Next to the skatepark and tennis courts in Finsbury Park

Papa

Does anyone know what the deal is with the crumbling tarmac area next to the tennis courts and skatepark in Finsbury Park. It just sort of sits there being a bit of an eyesore and of no use to anyone. I skateboard in the skatepark there, which is a good little park but very tight. If the area between it and the tennis courts was tarmaced or concreted smoothly and properly you'd have more room and could skate there too and potentially expand the park, at the moment that's not possible and just doesn't get used by anyone. If it's not used for that then it may as well be turfed, or am I missing some secret use? Was there a plan to do something with this area when the skatepark was originally built and then funding ran out.

miss annie

Perhaps there is a secret nuclear bunker under there? Or perhaps they are digging for buried treasure, which is what I suspect is happening with the never ending 'roadworks' at Angel.

graeme

They want to move the basketball courts/volleyball/etc there once they build the 5-a-side pitches ("still under consultation").

That area has been concreted for years, and they dug the skatepark into it.

How is the skatepark btw? It looks a bit tight in the big bowl for comfort.

*too old for skating now, contents self with memories of the pipeline at Livi and falling on face of the big halfpipe at The Church in Partick*

Papa

The skatepark is grand, gets busy easily but has a nice mellow vibe. Everyone from good skaters, to rubbish and older ones (like me), kids, and the teenage contingent that likes to hang there rubs along pretty well. I've been skating the past couple of years after many years not really bothering and I'm not very good, but the bigger bowl is really nice. It skates like a good mini ramp but with more room and the fun of a bowl. The shallowed interlinked bowl is good but has a big grind block in the middle that's more a potential death trap than feature. Try it out. Go down there earlyish one weekend morning or in the week when the kids are off, its empty and you can get a feel for it. The council and park people should be really proud of that little park. I know the council probably doesn't have any money but if they simply tarmaced that big empty area smoothly (and hopefully put in a couple of kerbs and a bank), they would triple the space available and get people off the streets (which I am assuming they don't like.) Let's face it those basketball courts aren't moving anytime soon and I'm not even sure why they would need to.