Golconda Skate Park

Last updated
Golconda Skate Park
Fat Kid
Fat Kid Spot
Kava Vasquez performs a varial flip at Golconda Skate Park - Fat Kid Spot.jpg
Golconda Skate Park
Type Skate park
Location Downtown Brooklyn
Coordinates 40°41′52″N73°58′55″W / 40.6977°N 73.9819°W / 40.6977; -73.9819 Coordinates: 40°41′52″N73°58′55″W / 40.6977°N 73.9819°W / 40.6977; -73.9819
Area18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2)
Created New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
OpenAll year
TerrainConcrete, Brick
Public transit access New York City Subway : NYCS-bull-trans-F-Std.svg NYCS-bull-trans-Fd-Std.svg trains to York Street

Golconda Skate Park, known as Fat Kid, is a public skate park in the Downtown Brooklyn/Fort Greene neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York City, that originated as a DIY skate spot. [1] [2] Built under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the 18,000 square foot professionally built skate park was completed in 2016 and sits within Golconda Playground. [3] [2]

Contents

History

Located under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the park originated as a D.I.Y skate park known as Fat Kid or the Fat Kid spot. [4] [5] In 2013, work began on a 3.7 million dollar redesign of Golconda playground which included a redesign of the old D.I.Y skate park into a public skate park that flows with the design of the entire park. [4] In 2016, the New York City Parks Department opened a remodeled Golconda Playground, including a redesigned skatepark. [4] Steve Rodriguez worked with the Parks Department and the skating community to advise the design of the skate park. [3]

Starting in early 2019, the NYC Skateboard Coalition, working with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, hosts monthly clean-ups at Golconda to mitigate the debris that build up in the park. [6] In November 2019, the Pablo Ramirez foundation joined the NYC Skateboard Coalition to co-host a clean-up and skate session in support of the foundation's Brooklyn Skate Garden project. [6] Also in November 2019, the NYC Skateboard Coalition installed a lock box for brooms and other tools to be stored in an accessible place at Golconda for park locals to clean the skatepark themselves. [6]

Fat Kid Spot original name

The DIY skate spot that became Golconda Skate Park got its original name, Fat Kid Spot, because of its low-impact obstacles, which were relatively close to the ground. [3] Hence, the obstacles were easier to do for "fatter" people. [3]

Etymology of Golconda

The name “Golconda” is a portmanteau of GOLd, CONcord and anaconDA, because the park is shaped like a snake. [3] The park sits on Gold and Concord Streets. [3]

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References

  1. "Golconda Park in Downtown Brooklyn now open with skatepark and playground - Brooklyn Bridge Parents - for parents in Brooklyn". Brooklyn Bridge Parents - for parents in Brooklyn. 2016-11-21. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  2. 1 2 Leon, Alexandra (2016-11-18). "Golconda Playground in Downtown Brooklyn Reopens With Revamped Skatepark". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stapinski, Helene (2016-10-21). "Good News, Brooklyn Skaters: Fat Kid Spot Is Coming Back". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  4. 1 2 3 Skateboarding, N. Y. (2016-11-17). "Golconda Skatepark in Dumbo Brooklyn Now Open (2016)". NYSkateboarding.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  5. "Shredding It! A Visit to NYC's Newest Skatepark". Red Tricycle. 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  6. 1 2 3 Bendon, Sean (2019-11-16). "Brooklyn Skate Garden Fat Kid clean up". Skate Jawn. Retrieved 2019-11-24.