I have spent time at a number of tennis academies throughout the country including a significant…read moreamount of time at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland - a USTA training base. I can say, without a doubt, that High Performance Tennis Academy (HPTA) is by far one of the best academies in the Northeast United States. HPTA has programs for all ages and levels - kids, teenagers and adults. Their programming for kids is known as Junior Circuit and is under the Direction of Kellen Thomas, a former collegiate tennis player at Drexel University. At the Junior Circuit level, programming starts at age 4 and goes from red ball through green ball. The Academy program which is made up of four programs - Future Champs, Super Squad, High Performance Development and High Performance. The High Performance programming is under the direction of co- owner, Dylan Comerford. Dylan played collegiate tennis at Winthrop University, at the #1 position, and was top-250 in ITF Juniors. He's one of the most highly-respected coaches in the area and has sent 100+ kids to college for tennis with nearly $1 million in scholarships. This years graduating class included players going to a number of D1 and D3 schools including UPenn, Presbyterian, Emory, Vassar, Franklin & Marshall and many others. A number of players, who went on to become professional, have trained at HPTA in the past including CiCi Bellis (former WTA #35 and ITF Junior #1) and Anna Mamalat (former WTA #900 and Texas A&M tennis player). Anna is now a coach at HPTA! The adult program is primarily run by Rob Isaacs, (HPTA's co-owner), Julio Toledo (former top-20 junior player in Mexico) and Harvey Becker (former British National Champion and ATP #400). Their adult program ranges for programming for 4.5+ NTRP players, 3.0-3.5 players and beginner players. HPTA was founded in 2009 by a South African coach Charles Wheeler (he has since returned to his native country), who coached Kevin Anderson when he was a junior. When HPTA was first founded, the academy was based entirely out of AFC Riverside (Bala Cynwyd, PA). While they continue to have programming there, they have expanded to the nearby Cynwyd Club, Radnor Valley Country Club and hold their renowned summer camp at Haverford College. Altogether, HPTA is the best tennis academy in the Philadelphia-area and one of the best in the Northeastern US. Highly recommend for all ages and levels!

My family spent last summer in Philadelphia and I needed to find summer programs for my 13 year old…read moredaughter who was not at all eager to spend her summer away from home. I didn't know anything about Philadelphia or any of the programs for teens and I had to rely 100% on information I found on the internet. My daughter was an OK tennis player; she has taken tennis lessons at our local rec center over the years. But she is not a natural born athlete and she does not have experience in tournaments. Her goal was to make the tennis team at her high school in the fall. We signed up for the intermediate level camp. The first week she was probably the oldest one in her group--the younger boys were annoying--but she persisted and later there were older players in her group so she was able to make friends. Over the weeks that she participated in the program she worked very hard. She did not love every day of it, but both her game and her overall fitness level improved tremendously. She had a great sense of accomplishment when she finished. Although initially quite reluctant, in the end she was very happy that she had attended several weeks of the summer program, and she was able to make her goal of being on the tennis team in the fall. :) Other notes: My daughter liked the food they served. And Michelle was very kind and helpful. My daughter had a couple of private lessons with the owner, Charles. Initially I thought they were pretty expensive, but after seeing what she gained I came to believe they were well worth the expense. (In fact if he were here in California I would love to have her train with him weekly.)

"Squash girl summer" and "I am only here for the skorts" and "I've never sweat like this" are all…read morewords I've said in the last month as I've enjoyed my incredibly random and spontaneous decision to become a summer member at The Racquet Club. If you see me walking down Spruce St in my squash whites, NO you did not. Anyways, The Racquet Club has been truly amazing. Despite what may come off as stuffy, old money, "white people nonsense" vibes (these were my thoughts upon my first visit), I've actually found the club to be diverse in many ways, accommodating, and (most of all) VERY well run. I have gotten to learn a new sport, meet wonderful new people, and enjoy the amenities of the club for ~$100/month with summer membership. While full membership is not at all in the budget, summer membership allows you to forego food and beverage minimums while still enjoying the many perks of full membership. As someone who works in community building, seeing the lengths the team here goes to ensure all members feel included has really blown me away. Active happy hours, pros who are there to support you, a great newsletter, etc. I love the experience of being bad at something and gradually getting better, so working on my squash game week by week with incremental improvements (REALLY incremental) has been glorious for my mental and physical health. I look forward to taking better advantage of the full club throughout the remainder of my membership.

We had our JAM (Jeffrey A. Miller Catering) group wedding tasting at the Racquet Club. The space…read morewas absolutely beautiful. JAM had food in every room and used the space well. This is a great place for events!

Schuylkill River Park is a nice spot to get some fresh air and has plenty of grassy areas that are…read moreperfect for a picnic. I came here with some friends to have a picnic and watch the sunset, and it was a really nice place for it. You get great views of the Schuylkill River along with the Philly skyline, and the sunset was beautiful from here. There's also a basketball court and easy access to the riverwalk, which is perfect for biking, running, or just taking a walk along the water. Overall, it's a nice little outdoor spot in the city to relax, hang out with friends, or enjoy the views.

Such a cute and well maintained park! Sometimes going to the Squares just isn't the vibe, this park…read moreFEELS like a real park. Lots of benches, picnic tables, a small playground, basketball court, dog park and direct access to the water and river trail. Everything was clean and the park is really well kept!

I've been playing tennis at Levy for many years. The indoor courts are well lit and maintained…read more The staff is very friendly. They offer group lessons, as well as private lessons. Court time is a little expensive, but they do offer discounts for alums. For students, faculty, and staff the courts are pretty cheap.

The tennis summer camp seems quite disorganized. Just a bunch of very young college tennis players…read morecoordinating kids' play. No programming, no tennis instruction. No communication with parents whatsoever. No signup at pick up and drop off!!! Not good enough for $350/week. Nice facilities, though.

Several months ago, we moved to the area and my boyfriend surprised me with a gift card to…read morePlayYourCourt. Both he and I had several questions, all of which were addressed quickly and professionally via text from one of their reps- we were highly impressed from that point forward. Scheduling my lessons with Jerry was a breeze. I just completed 10 private lessons with him and even though I'm still far from being a pro, here's what I know about my instructor: Jerry is focused on proper technique from day one and pays close attention to detail. His undivided attention to me and my emerging skills is impressive.

Very professional and informed coach. Relaxed and insightful approach which seemed tailored to both…read moremy preference and experience. Really enjoyed the session.

The tennis club is great and features nine outdoor Har-Tru tennis courts and four indoor clay…read moreHar-Tru courts. There are many active members of all levels and you can always find someone to play with. The club features tennis leagues and many social activities. There are group clinics, tennis lessons, round robins, bbq's, and Junior Tennis camps run by the club pros. If you are looking for good tennis on a body-friendly surface then this is the place to go.

Chris and Nick are great coaches, lots of value in clinics. They do great community workread more

Adult clinics are very fun and will level up your game quickly. Courts are well maintained and…read moreresurfaced periodically. Membership is affordable (under $500 a year no initiation fee, clinics about ~$50 drop in with 8 pack discount). Personal coaching is available but I have found that even in clinics coaches will pay attention to everyone's game. Regarding reviews that say they're not responsive - this is a non-profit and front desk is occasionally understaffed. You should check what the membership prices are at full service country clubs featuring "racquet sports". This is the place for serious tennis. Instruction is better here, much cheaper, and you're more likely to play younger/fitter opponents. Find the clinic schedule online and show up in person, I have never been turned away. Highly recommend 10/10.