Tompkins Square Park | Quartersnacks

#TFREPORT: Tompkins Square Park Is Saved

Daily News September 7th, 2019 · 9:42 am · 8

Was going to write something yesterday, but was too overwhelmed once the news broke + everyone caught wind of it on social channels first.

At around 4 P.M. yesterday, Manhattan Parks Commissioner, William Castro (who actually funded the ramps at the 1989 Shut contest at Tompkins), reached out to say that the Parks Department will NOT be installing turf over the asphalt at the northeast corner of Tompkins Square Park A.K.A. the T.F.

We all low-key couldn’t believe this too-good-to-be-true news. Then, Patch — the same source from which we learned the park was getting turfed in the first place — got a statement from Parks spokesperson, Crystal Howard: “Tompkins Square Park has served as the epicenter of NYC skateboard culture for decades, as such, we have decided to leave the area previously proposed for synthetic in the park as is, and will not move forward with creating a synthetic turf area there.”

So Much Content

Daily News September 3rd, 2019 · 12:00 am · 1

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 ;)

94 And What

Daily News August 12th, 2019 · 12:21 am · 3

“But as long as your board is selling, no one has any problem with short video parts.” — Rest in Peace, Gabriel Rodriguez. Some of the most iconic arm steez in the history of skateboarding (not sure if anyone threw them ‘bows quite as stylishly as Gabriel did on a rollaway.)

Sign + share the petition to keep synthetic turf off the Tompkins flat.

Antosh‘s “Elbow Room” edit for a new board brand called Deed is really, really fucking good. Never would have thought a nose manual on pretty much the entire length of the main bank at Verizon would’ve been do-able, and that ender at Big Screen is nuts. Features solid appearances from all the Canadian sweethearts you know and love.

Don’t think there has ever been a skate interview that just got right into it quite the way Fred Gall’s Chromeball one did. Really wish the best for Fred, and skateboarding is lucky to have such an honest, open person in its ranks of legends. The Governor of New Jersey.

Can We Have A Pool Dad?

Daily News July 22nd, 2019 · 1:37 am · 4

Adam & Slicky • Photo by Sophie Day

“I would be on tour with all these guys and that late 90s San Diego, hip-hop style of culture was ruling at the time. And I was just a kid from Northern California who liked My Bloody Valentine.” There’s a really nice interview with Jerry Hsu about life after sponsors in …GQ? Jk, Noah knows what he’s doing ♥

Dylan Holderness put together a rad ten-minute video from ten days in Puerto Rico. Shout out to having wild horses chilling in the background of city plazas. We went to that spot and didn’t see any damn horses!

The text is in German, but the dudes from Irregular skate mag put up a supplementary article to their “Summer Trip To New York” clip that was linked last Monday, and it includes a ton of really sick photos. Shout out to everyone going the extra mile in the #legacy #content realm. Tricks can be A.B.D. — but everyone’s story is different yaknow.

The fashion mags are onboard for the cause — Dazed ran an article about the cultural significance of the Tompkins asphalt, and Paper did the same. We cannot stress enough that this is so much bigger than skateboarding, and more about the community that this small patch of asphalt has cultivated. → Please sign and share the petition if you have yet to do so. Actually, if you read QS and haven’t signed it, please focus your board and computer. (And no, we haven’t heard an update back from Parks yet, but are hoping for some news this week.)

Sanguine Paradise

Daily News July 15th, 2019 · 1:00 am · 5

→ Please sign the petition to show your support for keeping the asphalt at the Tompkins Square Park courts. This space is as sacred to skateboarding and the East Village as the Rucker or the West 4th Street courts are to basketball. It would be a massive loss to the youth and cultural fabric of the neighborhood if they were covered with synthetic turf. We are a few hundred shy of 25,000 (!!!) signatures, so please please please share the petition with your friends, and on your respective social channels.

After many years of captivity, the Zipper Ledge is finally free and dressed with a fresh, yellow paintjob, as first reported by @mini_spots. (Don’t ask for pin! That’s like asking where the Empire State Building is!) If only the park starts opening the gate at Yellow Rail, then the entire Morningside little kid skate scene circa 2003 will be in full revival.

Jesse Alba is the latest guest on The Bunt, and really happy that he no longer lives at 51 Eldert Street.

…aanndd Max Palmer is half the man he used to be in Jesse’s new #longform iPhone edit.

One of the hardest things about interviewing skateboarders is not asking the same ten things that the last few interviews they did asked. It’s special and rare when you get someone for their first one. Caleb Barnett did his first ever interview with the Slam City Skates blog.