Riverside Park

NYC PARKS BREAKS GROUND ON NEW UPPER WEST SIDE SKATE PARK IN RIVERSIDE PARK

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, joined Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; New York City Council Member Mark Levine; New York State Senator Robert Jackson; Dan Garodnick, President, Riverside Park Conservancy; Amy Hyman, 1st vice chair, Community Board 7 and community members to break ground on the newly designed Riverside Park skate park. This $2.6 million project was funded by Borough President Brewer, Council Members Levine and Helen Rosenthal and Senator Jackson.

“Providing diverse amenities in our parks is vitally important. And the reason is simple, we serve a diverse universe of visitors—those looking for a place to connect with friends, relax or be active,” said Commissioner Silver. “More than 20 years ago we introduced skating as a feature in Riverside Park, thanks to Andy Kessler, and because it remains very popular we are giving it the upgrade it deserves—even an 11 foot bowl.”

With input from the skate community, a contemporary community skate park will be built that both meets the requirements of a growing population of users and enhances safety and inclusivity for a variety of skaters on the Upper West Side—replacing the existing skate park features. A primary objective of the design is to serve users with a broad range of skills. The new design includes an 11’ deep bowl, the most dramatic feature of the new park, which was requested by the advanced skaters. An extensive, unfenced area of street-style skate elements is included to provide challenges and growth for all ages and skill sets. This area will meet the needs of beginners and also provide challenges for experienced skaters. The existing footprint of the skate park will be increased, and the perimeter landscape will be enhanced. New benches and fencing will be added.

The Riverside Skate Park, which opened in 1995, was the brainchild of Andy Kessler, who passed away in 2009.
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Know Before You Go

Riverside Park

West 79th Street Boat Basin

Riverside Park (79th Street)