ABOUT US
In May 2012, bulldozers sent by the railroad flattened the park in a matter of minutes. New Orleans reverted to being the biggest U.S. city without a public skatepark. Even though the park was gone, the community and skate-culture was still prevalent. Two weeks later, skaters started rebuilding—just a few yards away, on blighted public land under a highway. We transformed a forgotten, blighted, trash-strewn dumping ground into a spot kids from the neighborhood could safely call their own. Another new skatepark started taking shape on Paris Avenue. It became called "Paris-site"- known as Parisite.
In parallel, skaters started making numerous trips to City Hall to advocate for a sanctioned skateboard park. A year was spent trudging down every corridor, holding conversations with city officials at every level of government. Something amazing happened; the founders to their surprise, learned that the city and the community were willing to take a chance on skateboarders and their vision.
After some paperwork and some very honest talk about what was expected of us, the City of New Orleans legalized the skatepark and gave us the green light to improve it: it was beyond our wildest dreams. Thanks to a bunch of skateboarders who refused to give up and the powers that be at City Hall, NOLA now has a place for its skate, music, and artist community. Transitional Spaces transformed Parisite from a desolate, seedy, concrete expanse into a world-renowned skateboard park.
Since then, we have completed numerous phase builds, developed multiple ramps, installed a peanut pool at the front of the park, built rain gardens that mitigate flooding, planted over 20 trees, and so much more. People come from far and wide, not just to skate or see what we are building, but to pick up a shovel and lend a hand. Parisite is a legacy project, one that will continue to grow, change, and expand for decades to come.
Join us in our journey to transform lives and communities through skateboarding and the arts.