The Brooklyn Banks - they’re on everyone’s minds after their (very) recent reopening, so we’re extra blessed to this week to talk to Steve Rodriguez. Steve has not only been hosting skate events at The Banks for many years, he’s also the co-founder of Gotham Park, the organization responsible for reviving the banks into their current form. We get into the spot’s full history, why it was off limits for so long, and what it took to make the dream of skating there again a reality.
Volunteer with Gotham Park
1×
0:00
Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -33:37
-33:37
The Brooklyn Banks Are Back! Steve Rodriguez Explains Why
Spoiler Alert: Bringing Them Back Was Not Easy
Jul 10, 2025
“…in 2004, I think it was like November, I rolled up to skate it like on a normal… Saturday or after work on a weekday, and there was a Jersey barrier with a fence.”
“It's almost impossible to explain how difficult their rules and regulations are, and how they do things. It has to be strictly by the book.”
“…I've been to like a million community board meetings…'“
“…he was super interested and he's like ‘we had no idea people actually use this space.’”
Listen on
Substack App
RSS Feed
Recent Episodes
Share this post