All photos courtesy of Forgotten Roller Rink of the Past.
Above: Courtesy of Google Map.
Bottom two photos: Courtesy of Forgotten Roller Rink of the Past
Gay Blades, 52 street & Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Roseland, 52 street & Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Gay Blades may not be what you think it was. Was it? Gay Blades was simply a roller rink, not because of its gender preferences. Gay also means happiness. It was merely a name.
As history goes, this was a very storied rink and dance venue for a very long time. I mean by all kinds of functions: Roller, Ice rinks, and dance and concert venues.
Originally it was a roller rink in 1916 when a company called Iceland leased that year and converted to an ice rink. It did not say what was the rink before Iceland leased it in 1916. That history may be lost but might be great to look into the history of deeds to that facility in the city hall department of records. Long shot but anyway, it was a famous case of a judge who disappeared after been at the rink. They said it was a corruption when they investigated into his case because of his disappearance. He may have left on purpose to disappear.
In 1922, they spend 800,000 US Dollars for a huge rink (likely in today's money) after they reorganized after that Judge was still missing. It complicated things. Again, back to the story, the rink was 200 feet by 80 feet wide.
But in 1932, the bank seized the rink and then it was reopened as Gay Blades Ice Rink immediately after in the same year. More troubles with the history of that rink-one of the major investors committed suicide because of financial problems. It was common during the Great Depression of 1929 to 1939.
But in 1950's Iceland converted the ice rink into roller rink. Big bands played in 1920s right up to the roller rink era. Big names played there.
1956, a new owner merged Roseland into Gay Blades to expand business. But in 1981, he sold the rink to Roseland Amusement and Development Corporation and this ended the roller skating venue. They were already planning a new building, a 36 floor apartment complex just to beat the earthquakes code requirements but they were never really going to built it. Roseland continued as a concert venue and Stefani Germanotti was the last singer to hold her concert at the now closed facility.
The building-- On 52d Street, the main front facade is a white glazed terra cotta tile design; the back of the building, on 53d Street, had a certain industrial drama because of the reinforced concrete piers and the angled roof over the elliptical ceiling.
The interior which was a large oval ice floor (and once roller rink) was surrounded by a Louis XIV-style gallery in gray and red. At the top, elliptical windows admitted natural light, but at night the smooth, curved ceiling was washed with colored lights.
It may have remodeled a couple of times to meet updates and conversion. The newest was to adopt the needs for concerts such as spot lights, color lights, stage, and perhaps with vents. Updated sound system.
The venue is now being demolished but not the wall itself. by compassion, it was very narrow building but toward the back, it is wider. On Google Map, it shows the roof was demolished and you can see debris on the ground from the Ariel view.
You will see numerous of photos.
See Roseland page. The name changed. It is separated page because it was so much information about those two generations.
Rink: 200 feet by 80 Feet Floor: As ice-refrigeration, as roller-wood, as concert-wood.
Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Commercial Brick Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operation: 1916 as roller rink, 1922 as ice, as roller, 1940s to 1950s, as concert venue to 2014.
Reason for Closure: Sold to a developer who was going to built into apartments, instead took out the rink then later, closed for good in 2014. Now becoming an apartment complex!
Note, all are clickable. (This profile was one of the first ones and was in green).
Sources: FRRP., An Old-Fashioned Dance to the Music of Time
By Christopher Gray Oct. 13, 1996, The New York Times; Google Map.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. (Revised)
Roseland, 52 street & Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Gay Blades may not be what you think it was. Was it? Gay Blades was simply a roller rink, not because of its gender preferences. Gay also means happiness. It was merely a name.
As history goes, this was a very storied rink and dance venue for a very long time. I mean by all kinds of functions: Roller, Ice rinks, and dance and concert venues.
Originally it was a roller rink in 1916 when a company called Iceland leased that year and converted to an ice rink. It did not say what was the rink before Iceland leased it in 1916. That history may be lost but might be great to look into the history of deeds to that facility in the city hall department of records. Long shot but anyway, it was a famous case of a judge who disappeared after been at the rink. They said it was a corruption when they investigated into his case because of his disappearance. He may have left on purpose to disappear.
In 1922, they spend 800,000 US Dollars for a huge rink (likely in today's money) after they reorganized after that Judge was still missing. It complicated things. Again, back to the story, the rink was 200 feet by 80 feet wide.
But in 1932, the bank seized the rink and then it was reopened as Gay Blades Ice Rink immediately after in the same year. More troubles with the history of that rink-one of the major investors committed suicide because of financial problems. It was common during the Great Depression of 1929 to 1939.
But in 1950's Iceland converted the ice rink into roller rink. Big bands played in 1920s right up to the roller rink era. Big names played there.
1956, a new owner merged Roseland into Gay Blades to expand business. But in 1981, he sold the rink to Roseland Amusement and Development Corporation and this ended the roller skating venue. They were already planning a new building, a 36 floor apartment complex just to beat the earthquakes code requirements but they were never really going to built it. Roseland continued as a concert venue and Stefani Germanotti was the last singer to hold her concert at the now closed facility.
The building-- On 52d Street, the main front facade is a white glazed terra cotta tile design; the back of the building, on 53d Street, had a certain industrial drama because of the reinforced concrete piers and the angled roof over the elliptical ceiling.
The interior which was a large oval ice floor (and once roller rink) was surrounded by a Louis XIV-style gallery in gray and red. At the top, elliptical windows admitted natural light, but at night the smooth, curved ceiling was washed with colored lights.
It may have remodeled a couple of times to meet updates and conversion. The newest was to adopt the needs for concerts such as spot lights, color lights, stage, and perhaps with vents. Updated sound system.
The venue is now being demolished but not the wall itself. by compassion, it was very narrow building but toward the back, it is wider. On Google Map, it shows the roof was demolished and you can see debris on the ground from the Ariel view.
You will see numerous of photos.
See Roseland page. The name changed. It is separated page because it was so much information about those two generations.
Rink: 200 feet by 80 Feet Floor: As ice-refrigeration, as roller-wood, as concert-wood.
Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Commercial Brick Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operation: 1916 as roller rink, 1922 as ice, as roller, 1940s to 1950s, as concert venue to 2014.
Reason for Closure: Sold to a developer who was going to built into apartments, instead took out the rink then later, closed for good in 2014. Now becoming an apartment complex!
Note, all are clickable. (This profile was one of the first ones and was in green).
Sources: FRRP., An Old-Fashioned Dance to the Music of Time
By Christopher Gray Oct. 13, 1996, The New York Times; Google Map.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. (Revised)