Credit: The Goodskates International. Logo for their Central Park location (skate rentals)
Above two photos credits: Jerry's Brokendown Palaces. During its heydays and now a liquor store.
Magazine article first page courtesy of Judy Lynn on Facebook. If this was recent, wow! Still look good!
Good Skates Roller Ballroom, 4064 Nesconset Highway, East Setauket, Long Island, NY
This rink was also known as Port Haven Music Hall. This is where concerts were held at the skating rink/music hall. This place was a combination. Two separate venue into one. That is, a roller ballroom and a music hall. They hosted concerts even well known musicians and bands playing at the rink. One comes in mind was Jerry Garcia and his band played at the rink. It was on supposedly August 14th, 1984 but they did not receive proper permits which was required for a concert to play there so they had to rescheduled to August 16, 1984. Fans who recalled this event said it was real hot that evening. Many fans had memorable time because of the heat. Way hot.
This rink was not made for just for fun going around the rink like children did since late 1970s. This was strictly roller ballroom dancing. Kind of like Author Miller Dancing did with their franchising. Good Skates was like that. Franchises everywhere but this rink is most mentioned. Thanks to the concert they had with Jerry Garcia. There are no other information than what I have regarding to Good Skates chain as it was reported by someone who has his own site, Jerry's Broken Down Palaces.
It has more information regarding to Jerry Garcia than the rink itself because clearly the website is more about Jerry, the famous musician than the rink. It was describing the venue itself.
However, there are no information about opening and closing of the rink itself on that website. It was closed for sure because on Jerry's website, it showed that there is a liquor store in its place at this plaza.
However, to my surprise, there IS a website that is partial working online. This explains it all about Good Skates Roller Ballroom. It was a fitness exercises like Ta-Bo, Zumba, Flashdance, and many dance crazes come and go. Including Jamming, Roller Disco which both are on roller skates. Roller Ballroom was in fact a roller fitness exercises.
Judy Lynn, the original founder founded Good Skates Roller Ballroom as a chain of this type of exercises after hearing her friend, Louise Marshall who talked a lot about roller skating and that gave Judy an idea and that began that short lived trend. As quoted from the website: an ultimate entertainment center featuring skating floors, dance floors, a Health Food store and restaurant, pin ball casino and a room for films. An environment that would bring about a new kind of consciousness, and a new physical experience, great exercise, excitement, fun – dancing on skates!
Her vision grew when she and her business partner, Bob White traveled around the US seeding the new craze. By November 1977, they founded Good Skates. It was that couple that seeded the Roller Disco around the City of New York, the homeplace of Roller Disco. Thanks to Judy and Bob.
Their first rink was outdoors in New York Central Park in Manhattan. Quickly soon, the pair were asked by entertainment industry and this was result of having motion pictures related to roller skates and many television programs mentioned roller skates. Remember CHiPs Roller Disco? Xandau? And many others.
What I wrote was from their press release on June 14, 1979. It did not say when this location was open and did not say when it was closed. By the look of this shopping plaza, I would say they closed before year 2000.
However, Goodskates is still in business though. They are in Central Park which is far cheaper than to rent a space such as in a shopping plaza. They could have gone to fitness clubs and roller rinks to do this. Not separated from other rinks. If they allowed themselves back then to be flexible to plant new franchises at rinks and fitness clubs, those rollerballrooms would have remain today. Many fitness centers do not have wooden floor unless they have a handball/racquetball court or courts, they would have done that in those rooms. Or install a maple wood floor where they currently use for other style of fitnesses.
They remain the Mercury winged skates with colorful rainbow 1970s feel and look for their logo. Make America Skate Again!
Look for them in Central Park or check with them at their Facebook page.
Rink Size: N/A (Small), designed as ballroom floor. Floor: Wood Floor Layout: Unknown
Building size: N/A Built: N/A (Now a store)
Type of Building: Free Span shopping plaza Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operated (location): 1980s. (start to end is unknown)
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: date of open and closure of East Setauket, Long Island, NY location.
Sources: Jerry's Broken Down Palace; Facebook; Goodskates International website.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
This rink was also known as Port Haven Music Hall. This is where concerts were held at the skating rink/music hall. This place was a combination. Two separate venue into one. That is, a roller ballroom and a music hall. They hosted concerts even well known musicians and bands playing at the rink. One comes in mind was Jerry Garcia and his band played at the rink. It was on supposedly August 14th, 1984 but they did not receive proper permits which was required for a concert to play there so they had to rescheduled to August 16, 1984. Fans who recalled this event said it was real hot that evening. Many fans had memorable time because of the heat. Way hot.
This rink was not made for just for fun going around the rink like children did since late 1970s. This was strictly roller ballroom dancing. Kind of like Author Miller Dancing did with their franchising. Good Skates was like that. Franchises everywhere but this rink is most mentioned. Thanks to the concert they had with Jerry Garcia. There are no other information than what I have regarding to Good Skates chain as it was reported by someone who has his own site, Jerry's Broken Down Palaces.
It has more information regarding to Jerry Garcia than the rink itself because clearly the website is more about Jerry, the famous musician than the rink. It was describing the venue itself.
However, there are no information about opening and closing of the rink itself on that website. It was closed for sure because on Jerry's website, it showed that there is a liquor store in its place at this plaza.
However, to my surprise, there IS a website that is partial working online. This explains it all about Good Skates Roller Ballroom. It was a fitness exercises like Ta-Bo, Zumba, Flashdance, and many dance crazes come and go. Including Jamming, Roller Disco which both are on roller skates. Roller Ballroom was in fact a roller fitness exercises.
Judy Lynn, the original founder founded Good Skates Roller Ballroom as a chain of this type of exercises after hearing her friend, Louise Marshall who talked a lot about roller skating and that gave Judy an idea and that began that short lived trend. As quoted from the website: an ultimate entertainment center featuring skating floors, dance floors, a Health Food store and restaurant, pin ball casino and a room for films. An environment that would bring about a new kind of consciousness, and a new physical experience, great exercise, excitement, fun – dancing on skates!
Her vision grew when she and her business partner, Bob White traveled around the US seeding the new craze. By November 1977, they founded Good Skates. It was that couple that seeded the Roller Disco around the City of New York, the homeplace of Roller Disco. Thanks to Judy and Bob.
Their first rink was outdoors in New York Central Park in Manhattan. Quickly soon, the pair were asked by entertainment industry and this was result of having motion pictures related to roller skates and many television programs mentioned roller skates. Remember CHiPs Roller Disco? Xandau? And many others.
What I wrote was from their press release on June 14, 1979. It did not say when this location was open and did not say when it was closed. By the look of this shopping plaza, I would say they closed before year 2000.
However, Goodskates is still in business though. They are in Central Park which is far cheaper than to rent a space such as in a shopping plaza. They could have gone to fitness clubs and roller rinks to do this. Not separated from other rinks. If they allowed themselves back then to be flexible to plant new franchises at rinks and fitness clubs, those rollerballrooms would have remain today. Many fitness centers do not have wooden floor unless they have a handball/racquetball court or courts, they would have done that in those rooms. Or install a maple wood floor where they currently use for other style of fitnesses.
They remain the Mercury winged skates with colorful rainbow 1970s feel and look for their logo. Make America Skate Again!
Look for them in Central Park or check with them at their Facebook page.
Rink Size: N/A (Small), designed as ballroom floor. Floor: Wood Floor Layout: Unknown
Building size: N/A Built: N/A (Now a store)
Type of Building: Free Span shopping plaza Building.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operated (location): 1980s. (start to end is unknown)
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: date of open and closure of East Setauket, Long Island, NY location.
Sources: Jerry's Broken Down Palace; Facebook; Goodskates International website.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.