Golconda Skate Park
Fat Kid Fat Kid Spot
Type	Skate park
Location	Downtown Brooklyn
Coordinates	40°41′52″N 73°58′55″W / 40.6977°N 73.9819°W / 40.6977; -73.9819
Area	18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2)
Created	New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Open	All year
Terrain	Concrete, Brick
Public transit access	New York City Subway: ​ 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]

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]

Gallery

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golconda Skate Park.