Hawthorne Street skateboarders get a gift

Toward the end of the day, when my kid starts getting fussy, I take him over to the window to watch the skateboarders on Hawthorne. They've been at it for a couple of summers now, and their ranks keep growing. Most of them are middle-schoolers, though a couple of little guys — 4th? 5th grade? — are part of the crew. There are no girls. Yet.

Yesterday, some neighbors who also like to watch the skaters surprised them with a gift. Edward, a weekend carpenter and apparent 

Renaissance man, built a ramp with supplies that his roommates picked up from a big box despot. The boys took to it immediately and, now, have more than the curb and an orange metal railing to work out their tricks on. 

Comments

[J.H.]

Am I the only person on this block who was already incredibly annoyed by the constant screaming, skateboard-slamming, and car-horn-beeping caused by the skaters BEFORE these new additions to the cacophony?

One of the biggest public parks in New York City is two blocks away yet these kids, no, their parents have them terrorizing Hawthorne Street and every car that comes along. It's going to be a sad day when one kid gets hit by a car.

Please join me in calling 911 and the 71st Precinct (718-735-0511) everyday until these kids are moved somewhere safe and out of earshot.

Thanks!

[carrie]

Yes, you are the only one.

[Lenox Road]

Excellent post, and props to Edward, that's fantastic. Kids need something to do and being outside skateboarding is a fabulous use of their brains and bodies. Don't like it? Go a few blocks south to Parkside Ave or Lenox Road and check out what their only slightly older brothers are doing with their time.