Hundreds of skaters gathered at Union Square in Manhattan on a recent Wednesday night for a massive street ride. The group traveled 15 miles across the city over two hours. "Welcome to Wednesday Night Skate!" the leader shouted. They filled traffic lanes, ignored red lights, and finished back at Union.
The party kicked off as it did every week: Hundreds of faces, lit by traffic lights and glow-in-the-dark footwear, turned toward the man with the bullhorn.
"Skaters!" he yelled at the raucous crowd assembled at Union Square in Manhattan on a recent evening. Many were in street clothes, some in spandex, a few in caped costumes. "Welcome to Wednesday Night Skate!"
With that, a phalanx of wheeled revelers surged onto 14th Street, filling traffic lanes and blowing through one red light after another. It was a little after 8 p.m. A small group of volunteers in "staff" T-shirts acted as crossing guards and kept the skaters speeding along before most drivers could fuss (or call the police).
Before the night was through, the cavalcade had traversed nearly the full length of First Avenue; made a pit stop near Gracie Mansion, the home of Mayor Zohran Mamdani; crossed bridges into the South Bronx and Harlem; took selfies on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; sped down the wealthiest stretch of Fifth Avenue beside Central Park; and returned to Union Square, where dozens lingered to flirt, smoke and do skate tricks. The full distance: 15 miles over two hours.
The whole production had the feeling of a well-rehearsed parade, complete with traveling D.J.s blasting music from portable speakers -- except that no permits were obtained, lots of traffic rules were broken and the skaters were gone before most spectators knew what they were looking at.
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