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.
Built under the
Brooklyn Queens Expressway
Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New York ...
, the 18,000 square foot professionally built skate park was completed in 2016 and sits within Golconda Playground.
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.
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.
In 2016, the
New York City Parks Department opened a remodeled Golconda Playground, including a redesigned skatepark.
Steve Rodriguez
Steven James Rodríguez (born November 29, 1970) is an American baseball coach and former second baseman/shortstop, who is the current hitting coach for the Texas Longhorns. He played college baseball for the Pepperdine Waves from 1991 to 1992. ...
worked with the Parks Department and the skating community to advise the design of the skate park.
Starting in early 2019, the
NYC Skateboard Coalition
NYC Skateboard Coalition, established in 2017, is a community organization that advocates for New York City's skateparks and hosts NYC-based skateboard events. The NYC Skateboard Coalition supports the skateboarding community of New York City thr ...
, 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.
In November 2019, the
Pablo Ramirez foundation
Pablo Ramirez (February 10, 1993 – April 23, 2019) was a regular-footed American skateboarder, artist, and musician from New York City, who lived and skated in San Francisco.
Life
Ramirez was raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn where he lived pri ...
joined the NYC Skateboard Coalition to co-host a clean-up and skate session in support of the foundation's Brooklyn Skate Garden project.
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.
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.
Hence, the obstacles were easier to do for "fatter" people.
Etymology of Golconda
The name “Golconda” is a
portmanteau of GOLd, CONcord and anaconDA, because the park is shaped like a snake.
The park sits on Gold and Concord Streets.
Gallery
File:FatKid Sept 11 2021.jpg
File:All Roads Lead to Fat Kid - Ledge Contest 2021- Golconda Skatepark.jpg
File:FATKID Womens Skate Jam hosted by Harold Hunter Foundation (HHF) at Golconda.jpg
File:Original Fatkid spot - Brookyln - December 2012.jpg
File:Alden Kreig with the sick air at Golconda Skatepark.jpg
File:Fat_Kid_Spot_2020_aka_Golconda_Skatepark.jpg
File:Commissioner Marty Maher joins a group of cleanup volunteers from the NYC Skateboard Coalition and the Brooklyn Skate Garden.jpg
File:A skateboarder pushes holding a dust bin at Golconda Skatepark.jpg
File:A volunteer sweeps up dirt at Golconda Skatepark.jpg
File:Daffodils blooming at Golconda Skatepark planted by Brooklyn Skate Garden and the NYC Skate Coalition.jpg
File:Rachelle Vinberg, Loren Michelle, and friends at FatKid.jpg
File:Golconda Fat Kid Skatepark Flower Cosmos 11 16 2020.jpg
File:ESPO Workshop4.jpg
References
External links
{{Protected areas of New York City
Parks in Brooklyn
Skateparks in New York City
Skateparks in the United States