| Coleman Playground | |
|---|---|
| Harold Hunter Skate Park Coleman Square Chinatown Skatepark[1] LES Skatepark | |
 Coleman Playground in 2012 | |
 Interactive map of Coleman Playground | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Lower East Side,Manhattan |
| Nearest city | New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°42′40″N73°59′37″W / 40.7112°N 73.9937°W /40.7112; -73.9937 |
| Created | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Open | All year |
| Terrain | Concrete |
| Public transit access | Q, F, D Trains |
Coleman Playground is apublic park on the border between theChinatown andLower East Side neighborhoods ofManhattan inNew York City.
The park is named in honor of a U.S. Army corporal, Joseph Francis Coleman, who died in 1919.[2] BeforeWorld War I, the Coleman family lived nearby on Madison Street. Coleman fought in France as a member of the321st Field Artillery, the 82nd Division of theAmerican Expeditionary Force (AEF). Coleman died on June 16, 1919, at Base Hospital inHoboken, New Jersey, after contracting tuberculosis in the trenches. Exactly six months after Coleman's death, theBoard of Aldermen named thisplayground in his honor.[2]
Under the bridge, Coleman Playground features askatepark officially called the Coleman Playground Skatepark but often referred to as the LES Skatepark, LES Park, Coleman Square Skatepark, or Chinatown Skatepark.[3] The park began as a DIY spot on old abandoned basketball courts, with the only obstacle being the double stair set that still exists today.[4] In the early 2000s, the city installed pre-fab obstacles to mixed reviews.[4] The locals skaters includingSteve Rodriguez received a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation to fix up the obstacles.[4] The LES skatepark went through a complete concrete remodeled in 2012 and now features ledges, jumps, rails and a pyramid.[2] This skate park is unsupervised. No bikes are allowed; inline skates are permitted.[2]
The 2012 redesign was led byRodriguez with funding fromNike SB.[5] In 2017, the artistBarbara Kruger created an installation at the park which featured Kruger's signature bold text onramps, rails, and walls with slogans like “WANT IT. NEED IT. BUY IT.” and “THE GLOBE SHRINKS FOR THOSE WHO OWN IT.”[6] The installation is no longer visible.
In 2019, Steve Rodriguez and Adidas Skateboarding hosted aGo Skateboarding Day event at the park. The following day Rodriguez and Red Bull Skate hosted a best trick contest at the park withJamie Foy.[7]
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