It's hard to imagine kids in New York City complaining they don't have a good street-oriented skatepark when the entire damn city is one big skatepark. But like any major metropolitan area whose architects inadvertently made everything with marble and begging to be skated, the owners of said spots don't want you skating them. It's not unheard of to spend an entire day skating around Manhattan without getting more than a couple tries at any given spot. Sometimes you just want to actually skate when you go skating and not get kicked out places constantly due to security.
Located in the New York City's Lower East Side, the Manhattan Bridge Skatepark, aka L.E.S. Skatepark, was a neglected public space beneath the towering Manhattan Bridge, considered a space only attractive for skateboarders to use. Because of its location and the recent closing of the popular skate spot the Brooklyn Banks, it has become one of the most heavily trafficked skateparks in the five boroughs. On left is a picture of Coleman Skatepark beneath the Manhattan Bridge and on the right is a picture of the brooklyn banks beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Manhattan Bridge Skatepark is located in Coleman Oval Park on the border between Manhattan’s Chinatown and Lower East Side, bounded by Market, Pike, Cherry, and Monroe Streets, and is one block west of the FDR parkway and the East River. Recreational amenities of Coleman Oval Park include: a playground, baseball diamond, basketball court, handball court, dog run, and a skatepark. The skatepark is located in the portion of Coleman Oval Park located directly underneath the Manhattan Bridge.
In Summer 2012, the skatepark received a major facelift. Thanks to a NIKE GAMECHANGERS grant, community skate advocate Steve Rodriguez (5boro Skateboards) worked with design collaborator and builder of California Skateparks, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Architecture for Humanity, stakeholders and community members on the redesign that has re-ramped the existing skatepark. New dog runs and community areas, designed by Abel Bainnson Butz, LLP Landscape Architects and Site Planners, will make the public space even more attractive.
"The best part is that it's under the Manhattan Bridge; it's loud there," Rodriguez said. "Nobody can complain that the skaters are being too loud. It's the perfect spot."
The new Coleman Skatepark opened August 21st 2012. The new park brought a-lot of attention to all the skaters. All new obstacles and freshly paved ramps the new park was a major hit! The Coleman Skatepark has had a major "facelift".
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