There was a time when finding a squash court in New York meant joining a private club, securing access to a university facility or navigating a waiting list longer than some restaurant reservations.
Today, increasingly, it may require nothing more than taking the elevator downstairs.
Across Manhattan and Brooklyn, a growing number of luxury residential developments are incorporating squash courts into their amenity offerings, signalling not only a resurgence for the sport in one of its traditional American strongholds, but also a subtle shift in what affluent urban residents want from the buildings they call home.
For decades, the arms race in luxury residential amenities has produced everything from luxury spas, recording studios and rooftop ice rinks. Increasingly, however, developers appear to be returning to something more traditional: sport.
And few sports fit modern urban life quite as neatly as squash.
A full match can deliver an intense cardiovascular workout in under an hour. The court occupies a relatively compact footprint compared to many recreational facilities. It can be used year-round regardless of weather. And perhaps most importantly in New York, it carries a certain cultural cachet.
250 West 96th Street (Credit We Are Visuals)
Long associated with elite schools, private clubs and international business communities, squash has always occupied an unusual place within the city’s sporting landscape. It has never been a mass-participation activity, but it has remained deeply embedded within the social and professional networks that help define New York’s upper-middle and upper-class communities.
That heritage is now finding its way directly into residential design.
At 250 West 96th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a regulation squash court shares space with a half basketball court in a carefully considered dual-purpose facility.
Marc Saadia, Head of Development at JVP Development, says the decision was driven by both practical considerations and local demographics.
“In New York, every square foot has to earn its place,” he says.
That reality encouraged the developer to create a flexible recreation space capable of serving multiple audiences while still supporting serious squash.
“Squash, in particular, is one of New York’s great luxury sports,” Saadia says.
“It is historically rooted in private clubs and elite academic institutions, and very much at home on the Upper West Side, with deep ties to international and academic communities.”
The building’s squash credentials run deeper than most residential developments. The facility has even hosted preliminary rounds of the prestigious Tournament of Champions, the PSA event best known for its glass court inside Grand Central Terminal.
Inside 250 West 96th Street (Credit Evan Joseph)
Elsewhere on the Upper West Side, 720 West End Avenue has taken a similar approach. The converted Emery Roth building includes a multipurpose court designed for both basketball and squash as part of a 30,000-square-foot amenity suite.
For Myles Horn, Managing Partner of Glacier Equities, squash represents something more enduring than many modern amenity trends.
“We approached the amenity programme as a core part of the building’s identity, prioritising spaces that feel enduring and purposeful rather than trend-driven,” he says.
“Squash, with its legacy and structure, naturally complements the building’s pre-war character while delivering a high-performance experience in a compact footprint. It’s also a skill-based sport that encourages residents to build routines and engage consistently. Positioned alongside the fitness centre within a multipurpose court that also accommodates basketball, it introduces a level of athletic rigour that elevates the overall offering and supports both individual training and community-driven competition among residents.”
720 West End Avenue (Credit Evan Joseph)
The trend extends beyond Manhattan.
Both Brooklyn Point and One Manhattan Square include squash facilities alongside expansive fitness and recreation offerings.
Bryan Grandison, Director of Lifestyle Services at Extell Development Company, sees the sport as part of a broader movement towards performance-focused amenities.
“At both Brooklyn Point and One Manhattan Square, we deliberately incorporated both basketball and squash, recognising the growing demand for performance-driven amenities,” he says.
“These spaces allow residents to engage with each sport at any level while also fostering social connection and a more traditional club-style environment at home.”
Inside Brooklyn Point (Courtesy of Extell Development Company)
That final point may be the most revealing.
Because while the courts themselves matter, what developers are really selling is community.
Luxury buildings increasingly function as vertical neighbourhoods. Residents work remotely, socialise closer to home and expect their building to provide not just convenience but identity.
Squash, perhaps uniquely among racket sports, facilitates exactly that.It requires relatively little time. It creates recurring interaction between players. And unlike a treadmill or Peloton bike, it naturally builds relationships.
The irony is that squash’s return to residential buildings comes at a moment when the sport itself is enjoying renewed momentum. Its inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has generated fresh attention globally, while New York remains home to one of the sport’s most iconic events, the Tournament of Champions.
Whether these residential courts create the next generation of players remains to be seen but their presence says something significant about the sport’s place in modern urban life.
For years, squash was viewed as an exclusive activity hidden behind private club walls.
Now, increasingly, it is becoming part of the architecture of luxury living itself.
In New York, at least, the squash court is no longer something residents travel to.
It is something they come home to.
