12 Willets Point Blvd (tel: (718) 225 4653). The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6400) is America's most high-tech super range. There is a 200-yard fairway, all-weather driving range, putting green, and a full-service Golf Academy.

Horseracing:
New Yorkers love the races and the main race tracks include Aqueduct Racetrack, Ozone Park, Queens (tel: (718) 641 4700) and Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford (tel: (201) 935 8500).

Leisure centres:
The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6000) is a 150,000-square-foot adult membership sports and fitness club featuring indoor track, indoor swimming pool, sundecks, basketball courts, indoor sand volleyball court, boxing ring, rock climbing wall, and multi-gym. Day membership passes cost US$40 which allows access to all facilities.

Running:
New York Road Runners Club, 9 East 89th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues (tel: (212) 860 4455) are the organisers of the NYC Marathon and promote the sport through races, events, and publications.

Sailing:
Chelsea Marina at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 5600) is the city's largest marina and features a sailing school as well as boats for dinner cruising and deep sea fishing

Skating/ice skating:
The Roller Rinks at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6200) has two indoor ice skating rinks, two outdoor in-line/roller skating rinks and a skate park. There are two outdoor ice skating rinks in Central Park and one in the Rockefeller Center.

Tennis:
Central Park's tennis courts (tel: (212) 280 0201), located at 93rd Street, are open to the public in the summer.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
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