  Ggores Member Username: Ggores Post Number: 476 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hey, if we can have a discussion of Detroit Bowling Alley's, then maybe it's possible to see some stories of Detroit Roller Skating Rinks {I think it's been attempted before, but WTF}. Back around '82, I'm not quite sure how going to a roller skating rink became a weekend ritual, but it did, and this was a very interesting time. Where I lived {west side}, it was either Skateland West, or Riverside. Nobody considered Northland anymore, but Northland - in its day - rocked. Northland even had an archery range. Every Friday, for some reason, we'd all get stoned (regardless), hustle a ride, and go roller skating. Riverside was a pretty tough place, and Skateland West was the schnizzets. I think that there are still a few left, and wondering if anyone does go roller skating anymore. My daughter, for example, chose to have her 9th B-Day party at a rink. Those rental skates... OY!... and it was always mayhem out there until the DJ said, "Alrighty skaters, find someone to get close to, we're gonna slow it down, and skate BACKWARDS." Oh yeah, lotssa fun! Broke, sprained, and dislocated my arm, shoulder, ribs, and big toe at those places. | ||
Ct_alum Member Username: Ct_alum Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2008 |
Skateland - Alter Road between Warren and Chandler Park Drive. Immortalized in the movie "Zebrahead" starring N'bushe Wright. O.K for smaller kids on Saturday/Sunday afternoons, but very dangerous later at night when all of the wannabee thugs come out. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7897 Registered: 02-2004 |
Detroit still has Northland Skating Rink and Detroit Roller Wheels. Up and running and serving the ghetto. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7898 Registered: 02-2004 |
Skating Centers were very popular in the 1970s because of the Disco Era, however when the Disco died in 1979 so the skating centers. Today Most skating centers are woking very hard and smart to adapt to the new pop, rock and hip hop genre and it worked only for Saturday Nights. There were roller games during that time and skating competitions, too. I my self was a go go skater. Those were the days. | ||
Blksoul_x Member Username: Blksoul_x Post Number: 387 Registered: 06-2007 |
Warren and Central on Sunday Nights and Monday Nights was a hot spot back in the 80's for skating. Like many roller rinks of that day, the night usually ended in gunfire. I believe the building still stands today. Also, as a youngster, I remember Saint Stevens Church on McGraw and 28th was pretty popular for skaters. blksoul_atcha! Paint the white house Black o8' | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1627 Registered: 11-2006 |
This is so wierd because today I was thinking it might be time for roller skating to come back in fashion for tweens/teens and now you started a roller rink thread! I went to Shores Skateland off I-94 like, was it, 14 mile road from 1975-1979. Every weekend that was what we did. Mostly Saturday night. I lived for Saturday night! Big bells, big comb in back pocket, make-up in my socks, feathered hair to perfection. Many swell memories. I won't bore you further. Thanks for bringing it up. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 2140 Registered: 04-2005 |
Motor City Roller Rink | ||
D2dyeah Member Username: D2dyeah Post Number: 125 Registered: 09-2005 |
I can't remember the name of the place, but there was a great roller rink, in the 60's, at Middle-belt and Ford road in Garden city. They always put on a good program on saturday afternoon. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 43 Registered: 10-2007 |
Skateland! Used to go there with my cousins. And when I was younger, the beautiful Arcadia on Woodward. There was also a place my cousins used to go out on Jefferson, but I don't remember it all that clearly. | ||
Hamtragedy Member Username: Hamtragedy Post Number: 333 Registered: 10-2007 |
We always called Skateland "Shootland." WinterWonderland on Schoolcraft became Detroit Roller Wheels in early 80's. Went in there a couple times on wheels, mostly remember it for ice. What was the place on W Warren and Outer Drive that burned to the ground in a spectacular blaze? The Rollerdrome? | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 950 Registered: 02-2007 |
Hot Wheels on Harper and Vandyke. It was small but it was fun. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 686 Registered: 08-2007 |
Grew up going to SkatelandWest on Cherry Hill, I HATED IT, Had a great idea in the late 70,s early80,s "THEY SHOULD PLAY HOCKEY ON SKATES". Garden City sounds like it was the place to be in the 60,s with the inner ring bommers.Funny thing every time I go by Warren& OUTER DR I think of that rink next to Dalys. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7900 Registered: 02-2004 |
Skateland West, I went there since 1979. It was very beautiful with carpeted walls, a great snack bar and they contribute lots of special ed schools. They rink was a once a community ice hockey area until it closed in 1975 and Skateland West opened. Today its not a disco skating area but a pop rock blue and cool skating rink and lured lots of kids on Saturday Night. | ||
Buyamerican Member Username: Buyamerican Post Number: 859 Registered: 02-2007 |
Fairview Gardens on Fairview and Mack in the 50's and 60's. Don't know when it closed. | ||
Dorothyd Member Username: Dorothyd Post Number: 62 Registered: 09-2007 |
I skated at Fairview Gardens from around 1957 until about 1968. The rink manager was Cliff. Took group lessons and got as far as my second bar. By the time Fairview closed, Motor City was the place for us to go (same owners, Hakim). Got as far as working on my silver medal at Motor City. I met my husband at Motor City and he continued working there as a floor guard for years until they tore it down. He used to take our kids and all the neighborhood kids with him on Saturdays for the matinee sessions. We then went out to The Rink on Van Dyke and later Skate World in Troy for a short time. | ||
Wanderinglady Member Username: Wanderinglady Post Number: 174 Registered: 10-2007 |
Does anyone remember Wheels USA (it may have also gone by another name) on 8 Mile? I remember the Anita Baker video for "Same Ole Love" with her on skates at Northland Roller Rink... | ||
Denbytar64 Member Username: Denbytar64 Post Number: 46 Registered: 03-2008 |
In the 70's we use to skate at Our Saviour Luthern Church Monday & Friday Nights on Dickerson and Elmdale(Harper & Dickerson)East Side of Detroit. Fun Times were had by all. | ||
Melody Member Username: Melody Post Number: 313 Registered: 11-2007 |
I spent many hours skating to "Livin' on a Prayer" in the '80s at the Skateland near Harper and 15 Mile area. I'm sure it's closed down now. Occasionally we'd go to Great Skate at 10 mile and Hayes (near MCC)...which I just realized is totally still open, and I'm totally going to plan a trip there this month! Thursday and Sunday are adult nights! http://greatskate.homestead.co m/ Ggores, thanks for starting this thread! | ||
Servite76 Member Username: Servite76 Post Number: 103 Registered: 02-2008 |
Denbytar64, I spent many nights at Our Savior skate nights back in the 70's. There was all bunch of us from Servite, St John Berchman's, St Davids etc that went there. I think I still have the badge that you pinned on your shirt. We also went to Royal Skateland at Alter and E. Warren by Corrigan Park. It was a bowling alley before that. | ||
Warrenite84 Member Username: Warrenite84 Post Number: 422 Registered: 01-2007 |
When I was in Cub Scouts, we would go to Skate World on 15 mile between Dequindre and John R. back in the mid 70's. They had a lit sign that had ,ALL SKATE, BACKWARDS,& COUPLES,etc.. Wearing bell bottom jeans and skating to songs like, "Saturday Night"-Bay City Rollers, & "Fox on the Run"-Sweet. That was fun.... | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1636 Registered: 11-2006 |
Fox on the Run, omg I'm 16 again! Thank you! | ||
Cycledetroit Member Username: Cycledetroit Post Number: 45 Registered: 09-2008 |
I was a skateland junkie. My parents would not allow me to go there, but I have a friend who's parents would drop us off every Sat. night. We would pretend we were older and couples skate with older boys. We thought we were so cool. | ||
Mackenzie68 Member Username: Mackenzie68 Post Number: 44 Registered: 03-2008 |
The Greenfield Grand River thread starting from 2006 is 404, which is to say I tried to search first. Wasn't there a rink on Greenfield north of Grand River? West side of the street, I think. I imagine it is long gone, my spotty memory of it goes back to the late 60's. | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 366 Registered: 12-2007 |
I think Northland is great. It's probably the friendliest place I've ever been in Michigan. The first several times I went, I had people skate up to me and ask me if I was having fun. The guy at security recognized me the second time I came, at least a month after the first time. I hadn't been on skates since I was 12, but I had lots of fun, and it's a cheap night. I'm speaking of the 25-and-up nights after 10PM on, I htink, Firdays and Mondays. And there are some serious badass skaters there, too. Everything is straight out of about 1972. | ||
Lizaanne Member Username: Lizaanne Post Number: 129 Registered: 06-2007 |
I used to go skating every Saturday night when I when I was in junior high in the mid-late 70's. I can't remember the place though, I lived in Livonia at the time. Oh yeah - skin tight cap sleeve t-shirt with my name in glitter letters, big plastic comb in my back pocket, huge bell bottom jeans, satin baseball jacket - we were too cool for words!! | ||
Jerrytimes Member Username: Jerrytimes Post Number: 159 Registered: 04-2007 |
Greatskate is at 12 mile and Hayes, not 10 mile and Hayes. |
