NYC Skateparks: Where to Skateboard In and Around Manhattan

Actually designed for urban spaces, skateboarding uses the city environment as the stage for its tricks, but finding a safe place to skate can be tough. Skate parks provide a safe and perfectly designed place to practice those skateboarding fakie flips and grab some air.

These eight spots in or nearby New York City are great for beginners and seasoned skateboarders alike. (Sometimes you'll also spy inline skaters or BMX bikers.) Plus, despite what kids want to hear, these skate parks put safety first. All athletes must wear helmets, kneepads and elbow pads, and kids under age 18 are also required to put on wrist guards. That said, most skateparks are unsupervised and have an enter-at-your-own-risk policy. Some even require parents to sign waivers for their children.

Pier 62 Skatepark (Chelsea Piers) - Hudson River Park at 22nd Street - Chelsea
Open 8am-dusk. FREE
Opened in May 2010, this 15,000-square-foot skatepark looks like it's sculpted into the earth, with lots of natural curves and rounded shapes. It boasts a great view right on the waterfront, and there's plenty of other entertainment nearby, making it a wonderful destination for beginning skaters.

Pier 25 Skatepark - Hudson River Park at N Moore Street - Tribeca
Open 8am-dusk. FREE
Like its Chelsea sibling, this concrete skatepark opened last year. Rather than the smooth rounded look of Pier 62, Pier 25 is all angles and shelves, making it better for more advanced skateboarders. And again, there are a lot of other things to do in the vicinity! 

Coleman Skatepark - between Monroe and Cherry Streets, and Market and Pike Streets - Chinatown
Hours vary. FREE
Located under the Manhattan Bridge, this urban skatepark features ramps, jumps and more. A signed liability waiver is required.

Riverside Skatepark - Riverside Park and 108th Street - Upper West Side
Currently closed. Once the 2011 schedule is set, it will be posted here. FREE
A traditional skatepark, it has five pre-fab ramps, including half pipes, quarter pipers and rails. A signed liability waiver is required.

Millennium Skatepark - Owl's Head Park - Colonial Road between 68th Street and Wakeman Place - Brooklyn
Weekends 10am-6pm. FREE 
This skatepark (the borough's only one!) is divided into two parts: a concrete "combi-bowl" and a street course area. BMX bikes are permitted. A signed liability waiver is required.

Castle Point Skatepark - Sinatra Drive at 8th Street - Hoboken
Open sunrise-sunset. FREE
Just a 15-minute ferry ride from Midtown West, this Hoboken skatepark has pre-fab half pipes and quarter pipes, plus a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline.

River Avenue Skatepark - River Avenue at 157th Street - Bronx
Hours vary. FREE
This 10,000-square-foot concrete skatepark features stairs, rails, ledges, benches, banks, gaps and transitioned elements in a plaza setting. Bikes, scooters and inline skates are also permitted. A signed liability waiver is required.

Astral Fountain Skatepark - Flushing Meadows Corona Park - Queens
Open dawn-dusk. FREE
Pro skaters helped design this 16,000-square-foot course, which recreates popular (but illegal) NYC skating spots, including the stairs at Union Square, One Police Plaza and the Con Ed "pyramid ledges." It's located in a remote corner of the park, near the Unisphere, and opened in 2010. Bikes, scooters and inline skates are also permitted. A signed liability waiver is required.

Read more about NYC's fantastic parks and playgrounds here.