The USA is a poster child for street skateboarding and its cities have some of the best and most famous street skating spots in the world. This means there are a lot of street skateboarders out there utilizing public and urban areas such as parks and plazas to practice their craft… and getting really good at it.

So how is street skating different to skateboarding in a skatepark? Street skaters look for obstacles such as ledges, benches, hand rails, stairs, walls, and other features in urban areas to take advantage of. These guys see the streets in a far different way than most people and should be given credit for their creativity and skills to skate obstacles that would seem impossible to skate.

Street skateboarding today has evolved immensely compared to the late 80’s and early 90’s when it began but the one thing that hasn’t changed is where people street skate which is obviously ‘the streets’.

Let’s have a look at some of the best cities to visit in the USA if you are into street skateboarding. Some of them may not surprise you and some of them might.

*Skateboarding in some cities or on certain public property may be prohibited and there is no guarantee you won’t get kicked out of these spots.

Best Cities For Street Skateboarding

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is by far the most famous city for street skating because it is where street skating began. Not only does Los Angeles have exceptional street skating spots and school yards but it’s also home to a lot of top professional street skaters such as Nyjah Huston, Paul Rodrigez, Chris Cole, Torey Pudwill, and the list goes on.

Countless pro video parts have been filmed around Los Angeles which has every street skater dreaming of skating the sunny palm tree lined streets of Southern California and all the endless skate spots on offer here.

Want To Plan A Skate Trip To Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is a year-round skateboarding destination with an average of 284 sunny days a year. If you are planning a trip to skate the streets of Los Angeles you will need a car for transport. If you don’t have a car it is highly recommended that you rent one. The public transport in Los Angeles is not the greatest and a lot of the spots are far away from each other.

You can find decent accommodation around the city and surrounding suburbs that includes hotels to hostels at reasonable prices. The city of angels also has excellent food options from Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and basically whatever else you want.

See below for some of the most famous street skating spots in Los Angeles.

LA Courthouse Ledges

Green Ledges

Hollywood High

JKwon Plaza

More Los Angeles Street Skate Spots: Other street skating spots in Los Angeles include the Staples Center, Lockwood Elementary, UCLA, LA High School, Venice High School, Belmont High School, Fairfax High School, Beverly High School, Sunset Car Wash, Santa Monica Triple Set, Wilshire Rails, and Arco Rails.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco is high on the list when it comes to street skating. This city has a rich skateboarding history, a large skateboarding community, and is the home of “Thrasher” magazine.

Most skaters have seen street spots from San Francisco in various skateboarding mags and videos. Bombing hills seems to be a past time here and you are likely to see someone attempting to make it down Lombard Street in Russian Hill or California Street in the Financial District.

Lots of pro parts have been filmed around the city and there is a healthy population of pro skaters that call San Francisco home.

You can also look forward to the food scene if you’re planning a visit. For something different hit up Straw for a doughnut burger or a sushi burrito from Sushiritto.

Want To Plan A Skate Trip To San Francisco?

The best time to visit San Francisco for skating is any time apart from the Winter months. April through October is your best bet for avoiding rain. Public transport is decent in San Francisco and there are a good amount of street spots close enough to skate to and from.

There are all times of accommodation in San Francisco but keep in mind this is not the cheapest city to visit so you best book well ahead of time to try and score reasonable rates.

Here are some of the most popular street skating spots in San Francisco.

China Banks

Wallenberg

More San Francisco Skate Spots: Other street skate spots in San Francisco include Embarcadero Center, Pier 7, Forts and Batteries, 3rd and Army, San Francisco Federal Building, and Fort Miley.

New York City, New York

New York City is a fun place to visit and there are certainly plenty of skate spots. It definitely has a “big city” vibe and skaters have been shredding all five burrows for years.

The release of Supreme’s video “Cherry” has had a big impact on the local skate scene attracting more skaters and bringing light back to some legendary spots and also some new ones.

The streets of NYC feature several ledge, hubba, stair, bank and handrail spots. Hit up Tomkins Square Park to warm up with some flat ground.

Want To Plan A Skate Trip To NYC?

If you are planning a skate trip to the big apple you won’t be disappointed. Getting around the city is quite easy with the subway and you can also skate to a bunch of spots.

The food scene in NYC is like no other. Make sure you eat as much pizza as you can because it is the best you will find in the country. Also know that the $1 slices are perfect if you are on a budget and are still amazing! If you like hot dogs be sure to check out Criff Dogs for a killer hot dog.

Accommodation is pretty expensive in the city but you might be able to get a deal at a hostel. If you are travelling with a few friends an Airbnb in Brooklyn might be an option. It is best to avoid NYC in the Winter months for skating but any time from April to October should be fine.

Here are some of the most popular street skating spots in NYC.

Black Hubba

Tompkins Square

Union Square

Brooklyn Banks

(NOT SKATABLE ANYMORE)

More NYC skate spots: Other street skate spots include Cherry Street Ledge, Chinatown Double Set, Columbus Park, Popeye’s Ledge, Battery Park, Pyramid Ledges, Max Palmer Park, and Bryant Park. Check Quartersnacks for the full list.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is known to most as sin city; a plethora of casinos, bars, and entertainment. While this is all true, the place is also great destination for street skating.

There is a growing skate scene in Las Vegas and plenty of skateboarders who call it home. This city has seen it’s fair share of pro skate teams tearing up it’s streets and I’m sure this will continue in the future. It is known for gnarly ditch spots, banks, wallrides, and ledges.

Want To Plan A Skate Trip To Las Vegas?

Las Vegas can be skated year-round however it can get a little chilly in the midst of winter and pretty dam hot in summer. Vegas public transport is not great but there are plenty of taxis, Uber, and Lyft available. Renting a car is recommended if you want scout out and find spots outside the city. Accommodation is everywhere in Las Vegas and you can find pretty sweet deals on weekdays.

Of course everyone knows the buffet scene in Vegas is incredible but if you would prefer to avoid the temptation to overeat, check out Bruxie on the strip for really good chicken and waffles.

Here are some of the most popular street skating spots in Las Vegas.

Lone Mountain Ledges

E Wyoming Ave Wallride

River MTN Trail Ditch

Courthouse C Pads

More Las Vegas Skate Spots: Other street skate spots include Majestic Park Reservoir, University of Nevada 10 Stair, Plaza and Ledges, Cabinet Store Fence Gap, Sunrise Market Place Ledges, Harmon Wallride, East Sahara Ledges, S Fort Apache Ditch, Chuck Minker Banks, and Low Hubba. Check Find Skate Spots for the full list.

Atlanta, Georgia

This one might have surprised you, or maybe it didn’t, which in that case you must be in the loop. Atlanta has an ever growing skateboarding scene that seems heavily influenced by hip-hop and early 2000’s skate-punk aesthetics.

Skaters in Atlanta are the real deal and you can check out Shareef Grady’s instagram for proof! The city offers plenty of skate spots from ledges, stairs, hubbas, and banks. You name it, Atlanta’s got it!

Want To Plan A Skate Trip To Atlanta?

The best time to visit Atlanta is March through October however summer can be hot, humid, and rainy. The driest months are April, September, and October.

Atlanta offers public transport (MARTA) buses and trains which are decently priced. Accommodation is plentiful in the city with lots of Airbnb options.

There is amazing food here. Try the Busy Bee Cafe or K&K Soul Food for an authentic Atlanta meal, and whether you are vegan or not, you should try Slutty Vegan who make a badass plant based burger.

Here are some of the most popular street skating spots in Atlanta.

Black Blocks

Freedom Pkwy Bridge Bank

Totem Poles

Pleasantdale 11 Stair Rail

More Atlanta Skate Spots: Other skate spots include AT&T Square Ledges, Trader Vic’s 8 Stair Hubba, Coan Park, Peachtree Marta Ledges, Rock Ledges, Government Center C Ledge, Satellite 8 Stair, MLK Building, Charlie Loudermilk Plaza, and ATM Rails. Check Find Skate Spots for the full list.

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