Midtown | Quartersnacks

Snack League

Daily News May 9th, 2011 · 2:38 pm · 6

So, Waka Flocka released a video for “Lil’ Debbie.” The video and the song are disappointing from the perspective of this website, because the visuals / lyrics do little to live up to the title. In fact, the only mention of the snack cakes that the site is named after is “I get stupid cake, you can call me Lil’ Debbie.” One can only hope that a Lil’ Debbie diamond chain will eventually surface alongside the Fozzie bear one.

With all due respect to Brandon Westgate, this website’s favorite skater with a proficiency for skating up things that go down and absurdly high obstacles is Luis Tolentino. Pause right before the pop on the last 5050, just to ballpark how high the ledge probably is.

The Gonz, Spike Jonze, and Bobby Worrest skating around downtown Manhattan.

Did you know there is a decent sidewalk bump across the street from 12th & A? (Technically on the 11th Street side.) Billy and Shawn Powers knew. They did some ninja stuff over it.

The black marble banks on 48th Street & Park Avenue (or what remained of them) are completely gone as of this weekend. Someone tell the city to give companies tax write-offs for donating marble to 12th & A instead of just hucking it into a dumpster.

Attention all broke skaters: Gray’s Papaya now serves dollar slices. Not only did they price themselves out of the “Broke Skater Diet” bracket once the “Recession Special” slowly rose from $2.45 to $5.00, but they sold out by offering pizza slices cheaper than their hot dog specialties. If the mafia controls cheese prices, thus contributing to the rise in cost of pizza, does it control the hot dog market too? Or do they just melt Polly-O string cheese on dollar slices, and circumvent the mafia entirely?

Not really sure if the Fish is still “relevant” in skateboarding, but the NYPD shut it down for “illegal sale of alcoholic beverages.” (That probably means it was open after 4 A.M.) Naturally, people started a petition to get it open again.

Quote of the Week: “I went to see Paul Muni in Times Square and got blackout drunk…the only thing I remember is someone punching the Cookie Monster.” — Sweet Waste

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Getting back on track…

Daily News March 21st, 2011 · 2:08 pm · 31

It was getting depressing have two posts about skate spot demises in a row. Clyde’s image is here to dwell on New York in greater days, before we were all alive, both on an athletic level (let’s not even start on that one in light of the past week), and a skate spot level (probably.)

Going to be bummed on this Ziegfeld thing for a while. A commenter asked for the status of the ramp ledges, and the answer is that they are the only remaining obstacles that are not blocked off. Considering they are there for handicap access, they will probably stay that way due to potential building code violations that could arise from blocking off a handicap ramp with an ugly planter.

Also following up on last week’s abysmal spot forecast, someone included a picture of the Wythe Street Ledge in its last days to accompany the post. If you ever sought to grind a trick over a giant crater in the ground, well, it looks like you may have missed your opportunity.

Grandpa killing it six or seven years ago. The video is…uhh…”artsy,” to say the least. The skating is on point though.

Someone fakie flipped into the Courthouse Drop, and rightfully so, it is on the cover of a magazine. A Canadian one, but a magazine nonetheless. Eli got robbed for a cover on that really high switch flip photo from two years ago. But that’s politics.

There’s a screening of NY Revisited 1 & 2 at Enid’s (560 Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint, Brooklyn) this upcoming Friday (March 25.) 21 and over though. Flyer here. Best of all, it includes a preview of Revisited Volume 3! Seems like all the re-edit love from a few weeks ago sparked the interest in those videos, and that’s definitely a good thing.

Dylan Rieder in the most fashion forward indoor TF clip of all-time. It’s great how Gravis uses only his first name now. “DYLAN.” It’s like “MADONNA” or “PRINCE.” It’s like, he doesn’t need a last name, dude. He’s an entity, bro. An enigma, even.

Despite the fact that The Simpsons haven’t exactly been relevant since maybe the tenth or eleventh season (what are they on? 22 now? 23?), they should really worry about bigger and better things that suing an enterprise like Skate Book for intellectual property violations. Yes, obviously, it is a violation, but are they really caking off millions at Skate Book? Send a C & D, and be done with it. A full-on lawsuit is insane. Having never owned any editions of Skate Book, even though they send me e-mails every month, I should probably get on Amazon and order a few back copies. Best of luck to everyone over there in getting out of this though.

Quote of the Week: “I quit.” — Multiple people’s responses after receiving a photo of the newly blocked-off Ziegfeld via MMS

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(Late) Monday Links & Things

Daily News February 7th, 2011 · 4:00 pm · 10

It seems to have been a slow week for the internet. A big week for being “under the weather” in more ways than one. Need to get back in the habit of posting these in the morning though.

Thankfully, it’s forty degrees outside and nothing is really skateable. Midtown is actually pretty clear, but the one decent spot that you might not get kicked out of up there is still covered in snow.

Forty Degree Snow Report: 12th Street Edition

Forty Degree Snow Report: 54th Street Edition. It’s permanently raining from the scaffolding here.

Forty Degree Snow Report: Alexander Mosley Edition. I’m going to be sure to e-mail him back with a vivid description of our weather to get him jealous.

Forty Degree Snow Report: Fashion / Cargos & Uggs Edition (?)

Not sure where this video is based out of (there’s a lot of footage from around here though), but it’s a solid thirty-minute project by Max Hull featuring Dylan James, Paul Tucci and others. A good way to pass the time if you’re forfeiting efforts at skateboarding for a few more weeks.

Great Song Choices in Video Parts: Volume One. Completely forgot Rick had skated to this, at least prior to a few weeks ago when someone’s maligned conception of “a half hour,” turned into us sitting in an office for three-hours and almost watching the entire Girl/Chocolate Box Set.

Some late-to-the-party news…

Be sure to check out Joseph Delgado’s promo video for NYC Griptape. It’s been online for a minute, but is the first great local part of 2011. Features cameos from Rodney Torres and Shawn Powers.

In case you have been in a place without the internet, Luis Tolentino now rides for DVS and grinds up Houston, Texas handrails with plywood-on-grass runways. Big congratulations goes to Luis, he’s been skating fast as hell, doing his own thing, and channeling New York skating no matter where he is for as long as anyone can remember, so him getting some recognition like that is way overdue.

Aside from the skate spots, and an occasional cool building or two, the east side of Midtown is the most disgusting place in New York during the weekends.

Quote of the Week: “I wish Lady Gaga would make some new songs, but she’s on tour.” — Switch Michael Strobert

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The saga, Sega, network and bodega

Daily News November 22nd, 2010 · 1:39 pm · 2

Things for Monday that may be of some interest to you.

Christian Hosoi was recently at the House of Vans in Greenpoint for a commemorative skate jam held in light of the Autumn Bowl’s demise. Taji put together a “Taj Cam” clip of the evening, and Billy has a more candid iPhone clip involving pastrami sandwiches and car rides.

The scaffolding is gone at IBM Ledge. They also kept the planters away from the ledge, so there is a lot more space to hit it if you are heading backside for regular / frontside for goofy.

Speaking of skate spots, if you have been skating Midtown on a regular basis for over a year, you are probably aware that almost everything becomes an unforgiving bust in the period between a few weeks before Thanksgiving, all the way through the new year, due to the heightened security presence meant to give directions to tourists and kick you out. That basically means Ziegfeld is a total bust right now, with a special guard posted up there for all previously skate-friendly hours. Consider yourself lucky if you got more than ten minutes there these past two weeks. This night was fun though.

Quiksilver Canada trip clip by Pryce Holmes. Features Torey Goodall, Alex Olson, and Pat O’Rourke. You can catch the first clip from the trip here.

Reasons you should watch this John Wisdom for Ready Amongst the Willing clip: 1. He skates to what’s probably the best song off Liquid Swords, which is saying a lot. 2. He skates in camo pants. 3. The skateboarding is really, really good.

Here is a re-edit of Luis Tolentino’s footage from the past year or so that has surfaced in various commercials, web clips, etc. Edited by Eli Gesner. Probably the closest thing to a full part from Luis in recent memory. Luis is one of New York’s finest athletes, and more than just high ollies. He has always ripped, and here’s his section from Flipmode 4 as a reminder. The trick at Pyramid Ledges may very well supersede many of the other, ledge-related endeavors accomplished there. How one does an ollie going down an incline over something very high, and nestled between two narrow brick pillars boggles the mind to this very day.

Belief Skateshop is holding a contest at the new Astoria skatepark on this coming Sunday (the 28th.) Flyer here.

Quote of the Week: “It might be funny when you get hit by a car, but not when you get run over by one.” – Rob Campbell

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