Funny, we were talking about Billy Rohan’s NY1 “New Yorker of the Week” segment and how it saved 12th & A in 2009 just last night…
12th & A has died, and come back, and died again, and come back again, and been shut down because the wall of the building was literally falling apart — but as of this morning, 12th & A is officially gone. Construction crews with sledgehammers were tearing the DQM demo box and the remaining two ledge slabs that were installed in 2008 to pieces. They’ll probably leave the picnic table and stupid plastic bench (nevermind, it’s at T.F. already), but the spot is done for.
It’s incredible that the school / Billy came up with this “wacky” idea involving four marble slabs and some wood (A.K.A. 1/1,000,000th the cost of a skatepark?), and it kept hundreds of kids confined to one playground for entire days. Schools are about “the kids,” right? Or are they about appealing to a few token angry neighbors who move across the street from a school in a major city, and then complain about the noise from fifteen-year-olds that always ceases after dark? Because it’s easy to imagine those people finally “winning” in all of this. Big thanks to Billy and all the people who fought to keep this place open longer than anyone previously expected.
This is a blow to the culture.
Rest in piss 12th and a
That place was a shitshow unless you went early anyway; never seen such a clusterfuck in my life on a summer day; it wasn’t skateboarding so much as grommet dodging.
Yeah that’s actually not true at all. You’re describing the L.E.S. park.
LES will be an even bigger shit show without having 12th&a to accept the run-off.
12th and A was one of the coolest spots I’ve ever skated at :(
i heard this was a mistake, that the construction crew wasn’t supposed to actually destroy the ledges
homie who works there and helps with the gym classes is saying its time to rebuild
are you 100% sure its done?
there really aren’t that many parks in ny, or spots :/
Skaters helped put the block on the map as well as the “school”, but the school (esp. principal Mark Federman) was inhospitable and did little to accommodate the incredible athletes on skateboards.
As a neighbor directly in front of the park I never found the noise a problem and the skaters were always respectful and simply interested in improving their game.
Will miss the vitality they lent to the south side of 12th between First and A and hope they are given another chance. As a community we want to encourage kids who just want to skate and improve their skills.
GOOD RIDDANCE!
rest in peace skate day care. now everyone will have to take their street skating to the streets. soooooo sad
U guyz’ sarcasm is sooo c0re.
My first switch front shove and blunt of dirt wed was smoked in that school yard.
hey buddy you used that apostrophe correctly
youre supposed to look like you dont care!
Maybe the time I’m referring to was before the LES park got poured in.
It’s easy to dismiss the concerns of “a few token angry neighbors” when you label them as as such and imply that we’ve only just moved here. I moved here when it was a bus depot and was very happy to see it turned into a park. But when it became over run by skateboarding it was impossible to do anything else in there and I experienced great disrespect from some skateboarders when I was in there with my kids. When we tried to have our concerns addressed by establishing some reasonable hours, they were simply overridden by skateboarders climbing the fence any time they felt like it (a good few of whom had beards, so don’t try to tell me it was just used by fifteen year olds!). I think it’s a shame the skateboarding may completely disappear but if it does, it really isn’t the fault of a few token angry neighbors but the people who were in there slapping their planks when they shouldn’t have been.
I usually try to be clever, but Alex, what the fuck did you expect when you moved to the East Village. And it sounds like before long your kids will be embarrassed about what a lame ass their father is.
yo alex, you can slap my plank whenever you want
12th was too real
alex, you good sir are the definition of a grundle grubber. a bottom feeder of sorts.
As teens, I’m sure you’re familiar with this response from your parents, which you can’t see, but my eyes are rolling back in their sockets. Happy slapping, Plankers!
Who cares, you queers barely skate
lol @ the alex haters. fine examples of the entitlement and self righteousness that we skaters have a (apparently deserved) reputation for. thanks guys
qualities which, by the way, dont help places like 12th & a stay open