It can be a bit jarring when you leave the friendly confines of the Pacific Northwest and you want to visit a skatepark in another state. All of the sudden you have to worry about whether or not it’s going to be open during school hours and how much it might cost you. The city (village?) of Northport, New York has a new skatepark waiting in the wings and skaters in and around the area are trying to get the city to change their minds about charging a fee to skate. To be fair, you don’t have to pay to skate in public skateparks in most states these days. The East coast may have pioneered the skatepark, but they seem to be having a hard time letting go of the pay-to-play public skatepark. There’s a list of city emails to (respectfully) beseech for a free skatepark experience in Northport over on Sleestak.
[Photo: Can’t seem to find the original. Anyone?]
25 comments
Eric
I’m from East Northport LI and I’m a BMX rider and they should allow BMX riders in the park even if they don’t I’m hopping the fence with my bike!!!!!
Jerry
Free it up Northport! I’m currently on tour with Blue Man Group, but my home is on Long Island. A few of us on the tour skate, and there hasn’t been one skatepark that’s charged a fee. They also do not require the use of helmets or pads. I’m not saying that helmets and pads are not a good idea, but let’s be real and leave the use of them up to the individual. Regina, Canada, Billings, Montana, Reno, Nevada, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Davenport, Iowa…all have beautiful parks. ALL ARE FREE as well as open 24/7… If Northport won’t listen, maybe another, cooler town might make an effort to lay out a better facility for all of us that love this sport/artform… S8-or-DIE!!!!!
terz
We should pay for the beautiful facility on Bellerose Ave.because we all don’t pay enough in property taxes to the crooked town of Huntington???? Does anybody know anything about the rapidly increasing rate of diabetes and obesity in children?? Lets make it easier for the kids to get physical in a safe, fun way that is cool enough to keep them interested through their HS years! And by the way,Amy W.,you may want to look into superintendent’s six figure salaries, double dipping pensions and perks before you start yakin’ about teachers salaries/pensions.
Amy W
I live in Northport NY (a village of 7,700 people) and many of us here are wondering where this skate park is. I think it is still in the planning stages and the photo is an artist’s rendering of the plans.
If it is left up to the people of the village and the surrounding towns, it will probably be free. The other skate parks in the area are free. The local parents would rather that their kids not skate in the local supermarket parking lot so I would imagine there would be a lot of support for this.
L
Amy,this park is on Bellrose Avenue in East Northport. It is beautiful.
Amy W
To add: Lou, the school budget increases have a lot to do with the pensions we have promised to the teachers and the medical insurance that is offered to all employees. A skate park, which should probably be paid for by the township of Huntington anyway, just as the other skates parks in Huntington are, would be a blip in the budget. We need to work on healthcare reform and the state retirement system if we want real tax relief.
Lou
Where is this park going to be located? Northport is a village and like all municipalities, its budget is tighter than a drum. Who will pay to maintain the park or pay for insurance? I live in this village and the elected officials won’t even entertain a “temporary” ice skating rink that would be dismantled when winter ends. This park will be an uphill battle unless the developers can assure the village it will be cost-free to the village. Less than 8,000 people live in this village and with taxes approaching $10,000 aveerage per residence, I want spending to be cut back, not increased. This is what happens when school budget increases are approved year after year.
Me
Goodbye behind supermarkets, 7-11, and playgrounds. Hello skatepark
Ken
Who paid for the park? Was it publicly funded?
Ian Galgano
so when does the park open?
kuatolives2084
I heard the middle of this month now. The California Skateparks guys as well as a bunch of the locals are still fighting to make this park free.
I have emailed multiple staff members about this issue and I still haven’t gotten a response. (The original email was sent on Aug 26th and I have forwarded it to them 3 times since then and still no response.)
It appears to be that they don’t want to hear anyone’s opinion and can’t go against the “higher ups” within the town.
There should defnitely be a protest opening day at the park or some sort of gathering at Town Hall, this is getting ridiculous. Open the park already!
BillyBonebrake
Credit Bill Helene of California Skateparks who lent his camera to an anonymous public works guy out changing light pole lamps that day. Maybe that anonymous public works guy is Dan Fiorello, but I doubt it.
This skatepark should be free, on that we can agree.
roszco
Here’s the letter I sent last week:
First off let me congratulate you for building such a great park. It is something that is very well needed on Long Island where my family and I visit frequently. This park looks amazing and would probably draw plenty of use from the local community. Unfortunately I see that it is a pay to use park. The great thing about skateboarding is that it is so accessible and can be done anywhere. That being said, I am a 39 year old happily married father of two boys, and we are all skateboarders. I will choose not to use this park if it is “Pay to Play.” Forking over $20 a day for something we can do for free anywhere else is absurd. We will simply go skate in town on the sidewalks and parking lots where we usually do, for free. Its kind of like making people pay to play tag, or kickball, or tennis, or basketball, or to take a ride on a bike path. Why single out a particular group of people to pay for the cost of a park? Perhaps there should be a bicycle tax so that the city can be reimbursed for the bike paths, or wait, maybe a nickel for every time kids want to go down a sliding board. I think that’s a great idea, plus the money for all of the other park projects would be recouped much faster. Oh, but you may run into more opposition, because there are many more adults who ride bikes than there are adult skateboarders to speak up for what is right. Kids don’t vote why worry about their right to enjoy the sport of their choosing. plus who can beat a $5 a day daycare facility.
Skateboarding is free, pay to play skateboard facilities fail.
chaperone
Like this.
kuatolives2084
Same here.
Well said, Roszco.
Adams
Nice looking park. I think the reason for the east coasts reluctance to the concept of free public parks is there are too many lawyers living here.
someguyatwork
Huh? What’s the logical connection between the number of lawyers in an area and the reluctance to build free public skateparks? Are you sure that it’s not because of the number of mechanics, or the number of florists on the east coast?
100% talkboarder
original photo is here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/pheos/IMG_1010b.jpg
credit dan “pheos” fiorello for the photo and also to his buddies @ kuatolives2084.blogspot.com for taking the time to start this campaign
MachetteeDick!
Capitalism. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, don’t.
Mac
“…Those who can’t, teach. “
skaterdave
Those who can’t teach administrate.
bobcat
and those who can’t administrate, go into Human Resources
kevin
i dont understand the thinking of kids paying to play.
how are they gonna get 10 a day to skate, shop lifting .
the idea is you want the youth out of the street s and in the parks.
avoiding hanging out and getting into trouble. HELLO!
chaperone
Ten bucks a day is bullshit. Fences too. Make it free and free range. Isn’t the idea to have a place that kids can go and have some fun?
Mac
Nice looking park. Does the city of Northport charge “non-resident” kids $10 every time they want to play in the adjacent playground, or to shoot hoops on the courts that are probably just out of frame? If the fees are for use of the entire surrounding park as well, then it’s fair. If it’s just for the skatepark, then it makes no sense at all. What if Northport has a grand opening and no one goes inside the fence? They (and their families) just sit outside on their boards with their backs turned? Seems like the most effective response is to conspicuously not skate there. I wonder if the kids would have the willpower to do this?