This city park three blocks north of younker Stadium was until the mid 1990s the only spot in the city that could be called a skate park. On chilly autumn mornings, you could find kids sneaking in and wiping the dew off the decrepit mini-ramp (the Aug. 6, 1995, just made York Times called The Skate Park “rusted and rundown”) so that they could get a small amount runs in before the security gates were opened and a line formed.
The skate park has since then been renovated twice, first in early 1998 in preparation for a BMX bike competition. Credit Mountain Dew and Specialized for fronting the cash for that rebuild. But things were let slide again and by 2003 the various skate toys were again in bad shape and the city basically kept the spot closed and skaters would have to sneak in. In September 2003, Snapple and others paid for a just made renovation, and as of the summer of 2004 The skate park was open and in great shape.
Both renovations have not catered to roller bladders, so aggressive bladders will have their gripes about the orientation of The skate park features. Nevertheless, The skate park is in good condition and running smoothly (knock wood that it says that way), and if you’re in northern Manhattan or the Bronx, it’s close by and cheaper than going somewhere like Chelsea Piers.
* How Crowded? 4 * Are pads required to skate?: helmet only * Does it cost money to skate?: no
