Love Park

Last week, DC Shoes offered Philadelphia $1 million for the upkeep of LOVE Park for 10 years. The condition: The city must lift its ban on skateboarding. Why would a California company care about LOVE Park? For these reasons: The park arguably is the world's most famous skatepark; there are more under-21 participants in skateboarding than in baseball; skateboarding is a multibillion-dollar industry, with LOVE Park a capital of the sport; and thousands of people travel every year to visit the hallowed grounds of LOVE, as seen in movies, magazines and video games.

At the Stand Up Against Violence rally and concert at Love Park yesterday, Maureen Mullin (right) shows Barbara DiMario a scrapbook for her son, Justin Valenzano. Valenzano was fatally stabbed last year; DiMario's daughter was killed in 1993. The Coalition Against Racism and Violence sponsored the event.

IN GREGORY Heller's op-ed ( "One last chance for LOVE Park" ), he didn't mention how the ban on skateboarding became official. According to the LOVE Park Frequently Asked Questions page at the USHistory.org website, "in 2000 Councilman Michael Nutter proposed a bill banning skateboarding from all public property. On March 16, 2000, City Council passed bill 147 . . . 'prohibiting skateboarding on all public property unless otherwise authorized' . . . including LOVE Park. " In a cash-strapped town like Philadelphia, there are many things to consider when discussing the ban of skateboarding at a world-famous skate-spot like LOVE Park.

Nine days after twin bombings killed three people and injured nearly 300 at the Boston Marathon, Philadelphia officials said Wednesday that the Broad Street Run on May 5 will have an increased security presence and that every runner will wear a symbol supporting Boston. As hundreds of residents and employees gathered at Rittenhouse Square for an annual walk, Mayor Nutter announced that the 40,000 runners in this year's run will be given a sticker with the phrase "From Philly to Boston With Love.

New skatepark will not replace LOVE Park We are pleased that the city is actively pursuing construction of a new skatepark ("Philadelphia sets sights on riverside skatepark," July 10). Skateboarding is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, with more than 12 million participants. Philadelphia needs new skateparks to accommodate the sport's growing number of participants. Urban experts have said that cities friendly to skateboarding also will be seen as friendly to youth, attracting young professionals, college students and new residents.

What to eat: No matter the craving, Guapos Tacos has a taco that satisfies. We loved the fish tacos, cooked to perfection and smothered in a chipotle rémoulade with pickled red cabbage and avocado aioli. The chicken and chipotle short-rib tacos are standard fare, but the carnitas taco comes alive with a pineapple habanero salsa. Don't miss: Handmade guacamole, with just a hint of lime juice, served with crispy chips. Insane value: No pair of tacos exceeds $4, including tax. Stay slim: If you're tired of dull, run-of-the-mill salad, try the Tostada Verde.

IT'S BEGINNING to look a lot like the Christmas Village over in LOVE Park. Organizers of the outdoor shopping bazaar inspired by German Christmas markets are setting up on JFK Plaza, with plans to open Thanksgiving Day. The fair, now in its fifth year, moved last year to the park on JFK Boulevard near 15th Street from Dilworth Plaza, outside City Hall The village drew national attention two years ago, when the word Christmas was removed from the...

The wounds have not yet healed. And some skaters say they never will. More than two months after LOVE Park was converted from a concrete skateboard heaven - complete with railings, smooth ledges and staircases - to a leafy, green haven perfect for picnicking, riders are still reeling from the $1 million renovation to the internationally recognized skating hub at 15th Street and JFK Boulevard that is now off-limits to them. On a 100-degree day in South Philadelphia late last month, a dozen skaters found refuge from the sun on the cement bowls, banks, walls, and ramps under busy Interstate 95 at FDR Skatepark.

AS THE PARENTS of a 14-year-old skateboarding enthusiast, we read with great interest the Dec. 27 article on whether the city's skateboarding ban is short-sighted. Our son has been skateboarding since he was 12-years-old, usually on the streets and sidewalks of Roxborough, but more often than not, he and his friends are thrown out of parking lots and public venues every weekend. He, too, has skated Love Park and continues to do so, risking the fines and confiscating of his skateboard.

At LOVE Park in Center City, one of the holiest sites in skateboarding, the young men keep one eye out for police as they defy gravity - and the law. At Menlo Park in Perkasie, Bucks County, the young skateboarders freeze as a police car slowly cruises by. But smack in the middle of the Moorestown Mall in South Jersey, Austin Renzi dips and flips with impunity - in a skate park. Such parks - some operated by businesses, others by municipal recreation departments and community groups - have emerged in response to one of the fastest-growing recreational sports in the country.