The top photo by EVG; the rest by Stacie Joy
Late Friday afternoon, skateboarders filled the multipurpose courts (TF!) in Tompkins Square Park ... taking part in a hockey skate jam via Fucking Awesome on Ninth Street.
The hockey goal was a popular obstacle to take on...
As we've been reporting, the city is expected to start the pavement reconstruction here this month.
The Parks Department will reconstruct the multipurpose courts, adding various amenities, including a two-lane seal-coated walking loop and new asphalt.
According to a landscape architect with the Parks Department (from a presentation in February), there's a lot of "asphalt structural damage," and it "needs to be replaced and repaired. And the only way to do that is to take all the asphalt down to the sub base and put new asphalt down."
Other additions: new benches, a kickball court, a high-low fountain that kids and adults can use simultaneously, and three new basketball backstops at the eastern end.
Skaters are worried the new asphalt will be either too soft or hard for skating, turning this decades-long hotspot into a useless spot.
If there were any concerns about the future here, it didn't show on Friday with an upbeat, endless summer vibe.
The walking loop is insane. What is the point? All of the park is a walking area. But city construction money needed to get burned and the plans are finalized.
ReplyDeleteFinished by June, 2024? I for one am skeptical.
Right you are "yetanothercommenter" - A WALKING LOOP!?!?In Tompkins Square Park? It's the cherry on top of the East Village Gentrification Sundae! Geez.
ReplyDeleteWalking loop is dumb. The perimeter of the park serves the same purpose and the east river track is maybe 1 mile away.
ReplyDeleteTompkins is in bad shape and everyday it loses more than staff & volunteers can keep up with. I doubt we will see a return to the skaters in the TF once this project is complete. Nor do I expect our local electeds (Rivera & Epstein) to help — they have long ago pursued their own agenda contrary to the wishes of their constituents.
ReplyDeleteThe walking loop is the most obnoxiously dumb thing, I would love to be in front of the morons saying “wow how great is this!!!”. Disgusting and worthless.
ReplyDelete