A new 24/7 ping pong spot is opening in Downtown Brooklyn
PingPod is a "fully automated table tennis space" (i.e., it has no staff) that will open its second Brooklyn location on February 15
If the urge to play ping pong strikes at 3 a.m., you’ll soon have another place to go.
PingPod, a 24/7 chain that operates ping pong tables, is opening a new location in downtown Brooklyn on February 15. It’s a “fully automated table tennis space,” according to its website, that lets ping pong fans rent a table for $15 to $50 per session depending on the time of a day.
The new location will be at 620 Fulton Street, a few blocks from the Apple Store and Brooklyn Academy of Music and several subway lines, a PingPod representative tells Brooklyn Magazine.
To play, users sign up ahead of time on the app and rent a table in a futuristic space. Paddles and balls are provided, as well as snacks. However, since the studios operate without employees (hence the 24/7 hours), a security firm is in charge of monitoring the locations.
“We call it an autonomous concept: there are no employees working here on site, so you make a reservation, you show up, you play, you walk out, and we have a great security system to make sure everyone is following protocol and keeping the place safe,” co-founder David Silberman told Spectrum News NY1 in 2019.
They also encourage you to bring plenty of friends too, up to six people are included in the session fee. Just don’t get carried away, since the company said that alcohol is prohibited and violators could face a $500 fine.
PingPod has rapidly been growing across the city since its founding three years ago. The chain, which has locations in Philadelphia and New Jersey in addition to New York opened its first Brooklyn outpost last year in Williamsburg.
