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'Menacing' Skaters Destroy and Hog New Waterfront Space, Locals Say

By Lisha Arino | March 16, 2015 8:44am
 An influx of skateboarders and BMX bikers have taken over Pier 35 and driven out residents, locals say.
Skaters Taking Over and Damaging Pier 35, Neighbors Say
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LOWER EAST SIDE — The East River Esplanade at South Street and Rutgers Slip quickly became a neighborhood hot spot when the city unveiled its outdoor workout machines, bocce court and new seating by the water last year.

Families worked out together and took walks along the river, while elderly residents met up for fan dances and sat on the benches, neighbors said.

“It was a nice pleasant environment,” said Daisy Echevarria, a longtime resident of the neighborhood.

But local families and elderly residents were quickly driven out of the park by skaters who found its open spaces, benches and stone blocks an ideal space to meet up and perform tricks, residents complained March 12 to city officials during Community Board 3’s Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Waterfront Committee meeting.

Skaters at Pier 35
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YouTube/Trever Holland

Members of the Tenants United Fighting For Lower East Side — a coalition of local tenants’ associations — and other residents called on the Economic Development Corporation, which is developing the area, to add signage, increase enforcement and install security cameras to discourage the grinding and kick-flipping that regularly occur in the park.

Dozens of skaters — who neighbors said hail from as far as Queens, Brooklyn and Upper Manhattan — have monopolized the space for almost a year, residents said. Locals who spoke at the meeting described the young adults’ behavior as “menacing” and “brash,” especially for families and the area’s immigrant senior population.

“They think they own [the park],” said resident Peter Mei, who added that he would not let his two sons bike near Pier 35 because of the skaters.

The skaters also do not stop to let other people in the park pass by, residents added.

“You can’t really walk because all the skateboarders and bikers are speeding by and we’re a hindrance to their momentum. That’s what it is,” said Ann Eng, who has lived across from the pier for 14 years.

“They will not stop, they do not care,” said Eng’s neighbor, Elaine Hoffman.

Hoffman, a senior citizen who has lived on Rutgers Slip for 19 years, said some skaters have also insulted her when she confronted them, she said.

The skateboarders and BMX bikers have also torn up the new park, damaging it by grinding on the granite blocks near the exercise equipment and pulling out “skate-stoppers” installed to prevent them from skating and using the blocks for tricks, neighbors said.

The blocks and wood-planked benches have visible scratches and scuff marks, and edges of the stone blocks facing the water have been destroyed in some areas.

A dedicated skate park exists nearby Coleman Park, residents said, but the sanctioned space doesn’t provide enough thrills for the young adults, who often film their exploits and share them on social media.

“It’s not as cool to film there,” said Kerri Culhane, associate director of the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, who also spoke out about the skaters.

Skye Yard, 20, of Astoria, said Pier 35 was a popular among skaters for its "perfect obstacles," including its metal-covered stone ledges and waterfront view of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.

"I would consider this a world-famous spot," Yard said.

Skaters at the park disagreed with neighbors' assessment of their behavior and said they are generally considerate of pedestrians, according to Yard and his friend Cody Peck, a 21-year-old from Bushwick. They said they had never been approached by residents while visiting the area. In fact, they said, many families stop to watch them perform tricks.

"We're a community and we just like being out here and having fun. It's really what it's all about," Yard said. "We're not trying to get in anyone's business or interrupt in any way."

City officials present at the meeting said they were aware of the problem and were  working to fix the issue.

“We understand. We hear your concerns,” said Lusheena Warner, the New York City Economic Development Corporation's assistant vice president of government and community relations.

“We worked to build this really beautiful space and we want you to be able to enjoy it and we don’t want folks to feel like it’s not safe for them to go there,” Warner added.

“No skating” signs have been installed, she added, and an official from the Department of Parks and Recreation Parks Enforcement Patrol said it was working to ensure that skaters and everyone else abides by the park's rules.

The EDC also plans to weld the skate-stoppers down when they reinstall them and would look into installing security cameras, Warner said.

EDC representatives also said the agency hopes to repair the damage done in the park.

“We’re going to do whatever we can to deal with that because it does look terrible,” said Brian Larsen, EDC’s vice-president of capital projects.

The area is part of an EDC effort to redevelop and improve access to the waterfront. Officials had attended to community board meeting to provide an update on Package 3 of the multi-neighborhood project, which covers Pike Slip to Pier 35.

The construction of an EcoPark, which would be built on the pier, is expected to be complete in 2017, officials said at the meeting.