Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Skateboarding "Hooligans" Ruining East River Waterfront Park
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 7, 2011
Modified Nov 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 7, 2011
Modified Nov 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Just when you thought it was safe to bike and sit and fish (maybe not fish) off the new East River Esplanade, four wheeled rogues clothed in disgraceful New York puns and stubby shoes ruin the fun. DNAinfo reports that City councilmember Margaret Chin was SHOCKED to find the area rife with skateboarders. "It's really dangerous," Chin said in a hearing last week. "It's supposed to be a really tranquil place for people to sit and look at the water, but it was filled with young adults on skateboards. You need to create a place for them." Despite there being two skateparks nearby, we suppose the "tranquility" of sitting underneath the FDR is too much of a draw.
Of particular concern to the protectors of the $165 million project are the benches on which the skaters grind, which are ideal thanks to their metal edges. But what about those nicks? Asked if skateboarding causes the dings, a 17-year-old doing tricks in the park says, "It does, but that's what we do. That's how it is." Indeed, everyone knows you have to break some benches to make a Gnar Omelette. "We just built that beautiful park with taxpayer money. Now the hooligans are in there, destroying it," CB 1 member Joel Kopel says, presumably while he fed frisbees and footballs that land on his lawn into an incinerator.
A spokesperson for the builder of the park, Economic Development Corp., which also maintains the grounds, said, "We are assessing the situation and we ask the public to call 311 to report any problems so we can address them in a timely manner." Councilmember Chin and Manhattan parks commissioner Bill Castro agreed that more skateparks should be created, but to maximize use of the ones that exist, clearly they should convert all the skate parks into esplanades.
Tagged
east river esplanade
hooligans
margaret chin
parks department
skate parks
skateboarders
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
The city's "blue highways" program aims to get freight out of trucks and onto the waterways.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
The fallout from an electrical fire, among other safety and maintenance concerns, has sparked anger inside the 40-story tower known as The Greenpoint.
By
David Brand
News
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
The fallout from an electrical fire, among other safety and maintenance concerns, has sparked anger inside the 40-story tower known as The Greenpoint.
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Company that won $23M NYPD building contract was investigated by LI watchdog
By
Ben Feuerherd
Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .