Spots: Queens — Astoria & Long Island City

Spot: Those responsible for designing this park presumably intended these two piers to be a great sunbathing spot. Unfortunately, there are probably very few people in the nearby luxury high-rises that would ever consider lying back on one of these things for a few hours. Lucky for us, they can be skated. One pier has a fifty-foot long string of humps that is about three feet high. The wood rattles from the cracks between the strips, but it is not difficult to pick up speed on the surface. The other pier has a set of benches that act as contorted quarterpipe-type obstacles that are about three-feet high. The runway is super limited, so you will inevitably have to throw your board down to gather up speed. It’s not the sort of thing you want to approach with a ton of speed, so it is not much of an issue.

Bust — ♦♦♦♦♦ / Almost Immediate: The parks department is typically here at all times, except late at night. If you happen to be in the area on a weekend, people have been known to get lucky, but otherwise, after 10P.M. (at the absolute earliest) is the only chance you have.

Location: Gantry State Park, on the Long Island City waterfront. Take the 7 to Vernon-Jackson, skate west on 50th Avenue until you hit Center Boulevard (the last street before you hit the waterfront.) Make a right on Center Boulevard and skate two blocks north until you see the waterfront plaza. The stuff to skate is all out on the pier.

Pictures (Click to Enlarge):