If you can’t make it out on Saturday, don’t forget to help circulate the petition to keep turf off the asphalt at Tompkins Square Park. If you’re sharing any reflections or memories of what this park means to you on social media, please be sure to tag any posts with #savetompkins.
“One thing Jones has that a lot of pro skaters don’t is a bunch of hardheaded friends who are willing to bring city life to a halt for him.” Can’t imagine there’s a single person who reads QS that hasn’t already read Willy Staley’s incredible profile of Tyshawn Jones for The New York Times, but also don’t think anything else could justifiably be the first link this week.
“The further uptown you went, the quieter and more desolate it was. And the more you could get away with.” While on the topic of #MSM #skate #coverage — never knew about this 2005 New York Mag article about Andy Kessler and the original Zoo York crew of the 1970s-80s. (So nice that we have evolved and endured enough to avoid calling things “Dogtown East” now hehe.)
Eli Gesner found this 1995 clip of Peter Bici skating in front of the Met at 6 A.M. Wonder what club they had just left ;)
Palace has a new, eleven-minute Japan edit.
The scene at 12th & A circa 2019, via the Homies Network dudes.
Crazy to learn that it started out as Bruce Willis’ Pro Skater. Here is the oral history of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and its subsequent cultural impact.
“After beating up triad gang members, legend has it, both Bruce Lee and Guy Mariano fled Hong Kong for new lifes in the United States. The rest of the story you know.”
Heitor, Jamal Smith & Frank Spears skate around New York for a new, bite-sized Adidas edit.
Excited for the full-length Hélas video. They did the unthinkable in 2019 and dropped a trailer that is longer than Instagram length!
Skateboarders are saving your city.
In 20+ years, Anthony Van Engelen has never done a single iffy trick on a skateboard.
The keyhole ledge on First Avenue is back after being fenced off for 2+ years. Yes, as of this past weekend, can confirm that it is still a colossal bust.
It doesn’t matter what year it is, someone is still gonna skate Mambo Bar and edit it to Jurassic 5.
You’ve 100% already seen these, but we are contractually obligated by the Skateboard Journalists Guild to link any and all “Summer Trip to New York!” clips…1) the Volcom trip to New York video that seems like #sponsored #content for Airbnb (jk, but that is honestly a dream sponsor for all S.T.T.N.Y. content), and 2) the Dickies trip to New York with *the* back smith shuv.
Quote of the Week
Inquisitive Young Lady: “What’s your name?”
Stafhon: “Stafhon.”
Inquisitive Young Lady: “What’s your Instagram handle?”
Stafhon: “Stafhon.”
Threw some loose items on sale in the QS webstore. Got a couple hats, some leftover red chore jackets (honestly, it is the sleeper item of the last QS release), a few tote bags, and some XLs in swim trunks still in stock. Figured we’d have to clear some shelf space before the fall stuff and QS Amiri jeans drop ♥ It’s still free U.S. shipping if you spend $100+. Thank you for the support, as always :)
60s-70s: NYC was such an undesirable place to live the city built Stuy Town, Mitchell Lama buildings and a litany of other affordable housing to keep their firefighters and teachers on the island.
1980s: Post Carter de-regulation era, the heyday of corporate finance, first generation of women in the workforce. Crime bad, housing preferences suburban.
Pre 911: NYC was chill, not crowded, Tompkins was “Alphabet City”, global elites stayed in their locked suburban compounds.
01-08 : TF and 12th and A are focal points of NYC skating with centrifugal proximity to midtown and downtown bust-seshes. First gentrification wave hits with ^^global elites^^ daughters graduating w good jobs and preferring to live like Carrie and Monica/Chandler — avg rents spike
08-16 : Economy crashes ^^global elites^^ spared thanks to $TT bailout and unprecedented flows of Asian capital (reaching maturity 10+ years after WTO). First gentrification wave stays in Mid-Upper Manhattan and trade up to buy still relatively inexpensive condo/coops. owners bailed out at x multiple. RS leases getting bought out for six-figures to re-rent at x multiple. Second gentrification wave reaches EV LES and Wburg. ^^global elites^^ understand the fundamental importance of still sending your kid to NYC even if they must pay 2x more in living expenses than they earn
16-18: Trump is elected and exposes the global capital shellgame including Chinese weaponization of capital (Unrestricted Warfare ‘99) NYC exposed wth everyone having bought in the last wave realizing that there’s no untapped Martian captial to bail them out. Either take a painful haircut or ur stuck paying a $5000 note on that #cute East Village condo 2 bedrooom u and ur wife bought down the street from a family who’s been there for 50 years paying 1/5th of the price and with twice the space