Spots: Downtown Manhattan — Tribeca & West Village

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
“No, of course not.”

Spot: Yes, this is the name for the spot. Making the move of coming here too late in the middle of summer has yielded sights of transvestites making out with one another, so the name stuck, and frankly, is a lot easier than saying “that park in the West Village with the ledges and the bank in the middle of the garden.”

There is a long line of waxed ledges that slide a bit better than they grind, but are workable either way. There is only one end, and it is frontside for regular / backside for goofy skaters. If you’re coming here along the Westside Highway, the region is most recognizable from two, three-story towers that extend from a garden region separating the ledges and the water. In it, is a mellow, four-foot wide bank that can occasionally be fun to kill some time on, in addition to an assortment of wavy marble ledges along the perimeter that need a re-touching in terms of wax every now and then. The ledges are generally cramped in terms of runway and angle, so the better ones will need a bit of tactical strategy to work out a trick on. The garden is also the place you’re most likely to run into transvestites in embrace if you happen to show up here for an after hours session in the middle of July.

Bust — ♦♦♦ / Half-and-half: This segment of the Hudson River Park is one of the less-patrolled portions of the area by the Parks Department, but they have been known to come by at random times. Usually, they will tell you to leave, but can issue you a $50 summons for skateboarding and potentially another one for being in the park after midnight if you happen to be here late at night.

Location: Morton Street and the Westside Highway (AKA “West Street.”) Take the 1 train to Houston Street, and skate west on West Houston Street until you hit the water. Make a right, and skate north alongside the promenade / bike path for three blocks, until you hit Morton Street.

Pictures (Click to Enlarge):