A new era of skateboarding is upon us, spurred by the serendipitous intersection of the pandemic and
the popular skater girl aesthetic on TikTok. COVID-19 has isolated people, made them restless at
home, and decreased the average family’s income, causing people to crave the active, low-investment
solo-sport that is skateboarding. Compared to a bike or canoe, the skateboard is an apparatus that
even people living in more compact, urban housing can store. And for the first time, skateboarding is
qualified as a sport in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With all these factors leading to a new dawn for the
sport, it's a wonder that Trenton—the vibrant New Jersey capital—has yet to contain a single
skatepark.
In the past couple of years, Trenton has seen a rise in skateboard-related events and groups (as well as an influx of skaters simply riding around town), proving that there would be demand for a skatepark. Some of these events have included Freedom NJ weekly skate sessions, pop-up skating and skateboard donation events, and the creation and support for Friends of Amtico Square—an organization that has spearheaded the discussion for a permanent skatepark in Trenton and held free weekly skateboarding lessons open to anyone. Friends of Amtico Square was co-founded by Jacque Howard and Marc Leckington and has only gathered momentum.
Howard and Leckington have big dreams for Trenton’s hypothetical first skatepark, Amtico Square park. Not only will it have a regular skateboarding section, it will also have covered skate ramps for inclement weather, and courts that support tennis, bike polo, “papi” soccer, and more. They envision it becoming a regional attraction that will unite the Trentonian skaters in addition to pulling in other Jersey athletes from neighboring towns. Anyone would agree that the vision for the park is more than ideal—luckily, the plans for the park are also extremely organized, researched, and plausible.
Amtico Square is currently an abandoned dumping lot, but it’s location and attributes give it the great potential to be something better. It’s situated on top of a flood plain where other types of buildings cannot be built, and is next to Assunpink park, placing it in lush green scenery. The square even already contains a concrete base, which is a popular foundation for skateparks. In conclusion, the skatepark is not only the addition of a community center to the city, but the cleansing and removal of an old dirty space.
In June of 2021, the proposal for the skatepark as well as projected images were presented to the Trenton City Council, and met with majority support. You too can become a Friend of Amtico Square and get the project approved by spreading the word, liking the official Facebook page, showing up to local skateboarding events, and reaching out to the Trenton Council to show your interest. With your support.
