LOVE Park
Encyclopedia
Love Park is a plaza located in Center City
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The park is nicknamed Love Park for Robert Indiana's
Love
sculpture which overlooks the plaza.
and was designed as a terminus for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
. The park was built in 1965 and covers an underground parking garage. The main features of the plaza are curved granite steps and a single spout fountain which was added in 1969. What was once the city visitor center was closed down for five years, but opened up in May 2006 as The Fairmount Park Welcome Center. The park was dedicated in 1967 as John F. Kennedy Plaza after President John F. Kennedy
.
A "Love" sculpture
, designed by Robert Indiana
, was first placed in the plaza in 1976 as part of the United States' Bicentennial
celebration. It was removed in 1978, but the sculpture was missed and the chairman of Philadelphia Art Commission, F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., bought the sculpture and permanently placed it in the plaza, in 1978.
, Stevie Williams
, Josh Kalis
and Philadelphia native Kerry Getz
made their names in the skateboarding industry by being identified with their frequent use of LOVE Park's ledges and stair sets. Additionally, the status of LOVE Park in international skateboarding culture led to Philadelphia being chosen to host the 2001 and 2002 X-Games, viewed by 150 million people in over 18 countries and attracting nearly a half million spectators during its two year stay.
But LOVE Park has been more than the proving ground for professionals or a source of international media interest in Philadelphia, according to Rick Valenzuela, author of City Paper
article, "A Eulogy for a Fallen Landmark":
Love Park's prominence among the great skate locations ended almost simultaneously with the X-Games. In 2002, Mayor John Street
engaged in a campaign to enforce a ban on skateboarding at the park. Increased fines for skateboarding and his focus on enforcing an ignored two–year old ban of "skateboarding on all public property unless otherwise authorized" diminished LOVE Park's skating activities. Placing the final nail in LOVE Park's status as a world renowned skate–spot, Mayor Street ordered the park to undergo a $800,000 remodeling which added planters to block ledges, covered other areas with grass and flowers and replaced stone benches with wooden ones.
LOVE Park's skateboarding became a minor issue in Mayor Street's reelection campaign, culminating with an opponent riding a skateboard (and quickly falling off) at the park. Mayor Street countered with a promise to create a city–owned location for skaters. As of 2008, the replacement skate park has not been built.
On June 1, 2004, in hopes of reopening LOVE Park to skateboarders, DC Shoes
offered the city of Philadelphia $1 million for the maintenance, security, upkeep and replacement of obstacles to skateboarding in the park. The offer was turned down.
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The park is nicknamed Love Park for Robert Indiana's
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
Love
LOVE (Sculpture)
LOVE is a sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of the letters LO over the letters VE.The image was originally designed as a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964...
sculpture which overlooks the plaza.
History
Love Park is the brainchild of former Philadelphia City Planner Edmund Bacon and architect Vincent Kling. The park is across from City HallPhiladelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
and was designed as a terminus for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a scenic boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named for favorite son Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway cuts diagonally across the grid plan pattern of Center City's Northwest quadrant...
. The park was built in 1965 and covers an underground parking garage. The main features of the plaza are curved granite steps and a single spout fountain which was added in 1969. What was once the city visitor center was closed down for five years, but opened up in May 2006 as The Fairmount Park Welcome Center. The park was dedicated in 1967 as John F. Kennedy Plaza after President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
A "Love" sculpture
LOVE (Sculpture)
LOVE is a sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of the letters LO over the letters VE.The image was originally designed as a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964...
, designed by Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
, was first placed in the plaza in 1976 as part of the United States' Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
celebration. It was removed in 1978, but the sculpture was missed and the chairman of Philadelphia Art Commission, F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., bought the sculpture and permanently placed it in the plaza, in 1978.
Skateboarding
The large space, granite surfaces, and curved steps made the plaza attractive to skateboarding and in the 1980s it became a popular location for skateboarders. In the 1990s, LOVE Park's international reputation as a skateboarding locale had been strengthened by the successes of some of its most famous users. Internationally known professional skateboarders like Bam MargeraBam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
, Stevie Williams
Stevie Williams
Stevie Williams is an American professional street skateboarder.-Early life:Williams grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and started skateboarding at the age of 11.-Career:...
, Josh Kalis
Josh Kalis
Josh Kalis is a professional street skateboarder.Kalis was sponsored by Alien Workshop for a long while, but switched his board sponsor to DGK in 2009. Kalis was said to have felt like an outcast on Alien by many of his former teammates.-References:Josh Kalis is a professional skateboarder...
and Philadelphia native Kerry Getz
Kerry Getz
Kerry 'Hockey Temper' Getz is an American professional skateboarder.Getz was born in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He medaled in the 2000 and 2001 X Games and received a gold medal in the first street skateboarding X-Games event....
made their names in the skateboarding industry by being identified with their frequent use of LOVE Park's ledges and stair sets. Additionally, the status of LOVE Park in international skateboarding culture led to Philadelphia being chosen to host the 2001 and 2002 X-Games, viewed by 150 million people in over 18 countries and attracting nearly a half million spectators during its two year stay.
But LOVE Park has been more than the proving ground for professionals or a source of international media interest in Philadelphia, according to Rick Valenzuela, author of City Paper
Philadelphia City Paper
Philadelphia City Paper is a free alternative news weekly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established in November 1981 as a spin-off of the now defunct WXPN Express newsletter. New issues are released every Thursday....
article, "A Eulogy for a Fallen Landmark":
- "...LOVE hosted dozens who were content merely to skate there. These were the [skaters] who composed LOVE's core of regulars—kids who rode the El (the Market-Frankford subway) from the Northeast and Frankford, skated downhill on Market Street from West Philly, through the neighborhoods of South Philly, Center City residents who moved specifically to skate nearby LOVE. It's these folks whose daylong sessions generated the murmur that would eventually spread throughout the East Coast and to the [skateboarding] industry."
Love Park's prominence among the great skate locations ended almost simultaneously with the X-Games. In 2002, Mayor John Street
John F. Street
John Franklin Street was the 97th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. He was first elected to a term beginning on January 3, 2000, and was re-elected to a second term beginning in 2004...
engaged in a campaign to enforce a ban on skateboarding at the park. Increased fines for skateboarding and his focus on enforcing an ignored two–year old ban of "skateboarding on all public property unless otherwise authorized" diminished LOVE Park's skating activities. Placing the final nail in LOVE Park's status as a world renowned skate–spot, Mayor Street ordered the park to undergo a $800,000 remodeling which added planters to block ledges, covered other areas with grass and flowers and replaced stone benches with wooden ones.
LOVE Park's skateboarding became a minor issue in Mayor Street's reelection campaign, culminating with an opponent riding a skateboard (and quickly falling off) at the park. Mayor Street countered with a promise to create a city–owned location for skaters. As of 2008, the replacement skate park has not been built.
On June 1, 2004, in hopes of reopening LOVE Park to skateboarders, DC Shoes
DC Shoes
DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for extreme sports, skateboarding, snowboarding as well as snowboards, shirts, jeans, hats, and jackets.The company was founded in 1993 by Ken Block and Damon Way, and is based in Vista, California...
offered the city of Philadelphia $1 million for the maintenance, security, upkeep and replacement of obstacles to skateboarding in the park. The offer was turned down.
The Love Fountain
The Love Park fountain is often dyed colors throughout the year to commemorate or celebrate events. Regular colors have included:- Pink - kickoff for breast cancer awareness month (annually in October)
- Blue - commemoration of police officer fatalities
- Green - in honor of the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series, PhanaticPhillie PhanaticThe Phillie Phanatic, is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a extendable tongue.-Creation:...
Green (October 29, 2008) - Red - marketing event for Showtime's DexterDexter (TV series)Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
television series
External links
- Video Documentary about the rise and fall of skateboarding in LOVE Park
- LOVE Park from ushistory.org in Philadelphia.
- Love Park videos and photos from SkateSpotter
- Press Release: DC Shoes Gifts $1 Million