Nocturnal Skateshop

Solid staff, good prices, and a nice selection of boards and clothing. They do good events too. My primary reason for going to south Philly.

So I know nothing about skateboarding, but I wanted to fix up my boyfriends board for him as a gift. You see, when he skates around the city, he gets thrown off the board pretty regularly due to big cracks in the sidewalk etc. I called over here, and they said they’d be able to help me out.
I threw his board in my trunk and drove on over. The wheels I wanted were due in that day, but I don’t think they expected my «I’m on my way» to be quite so literal. They had a few there already, but they weren’t ‘pretty’ which matters when you’re a girl buying skateboard accessories, having no idea about quality.
I ended up leaving his board there, and they were cool enough to text me the wheels that were delivered about an hour later, along with the prices. I picked out a snazzy set of clear wheels with yellow/​blue which seemed like a win. I called back and let them know which ones I liked. They texted me a shot a few minutes later of the wheels on the board, I jumped back in my car, and picked the board up. The price was reasonable, and the guys there really went above and beyond to make sure I got what I needed… regardless of my level of knowledge about skateboarding.
I gave him the board last night, and he ended up riding it out to dinner while I biked along. Much smoother ride. Girlfriend of the year. Thanks Nocturnal!

Stopped in to the new Nocturnal shop this weekend. The new shop looks great and has a high end vibe. The staff was all real nice and made you feel like part of the crew.
I was always a fan of Sub Zero back in the day but Nocturnal is a great substitute for my old favorite. It is owned and operated by pro skater Kerry Getz who is at the store very regularly. If you’re familiar with pro skaters, you might recognize a few people during your visit. Nocturnal is the premier skate shop in Philly.
Now they just need to get some new stickers printed up for the masses.

The new Nocturnal just re-​opened today!
the new location kills the old one now being front and center on one of the best blocks on south street (5^th and South). the place has an extremely high end look and feel with tons of new sneakers and high quality clothing. upgrade for sure!
i was greeted by one of the owners and didn’t feel pressured at all to buy anything. there wasn’t that «too cool for you attitude» that you can sometimes find in boutique type skate shops. the staff is definitely there to help make your shopping experience enjoyable and they actually care about the Philly skate scene and supporting the surrounding community.
thumbs up to the new Nocturnal. here’s to being successful in the city of brotherly love!

I live in Massachusetts but whenever I am in Philadelphia, which is about twice a year I take a mandatory stop to 4^th street. (although at the time of this review i believe they are relocating.
Pro’s: Super helpful staff good selection of decks, though they could get more Anti-​Hero.
Cons: Maybe that the shop was a little small but they are moving to a bigger location so good for them.
If you are a skateboarder in the Philadelphia area check this place out!
Good stuff!

My friend finally made the decision to buy his first skateboard, and I came downtown with him to check out the skateboard-​buying process (if that’s a thing…) I’m originally from a really surfer/​skater boy part of Florida, where the staff at skate shops aren’t the friendliest, but I was totally blown away by Nocturnal, as was my friend (who walked away with a sweet new affordable custom board!)
The location is a cozy little place in the heart of Queen Village, and the interior is all decked out with… decks. It’s really clean, and despite the throng of teenage boys chilling at the front, checking out gear and watching skate vids, it was really comfortable being there (I’ve been pretty uncomfortable at skate shops back home, with people judging me for not being dressed like a skater and for being a female, so this was awesome.)
My friend went in and basically just told the guy at the counter that this was his first board, and he was looking for good recommendations. The gentleman was INCREDIBLY thorough in asking what exactly my friend wanted to use the board for, what sizes/​styles he was comfortable with, precise AND affordable recommendations on different decks, wheels, trucks, etc. He was really friendly and knowledgable not only to my friend buying the board, but also to me and the other customers there, evenly distributing information and attention between us all. (We even got free gum!) He gave my friend tips about maintenance and riding the board as well. We both learned SO MUCH!
At the end, my friend’s board was decently priced for a solid, durable, awesome board. My friend also accidentally left his credit card in the store, and the gentleman boarded a block down to catch up with us and make sure we got it back!
Overall, though I’m not too familiar with skate shops in Philly, I’d say Nocturnal rocks. Awesome service, awesome ambiance, and sweet boards. I may go back myself someday and get a board, because they’ve really sold me.

come here mostly to look at shoes, which they have a decent selection of. though i wish most skate shoes would state what type of material they’re made out of on the tongue, this has nothing to do with nocturnal. not a whole lot to look at in here but a lot of nocturnal brand soft and hardgoods. wheels, trucks etc. behind the display case. there are usually a few people standing around shooting the shish so if you need someone to talk to nocturnal is good for that too.

Stopped here and at Exit for Christmas presents for a skater friend who had bought his board at Nocturnal and raved about the place. I was looking for t-​shirts and hoodies; they had a decent selection of clothes though not a lot of sizes. Everybody was nice, though the place was (as another reviewer put it) a «little broey,» as in skaters hanging out talking shop.

Big fan of Nocturnal, great skate shop. I go here mostly for the shoes and clothing, which there are a lot of. Obviously, a place like this is for a small sublet with specific tastes, but I usually get what I want. Love the Nike selections and the Nocturnal Brand t-​shirts are always a good grab. There is usually the chance of running into the owner or some other pros which is always a cheap thrill and the staff knows what they are doing. Nocturnal is much better than Elite up the street and is easily one of the best shops in the city.

I’m sure Nocturnal is much too edgy or whatever to have words like ‘customer service’ in their vocabulary, but seriously, the customer doesn’t come first here. There’s this big-​screen tv mounted across from the register, and that thing will be infinitely more important than you. I’ll get to that in a second.
So I called them one morning to see if they had a pair of brown Vans I couldn’t find anywhere else, and they did. Oh cool, I thought. But when I made it there, I didn’t see them on the floor display, so I asked an employee to please bring out a pair of the shoes he said they had on the phone. He brought out a pair in the wrong color. I told him those were wrong, so he went in the back and brought out another pair, this time not only in the wrong color, but in the wrong style too.
‘That’s the wrong style,’ I said. He looked at me, and then at the shoes and said, «they’re basically the same». Oh.
When I finally went to the register, I was told to hold on at least twice while the cashier stopped my order to look over my shoulder and watch some skateboard tricks on the big-​screen TV. Do not want.

this, objectively is a great skate shop. it can be a little broey at times and you might not be as important as the switch tre down a double set thats on the t.v. but on the whole, its a friendly staff and a great selection of product. good cheap shop boards, cool selection of shirts (bomb hills not countries) and the thirty dollar shoe deal, all the shoes on the floor are only $ 30 bucks, its a little bit of a crap shoot for sizes but ive lucked out more than once. they also have a really current selection of videos.