Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2007 » Skating Rink @ Fairlane « Previous Next »
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Viziondetroit
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Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 1035
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:44 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was looking on Wiki today and it mentioned that when Fairlane opened it had a skating rink. I've never heard of this, has anyone?

Any info and photos are appreciated
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 2493
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, there was originally a rink at Fairlane. It was near the original movie theaters that were built into the mall. Those original theaters are also gone.
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Viziondetroit
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Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 1036
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:51 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah I remember when they closed the theater in the 90's.... but never heard of the rink
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Seanharper
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Username: Seanharper

Post Number: 11
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:52 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My wife and her brother used to skate there. She has some home movies of it somewhere.
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Eric_w
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Username: Eric_w

Post Number: 62
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 12:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I worked there when it opened in 1976. The grand opening was quite a big event. They had a skating exhibition and a hockey game between the Red Wing Old Timers & a Dearborn Midget Hockey team. It had blue ice
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Kimistree
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Username: Kimistree

Post Number: 7
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 12:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There was a skating rink and the monorail that went from the Hyatt to the mall.

Was there a skating rink at Lakeside too?
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 1105
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 1:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The skating rink at Fairlane was below the Movies on the first floor. The movies were only on the top level in those days. It was a full-sized rink. In the early 80's it was converted to movies as they were more profitable.

I can recall skating there as a child.
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Roomseller
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Username: Roomseller

Post Number: 19
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 1:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

skipped school and went skating there several times...77 or so.
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Eric_w
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Username: Eric_w

Post Number: 63
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 1:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lakeside had a rink too. Both were 170' x 70'. A regulation NHL size is 200' x 85'.
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Mallory
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Username: Mallory

Post Number: 95
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 2:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember the rink well. Hardly anyone ever used it. I think put in five screens to replace the rink to go along with the five screens upstairs.

Used to go see Rocky Horror every weekend till they got tired of cleaning up after us.

No fun at all.
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Danny
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Username: Danny

Post Number: 5629
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 4:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Then the Fairlane Mall skating rink closed in the early 80s to be replaced by The Movies on the first floor. Later the place was brought by United Artists and it ran until late 1990s. Then the place was closed down due to low sales and Fairlane Mall went on without a movie theater until Loews Theatres came and built their 22 Star theatre buildings outside of the mall until STUPID GREEDY AMC theatres came and brought the shares to all of Loews Star Theatres and now its AMC Star Theatres.
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 8656
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 7:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I worked at Anton's Menswear through 1979-81...where I confirmed that which I learned in parochial school, as long as you LOOK like you're supposed to be somewhere, nobody asks you questions.

With a few nice three-piece suits (remember them?!), I basically ran that mall...the ice rink was always a nice distraction.

Almost forgot it was there...used to ride the Monorail to the Hyatt and drink in their bars, at sixteen! Same with the Jonathon B. Pub and the Tollgate. Never underestimate the power of a good necktie.

Heh. Those WERE the days, never paid for a meal and could eat in any restaurant in the mall. Knew the service hallways as if they were my backyard.

I don't think I ever paid to see a movie, either.
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Kevgoblu
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Username: Kevgoblu

Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 9:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

used to hang with a group of friends who would rent the arena out on friday nights to play hockey. lots of fun playing late nite when we were just getting to the age when mom & dad would let us stay out late. much like gannon, i also had quite a few frosty ones underage at jonathan b. pub.
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 1112
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 9:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Come on the free samples of peanut butter or sausage they were giving away at that Hickory Farms knock off hardly count Gannon!

But how many free Piccadillys sundaes did ya get?

I can recall when I was working at the mall we would take out lunch at the Bonanza and get a burger and the salad bar and eat till we could hardly move!
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Detroitteacher
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Username: Detroitteacher

Post Number: 966
Registered: 06-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 6:44 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I took many ice skating lessons and was in a few competitions held at Fairlane Ice Rink. That was in the 70s. Started taking lessons when they opened and was there for the last skate before they closed. Many bruises came from that spot in the mall. I can't walk past that section of the mall without wincing a bit :-)
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 8688
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 7:30 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

'Planner,

Nah, Elias Brothers, Burger King, that Pizza joint just down the hall, Friendly's...I ate well.

Knew girls in every place, either from high school or met there.

OK, so I DID occasionally pay for a meal, but ALWAYS got something extra...and if I remember right, only dated ONE of them, beautiful Jody from Redford that I mistakenly took to see Alien when it was in the theaters.

NOT a good first-date movie.

And there was always the adorable Wiccan from near Telegraph and Warren who worked at the drugstore who always fascinated me...cannot remember her name, it's been, um, a few years.

She lived just down the street from our favorite inside-out pizza joint!



Heya 'Teacher, thanks then for the wonderful scenery...female skaters always have the best behinds. I know this sounds sexist, but hey, guys are biologically DRAWN to curves...I may not be able to help it, certainly couldn't back when those damn teenage hormones were kickin' in!!


(I can ONLY say this because Hotfudge is still down, and I can sneak under their 'creepy' thread radar!)
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Cmubryan
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Username: Cmubryan

Post Number: 402
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 7:44 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So what stands in place of the ice rink turned old movie theatre now?
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Danny
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Username: Danny

Post Number: 5635
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 10:36 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just a empty white wall with a first floor passage to other Fairlane offices with four vending machines and secret passages ways to the AMC Star Theatres and Chinatown, Fuddrucker restuarants.
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 1117
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 5:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"She lived just down the street from our favorite inside-out pizza joint!"

Hmm a Wiccan at CVS? Maybe thats why the prices we magically higher there than at any other drugstore!

Why did you have to mention Carla's ohh that was some good stuffed pizza! Now I'm drooling!
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 8693
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 9:10 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Remembered her name, Sherri S. from that Dearborn Heights high school that began with C, graduating class circa 1982...darn brain isn't switched on yet, too much jogging too little caffeine.


LOL, glad to be of service, I was visiting my friends at Tel/Warren Shell just last night.

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