Spot Check: Everson (Syracuse, New York)

The legal metro skatespot of Syracuse is the home to many of New York's skateboarders. Pros such as Jamie Thomas, Adrian Lopez, and Erik Ellington all have said Everson is a fantastic skatespot.

Back in the late 1880s I.M. Pei, a famous architect designed a crazy building ahead of it time. And many many years later a courtyard for outdoor sculptures was built and was a skatespot way before skateboarding's time. The courtyard is built out of granite blocks across the whole place. To give a general idea of it there is 4 layers of blocks in a maze shaped square covering about a city block, and a planter that has two different sizes of ledges.

The earliest I have heard of anyone skating there was the mid-80s. The earleer crews paved the way for future generations of skateboarders to have a place to go. They persuaded the owners of everson to let it be legal. Luckily the people considered skateboarding an "art" so they allowed it. If you skate anywhere around town the cops will kick you out and say "Go to the Everson skatepark" instead of "...the Everson Museum of Art and skate the courtyard."

Cinematographer Mark Nickles told me to expect everson in a 411 Pit Crew industry section around issue #31 (Note: It's in Issue 33 actually, check it out).

Directions to Everson:

Take I-81 (north or south) to syracuse

Get off at exit 19 (harrison st.) and the signs all over will point you to the way.

Hardpact is the local skateshop of choice, check them out.