‘How Public Housing Skate Team Is Rewriting New York Skate Culture’
by
Tyrese Alleyne-Davis
Photos
by
Sam McKeena
Public Housing Skate Team
July 2026
Public housing in New York City has long been more than brick and mortar— it’s been a battleground for survival, expression, and culture. According to the 2024 NYCHA Fact Sheet, the New York City Housing Authority serves over 520,000 residents across the five boroughs, making it the largest public housing system in the U.S. These communities—like Gunhill Houses in the Public housing in New York City has long been more than brick and mortar— it’s been a battleground for survival, expression, and culture. According to the 2024 NYCHA Fact Sheet, the New York City Housing Authority serves over 520,000 residents across the five boroughs, making it the largest public housing system in the U.S. These communities—like Gunhill Houses in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx—shape generations. As noted by GunHillHouses.com, the development includes 19 buildings over 14 acres and has served as a longstanding anchor for working-class families since 1951
‘PUBLIC HOUSING SKATE TEAM ISN’T JUST A BRAND — IT’S A MOVEMENT BORN OF STRUGGLE, STYLE, AND BRONX PRIDE.’
It’s from this gritty, storied setting that one of New York’s most authentic skate brands emerged: Public Housing Skate Team. Founded in 2016 by Bronx native Vlad “Vladdy” Gomez, the brand is as raw and real as the terrain it rides.
“I’m a product of the Bronx,” Vladdy says. “Growing up in public housing shaped everything—my taste, my hustle, my creativity. I embraced it fully.”
Born from a simple question—”What if the projects had a skate team like basketball teams?”—the movement grew fast. With a name that came from Vladdy’s longtime collaborator Ron, Public Housing Skate Team draws inspiration from “Bronx Hood Riders,” a skate crew Vladdy used to be a part of. “The next day Ron came back with the name,” Vladdy says. “It was raw, real, and spoke to the roots.”
Over the years, the roster has evolved. “We’ve had skaters come and go,” Vladdy says. “Right now, it’s just me and Ron holding it down—like some Mobb Deep duo energy. We’ve got two flow riders, one from Japan and one from Ireland, but this has always been about more than just numbers.”
‘I’D BEEN WORKING WITH BULLET SHELLS, SO I NATURALLY STARTED SEEING THEM ON THE BRIM.’
Their rise hasn’t gone unnoticed. Tony Hawk was photographed wearing the brand’s “Hawk Hoodie”—a graphic born from a moment Vladdy captured of a hawk devouring a pigeon on a project windowsill. “Tony loved it. He wore the hoodie. It was a full-circle moment.”
Skate legend Stevie Williams—founder of DGK—has also praised the brand’s deep cultural roots. And with guidance from NYC skate pioneer Steve Rodriguez of 5Boro, the movement has found mentorship and momentum. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” Steve once told Vladdy—a line that still drives his hustle.
Public Housing Skate Team’s Instagram page (@publichousingskateteam) documents the raw journey: Bronx pop-ups, design workshops, behind-thescenes process work, and their presence at the Welcome Edition NY Showroom—marking a step into retail culture beyond the boroughs.
The brand’s bullet-casing snapbacks—crafted from shells gathered at gun ranges and, at times, from neighborhood streets—embody Vladdy’s vision of wearable street archaeology. “I’d been working with bullet shells, so I naturally started seeing them on the brim,” he explains. “Most of them come from my hood.”
When asked about the cease-and-desist from the NYC Parks Department over their altered Parks logo tee, Vladdy respectfully holds back. “That’s not something I want to break down in detail here,” he says. “If folks are tapped in, that’s a story I’ll share when the time is right.”
What’s next? A full-length skate video in the works—gritty, raw, and modeled after Zoo York and DC classics. Shot on hidden Bronx spots, the film aims to reflect the energy of the streets that raised them.
“Skating gave me a way to survive, to create, to build,” Vladdy says. “Now we’re building something for the next generation—clip by clip, block by block.”
From the towers of Gunhill to the shelves of Supreme, from bullet-brim hats to back-alley skate edits, Public Housing Skate Team isn’t just a brand—it’s a movement born of struggle, style, and Bronx pride.