From Broadway to Backhands: How We Converted a Historic Theater in Times Square into A Premier Pickleball Club
Our newest Club lives inside the iconic Paramount Building, a New York City landmark that’s been pulling crowds since 1926.
Built as the original headquarters of Paramount Pictures and including a grand theater space, the Paramount Building sits at the heart of the golden-era Times Square, fueled by nonstop entertainment, bright lights, and legendary nightlife. With 3,664 seats, the Paramount Theater was one of the largest movie palaces in the country. Inside these walls, audiences once caught all-day films, live orchestras, organ performances, and stage shows featuring icons like Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby (who famously sang White Christmas here), and later the king himself, Elvis.
Nearly a century later, the Paramount is still a stage, just attracting a different audience.
Today, the Paramount Building is a Class A office tower with a stunning, recently-renovated art deco lobby. CityPickle’s 37,000 square feet on the 8th floor includes the original theater space.
Our mission? Honor the building’s history while transforming the space into a modern athletic and social club that feels unmistakably CityPickle - on the 8th floor of an office building.
Our biggest challenge was structural. Original to the theater, the building’s dramatic, column free spans with soaring ceilings are rare in Manhattan - but perfect for pickleball. However, creating regulation pickleball courts in this environment required advanced concrete technologies, precise engineering, and careful sequencing to meet modern codes while preserving the integrity of the historic structure.
The payoff: a high performance playing surface that feels effortless… even though it was anything but.
Sound and lighting received the same white-glove treatment. Working with acoustic experts, we integrated layered sound dampening so the space feels energetic without becoming overwhelming. (We also have neighbors to consider.)
Professional lighting consultants designed state of the art court illumination that supports high level play while allowing the historic architecture to shine. No glare on these courts!
And beyond the courts, the experience expands. We incorporated elevated amenities throughout the Club including a full bar and restaurant, court-side lounge seating, large screens for watch parties and events, private showers, lockers, plus flexible event rooms. You will never want to leave.
CityPickle Times Square reflects what CityPickle stands for: thoughtful design, big energy, and community first. This has always been a stage. Now, it is one for pickleball play.
Next week, CityPickle’s Design Extraordinaire and Creative Director, Maggie Siskind will share more behind the scenes glimpses showing how we brought it all to life.
