A Mom's Quest For Brooklyn's First 'Skate Garden' Heads To A Vote

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Park Slope native Loren Michelle is no stranger to the power of a skateboard.

The popular, often misunderstood sport is one of the many outlets that brought her son Pablo Ramirez joy, adventure and, as he went pro later in life, a loving following of fellow skaters.

It was skateboarding that then — when Pablo died in 2019 — mobilized a community around his legacy: inspiring Michelle to create a foundation in his name and soon, at the suggestion of teenage fans, launch an idea to build a skate park dedicated to Pablo in his native Brooklyn.

The idea quickly gained thousands of supporters.

"These kids...were so inspired by Pablo, they really rallied and put together this Change.org petition," Michelle said. "I was like, 'Of course, as Pablo's mother, I have to get behind this."

Two years later, the skate park is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

Now called the Brooklyn Skate Garden, the park is one of five projects on the ballot for Council Member Brad Lander's Participatory Budget, which lets community members vote on how to spend a portion of city funding.

Should it be chosen, the skate garden would get $300,000 as a "down payment" to kickstart it through the city's Parks Department, who have been collaborating with Michelle since she pitched them the idea.

The vision for the skate garden — like Ramirez, who was also a musician, artist and poet — would transcend the sport itself, Michelle said.

The design is not finalized given the search is ongoing for a location, but the idea would be to build an area for both professional and beginner skating, along with a sustainable green space for activities and gatherings of all kinds and ages, Michelle said.

"Think of Bryant Park, times two," she said. "You would see art events, chess tables, yoga, performances, music, a place to watch the skaters, an area for beginners, gardening — everyone is welcome. This is really about a park for the community, by the community."

The garden would be the latest expression of Ramirez's legacy in the borough. The Foundation already hosts monthly skatepark clean-ups, clinics and other events, including commissioning a mural for Pablo at Washington Skatepark.

It would also be different than the majority of skateparks in New York City, which Michelle says are often isolated from non-skateboarders and rarely even have a place to sit and watch. The set-up likely contributes to why skateboarding can get a bad rap, she said.

"This is about transforming how people’s responses to walking into a skate park," Michelle said.

That transformation has been underway as Michelle and the garden's supporters spread the word about the project. Skateboarders and non-skateboarders alike have offered their support for the idea, she said.

"This is really the first time we’re publicly talking about it with other people besides skateboarders — It's so inspiring so many people are behind it," she said.

The ballot, which launched April 5, will be available through April 14 through the Participatory Budgeting website. Residents as young as 11 years old in District 39 — which stretches from Carroll Gardens down to Borough Park — can cast a vote.

"This vote says out loud, 'This project deserves to be in Brooklyn,'" Michelle said. "This gets us on the map."