From Fences to Freedom: The Brooklyn Banks Return to Skaters

After more than ten years behind fences, the Brooklyn Banks, a legendary skateboarding plaza beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, is back.

Built in 1972 as a public space, the Banks gained iconic status in the 1980s as one of the rare spots where skateboarders could ride freely without being kicked out.

It quickly became a central meeting point for generations of skaters, influencing the evolution of street skating in New York and beyond. Over time, the site fell into neglect and was closed off for redevelopment projects, leaving a void in the city’s skate scene.

Now, thanks to community advocacy from Gotham Park, support from City Hall and the Department of Transportation, and backing from The Skatepark Project, a nonprofit founded by Tony Hawk, the Banks has been restored and reopened.

Advocates say the revival is not only symbolic but a reminder of skateboarding’s cultural roots in New York.

The reopening has even inspired other U.S. cities, like San Francisco and Los Angeles, to consider similar redevelopments of historic skate spaces.