Just imagine, it’s dusk in summertime chi, in the early to mid 2000s. Somebody sponsored by Uprise skateshop, ollies up a curb from the middle of the street with big baggy pants, in a 2004 conscious rapper army hat and brown cargo shorts in a red uprise classic tee. He hits a nollie heel, back nosegrind 180 on a ledge in this little plaza, switch heels into on comming traffic, just for the hell of it!, he’ll be ok!

You may be thinking “are you talking about a video part?” Well, its not a video from the past my dude, its a video that would have been…

This “video” would be closer to reality if city planners left it be. Although I’m not sure if this was replaced bc of the construction of Lower Wacker Drive in the 60s or 70s, one thing is for sure…

Kids who saw EMB In San Francisco in the Plan B videos such as “Virtual Reality” of the 90s, would have looked around and said “hey we gotta plaza right here dude!” and would go on to recreate those videos in there local scene. A magical phenomenon that happened with many plazas in chicago such as the post office downtown, and across the country in the late 80s and early 90s.

This spot would likely be the chicago version of a NYC spot called “Astor Place” and most likely would be used as such as I would predict,

Think about it, one city planners decision, poof! No nollie heels, no switch crooked grinds no, shiftys over a trash can, no passing the dutchie on the left hand side, and no memories from any of those things, never existed! one decision…

Hopefully city planners, People everywhere can realize that these places aren’t just lumps of granite and concrete, these places are a playground for the human experience, not just skateboarding, but living, and the fruits of city life and life in general can be fostered in these places!

Hope you have a good day, – Miles Smith