Spots: Midtown Manhattan — Theater District / Times Square Area

Update — November 2011:

The planters have been moved away from the two four-stair ledges on the south side of the plaza. It’s still a mega-bust with nightly outdoor security guards, but you can still get lucky.

Update — March 2011: Most of the stuff that you could skate here has been blocked off by planters. The ledges parallel to the handicap ramps are still skateable, as is the manual pad in front of the building. Oh, and there’s a largely increased security presence. Basically, don’t bother. More info here.

Spot:

Ziegfeld Theater is the last in a series of perfectly skateable Sixth Avenue spots. The two stand-out obstacles are the wedge-styled handicap ramps leading up to the plaza with ledges running straight over them. There are two, one for each side, although the frontside for regular side is slightly longer than the backside one. Over the years, they have been broken in with wax and grinds, so you’ll only need a slight bit of wax to skate it. These same ledges form a ledge-next-to-four-stairs set-up on the other side. The ledges start out at about three feet before the steps start. Also in the center of the plaza is a long granite ledge that is friendlier for slides than it is for grinds. It can be used either as a ledge or a manual pad. Everything in the plaza is on perfectly smooth ground, free of any cracks or rough spots.

Bust — ♦♦♦♦ / Very Likely: Typically, you are going to get kicked out within ten minutes. There are cameras posted up everywhere, and security will come from the front of the building to tell you to leave. If you’re lucky, you may get a half-hour long session, but they typically make patrols around the back every hour, so don’t count on staying for too long.

Location: 54th Street and 6th Avenue. Take the F train to 57th Street and skate south for three blocks on Sixth Avenue.

Pictures (Click to Enlarge):