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“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan shared about her experience researching and writing about NYC’s many secrets.
New York City’s skaters are asking for a little room on the dance floor.
As a quad skater, finding a smooth surface is nearly impossible in New York City. As I mentioned in my last column, there are only a few permanent roller skating rinks around the city (Bushwick’s new Xanadu Roller Arts, Pier 2 in Brooklyn Heights, Riverbank State Park’s rink in Harlem; Staten Island’s RollerJam USA just closed in May). Instead, NYC’s skaters have been relegated to vacant volleyball courts, empty school play yards and far-off rinks to practice their sport.
RECOMMENDED: At Xanadu in Bushwick, NYC roller skaters find a new home
But since June 2021, Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 has been an unexpected boon to the skating community, offering a reliable space to meet and skate without worrying whether they’re taking up someone else’s space.
No more scattering when tennis players descend with their rackets or waiting until students vacate their schools’ yards. Trips all the way out to Long Island or Bushwick are a thing of the past and they don’t have to worry about hills and cracks and uneven pavement.
The 245,000-square-foot pier behind the Javits Center is the widest, flattest space available, but in a few years, it could disappear too.
As reported earlier this month, Pier 76 will undergo some pretty major changes that could mean a big loss for skaters.
Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation that will allow development at the pier, including amusement rides, tourist attractions, facilities for waterborne transportation activities and floating restaurants, with the promise to keep 50% of it as park land. The new law also removes some limits on offshore barges and allow commercial development and allows for the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) to request proposals for a potential helipad site with the hopes of moving an existing one away from West 30th.
All of this is meant to keep open public space while generating revenue to support the care of Hudson River Park. Pier 76 actually faces up to $150 million in repair and reconstruction costs that are needed to avoid removal of the pier’s public space.
There’s no timeline or implementation plan right now, but skaters are already fearing the worst—losing their space—and have launched a petition to include the preservation of a safe, inclusive, accessible and free skate space.
“We ask that the HRPT sees the redevelopment of Pier 76 as an opportunity to create a place unlike any other in the city: one specifically designed and designated for this kind of roller skating (similar to the Skate Dance Plaza in Venice Beach, CA),” the petition states. “We ask for an area of flat and leveled, smooth and continuous poured concrete, spanning more than 15,000 square feet, that is preferably well-lit and partially covered, to facilitate free year-round use for skaters of all ages, skill levels, and physical abilities.”
On Tuesday last week, I went to see the space for myself and skate with the community that calls the pier home. I arrived at sunset when about a dozen inline and quad skaters (of all ages and skill levels) were freely gliding around the gigantic space and practicing smooth dance moves. As the sun fell below the Hudson River and lit the sky with pinks and oranges, it was clear to me why they are trying to protect this stretch of pavement.
Not only is the pavement relatively smooth with no cracks, but it’s open and big enough to allow everyone to express themselves, practice and spend time together without getting in the way. It feels free, because it is. There’s no entrance fee and no one is stepping on toes (or skates).
“Skaters are seen as kind of this almost undesirable in a lot of areas.”
“There are several things that make it a perfect oasis for skating, for sure, but the biggest thing is the amount of space and the fact that it is a flat surface that’s especially important for newer skaters learning how to skate, and the sheer amount of space,” Janette Johnston, the skater who launched the petition, tells me. “I feel like skaters are seen as kind of this almost undesirable in a lot of areas: we get kicked off of tennis courts, we get yelled at by cyclists, even on the bike path. And so this space is a place where we can be out of everyone else’s way, and they are out of our way as well.”
Jenzia Burgos, the skater who wrote our first look at Xanadu and its importance to the skating community, actually practices at Pier 76 and says it’s the only space where she feels comfortable trying new things because she can stretch out. “If you’re falling [at a rink], you’re gonna fall in close proximity to other people,” she says. “There’s that fear, too, of making other people tip over and grabbing other people, which you just don’t want. So here, it’s a little bit more of a controlled environment with the space, so it just helps you evolve as a skater. There’s room to breathe. And there’s also a big community here of people who are immediately ready to help you.”
“Central Park cannot be the only place in Manhattan where people get to be connect to the earth or connect to themselves…”
It’s also a more central location—at least compared to Bushwick, Harlem and Brooklyn Heights. But perhaps most importantly, it’s free and open daily.
“The people of this community need to also have a space to just relax and take in the sun,” Liberty Girl Karen Sepulveda tells me. “You know, like Central Park cannot be the only place in Manhattan where people get to be connect to the earth or connect to themselves with their bodies or their community.”
Not only that, but it is truly beautiful. The pier juts into the river, providing a nice breeze and stunning views of the west side of Manhattan and Jersey. It’s more similar to the Skate Dance Plaza in Venice Beach than you might think.
“It’s best to skate here during sunset to get really beautiful shots and videos,” says Ariana Santiago. “But also, if you need a sense of escapism, to get away from the city, this is also the perfect spot to just lay down and look at the water and even New Jersey. We’re out in middle of the water!”
When I asked the skaters what they want state and city officials to do with their beloved space, some said they didn’t want any changes. But others were open to it as long as their community is considered.
That could be a stretch of pavement that the in-liners, quad skaters and long boarders can use that is out of the way of others—bicyclists, pedestrians and pets included. Additionally, restrooms, access to affordable food and some sort of covering to shield them from rain would also top the list.
A skater named Donnie just wants their voices to be heard.
“I would just say, ‘Please don’t take this home away,’” he says “For me, this is like a home away from home. I’ve made a lot of cool memories here, met a lot of cool people here, learned a lot here, too. So when it comes down to at the end of the day, I would just really hope they consider the fact that people come here [regularly] and love it here.”
Hearing that, I figured I’d go straight to the source to ask how the skating community will be included in the decisions made about the park.
“Parkland means grass, fields, and playgrounds but it also means open spaces which can be used by the public for a variety of purposes, including skating,” said Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who supports the bill and forthcoming changes.
“Importantly, community members will have an opportunity to weigh in on the changes in the park through the public planning process,” he continued. “Our bill also creates a community-led procedure to facilitate, once and for all, moving the West 30th Street helipad off of the parkland, which will create even more park space for all kinds of activities.”
Finally, a Hudson River Park Trust spokesperson told me that they’re aware that there’s an active skating community at Pier 76 and that they’ll include the community in the design process.
“In order to achieve our two long-term goals for the pier—creating great public open space and generating revenue to support the overall care and maintenance of Hudson River Park—the entire pier needs to be reconstructed,” the spokesperson said. “As is our practice, we will eventually engage in a community design process where skaters and other stakeholders can give input on their hopes for the open space.
The skaters are ready to make their voices heard.
“In the interim, we found a community, we found a home here,” says Johnston.
You can sign the petition here and follow the Pier 76 skaters at their account on Instagram.