One of the fastest-growing sports nationwide and played around the world in more than 185 countries, squash ball season is coming into play in New York City this winter with the upcoming Tournament of Champions in early January. New luxury developments are capitalizing on its popularity and incorporating courts into the building as one of the premier amenities for residents to use. First held in 1930, the annual Tournament of Champions is an international squash championship held at New York’s Grand Central Terminal. With beautiful four-walled glass courts brought in specifically for the event, viewers can head to Vanderbilt Hall to catch the madness between men and women of all ages and skill levels. A truly universal game that can be played for life, over 20 million players participate regularly. Originating in England’s prison system in the 1800s, the once basic phenomenon has since grown into a widely known game amongst the highly educated crowd, with 98 percent of players being college grads and 57 percent of those having further grad degrees. Making its way across the pond on the RMS Titanic in 1912, a playing court with a viewing deck for spectators was present in first class, and today, every Ivy League school offers squash as a varsity team sport. Catering to the well-heeled (median HH incomes for the sport are $300k with net worths averaging $1.5M) and designating valuable square footage at multimillion-dollar developments, today’s urban developers are building squash courts as a must-have amenity to lure in residents.
Taking a lead in the trend is Rose Hill, Rockefeller Group’s new 45-story luxury condominium tower in NoMad. Boasting a vast selection of amenities with premier partnerships, Rose Hill’s 1,400 SF squash court has been programmed by Manhattan’s leading squash facility SqashRX and offers class packages and private seminars and private lessons to residents who want to play competitively or recreationally.