Noble E. Young is a city park in southwest Tyler off Loop 323 on Seaton Street, in a quiet residential area. Created in 1998, Noble E. Young is one of the newest parks in Tyler. The park contains a hiking trail, a picnic area, a playground and ramps for skateboarding and cycling. Because there are no grocery stores, retail or restaurants within a two mile radius, the park has become a valuable feature to its neighborhood.
“The importance of Noble E. Young is in the sense of community,” Samuel Young said. “One time, I was getting skate lessons at the park. I was terrified to go down the inclines and ramps, but my teacher was trying to help me overcome my fear. Slowly, other skaters saw me having troubles. They came down to cheer me on and gave me enough confidence to go down a ramp for the first time. It was incredible — a very small achievement, but it was important to me.”
The skating ramps at Noble E. Young are perfect for beginner and intermediate skateboarders who enjoy a bit of a challenge thanks to its steeper ramps and bowls. In contrast to Faulkner skate park in Tyler, the skate park is smaller and potentially more welcoming to casual skateboarders.
“I come to this park about three or four times a week,” Hayden McAfee, a beginning skateboarder, said. “Honestly, this park has a better selection of ramps. As opposed to Faulkner, this is a much smaller park, but is much more suited to what I want to do, whether it be flatground or if I want to work on banking or other stuff.”
In 2020, Tyler City Council approved renovations to the park beginning in late 2022. The approval came after a petition opposing the demolition of the park to make room for Faulkner. Renovation plans include adding restrooms, replacing the pavilion, creating a new walking trail, and adding sidewalks. These renovations are being funded by the Community Development Block Grant program.Â
“[With funding] I’d probably fill in the cracks, and add some kind of gradient,” McAfee said. “You hit some kind of the ramps so hard there’s no gradient to go into. For Tyler this is the best park, definitely. I think it could use some rework, especially because of its age, but for beginners I really enjoy it.”
Jude Ratcliff is a first year journalism student at Tyler Junior College. He plans to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin after completing his associate’s degree to pursue a career in investigative reporting. In his down time, Jude enjoys writing and watching movies.
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