Roller Haven 89 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT. This was taken in 2022 This fitness center has also closed. Source: Google.
Roller Haven 89 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT. This was taken in 2018. This fitness center has also closed. The décor here showed 1970s Spanish Contemporary in 2010s. They remodeled the interior and exterior several times since the rink closed.. Source: Google.
Roller Haven 89 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT. A license plate collection that skaters can put on their cars. Source: Roller Haven Facebook group.
Roller Haven 89 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT. A very basic advertisement.. Source: Roller Haven Facebook group.
Roller Haven 89 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT
Roller Haven (unrelated to the Roller Haven II in wallingford, CT) was a rink in North Haven. The catchy name was genius because of the name of the town, Haven. Therefore, Roller Haven. I believe that is how they came up with the name.
Roller Haven first opened in February 1978 and closed in 1990 Apparently they opened at the peak of roller skating and closed when the Inline popularity skyrocketed at the time.
UPDATE! -- 16 January 2022.
I received an email from someone who skated at this very rink between 1977 and 1981. Find his answer in italic and learn more about it.
Unfortunately I don't know the dimensions of the rink. The building is indeed still standing, the floor is long gone and the space has been subdivided many times. There were 4 columns in the center of the rink which were surrounded by thick padding and interestingly the last time I was in one of the replacement businesses I was able to find the attachment points for the padding on the now-bare column. At the time of this writing (January 2021), the space which held the rink proper was empty and for rent. Looking in the windows it was easy to picture the way it was back in the late 70's.
Overall, it was a great place to grow up. I was there _every_ weekend, both Friday and Saturday nights. There were two sessions on Saturday nights, perhaps 7:00 - 9:00 and 9:15 - 11:00. Skaters could purchase one or both sessions, if purchasing both sessions you got a token. At the end of the first session, the lights came up and they pulled out a long, yellow rope that they stretched across the rink longways. Kids would sit or stand behind the rope until the time for the 2nd session was near at which time the skate guards would come out with a large pail. To access the floor, people would line up at the rope's opening, drop the token in the pail and skate out onto the floor. On particularly crowded weekends, this process would often take longer, the music would start and we would all rush the opening, we didn't want to miss a minute of skating!
The music and light show was awesome and it sure was crowded! There could be upwards of several hundred people on the floor, a fall would cause a massive pile-up which would take a minute or two to untangle. There were multiple skate guards and we got to know which ones would blow the whistle and which ones would let things go. Getting a whistle often meant that you were off the floor for a period of time. During the most crowded times only the brave (and accomplished) would skate backwards as the human hazards would come quickly and unexpectedly. They would often turn off all the lights and leave only the color organ and strobes running so you'd be skating in a dark mass of bodies, all trying to get to the next turn first. Also popular was mens-only and ladies-only skates, great time to scope out that special someone. Men's only skates became a race track, something which we all enjoyed and embraced. Ladies were pretty quick, also. Couples skates were fraught with teen angst, "should I ask her, what if she says "no"?" I made many good friends there and look back at those days with longing.
Wow, thank you Bob! Sounds like you had awesome experience! Of course some rinks had two sessions a night and I never heard one with a token to show you paid for both sessions. At my first home rink, we had 2 sessions a night and I paid for mine for two sessions but no tokens. It was that for a time stamped on the hand that showed you paid for 2nd session but if you did not, no stamp. Later, it was wrist band for a brief time before my favorite rink closed in 1983.
So, I understand how that function. Sounds fun! Thank you so much!
The Interior.
The floor appeared to be Maple. Photos of skaters I see on Facebook that skated at this rink was not much to show the floor. However, carpet appeared to be Bleached Red (worn out look).
The floor may have been maple underneath however it was covered with a thick yellow plastic coating which was renewed on an annual basis. When it was renewed, it was very tacky and we had to be careful to not catch an edge during a turn. Plus the smell of polymer was very strong during the weeks after a re-coat. The carpet color varied depending on location. Towards the front of the rink it was indeed red and yellow, as I remember it was blue back near the snack bar.
It had 4 columns in center of the roller rink floor. It was Maple floor but after they closed, the floor was gone.
The Exterior.
The map I see it may have been in a shopping plaza where the rink was at. I do not know which part of the plaza. Unless skaters can tell me. Anyone know more about this rink and where it was exactly? If was in plaza, it would be Flat roof and the truss had column support.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Appeared to be Maple wood. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: If it was shopping plaza, still standing.
Type of Building: Indeed a shopping plaza. 4 columns centered supported Steel Trusses Cinderblocks Build plaza.
Roof: Flat if it was in shopping plaza.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: February 1978 to 1990
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Record Journal - 3 rinks in town.
Facebook group.
Email. 16 January 2022.
Date of Issue: 2020. Update: 16 January 2022.
For office only: 4.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
Roller Haven first opened in February 1978 and closed in 1990 Apparently they opened at the peak of roller skating and closed when the Inline popularity skyrocketed at the time.
UPDATE! -- 16 January 2022.
I received an email from someone who skated at this very rink between 1977 and 1981. Find his answer in italic and learn more about it.
Unfortunately I don't know the dimensions of the rink. The building is indeed still standing, the floor is long gone and the space has been subdivided many times. There were 4 columns in the center of the rink which were surrounded by thick padding and interestingly the last time I was in one of the replacement businesses I was able to find the attachment points for the padding on the now-bare column. At the time of this writing (January 2021), the space which held the rink proper was empty and for rent. Looking in the windows it was easy to picture the way it was back in the late 70's.
Overall, it was a great place to grow up. I was there _every_ weekend, both Friday and Saturday nights. There were two sessions on Saturday nights, perhaps 7:00 - 9:00 and 9:15 - 11:00. Skaters could purchase one or both sessions, if purchasing both sessions you got a token. At the end of the first session, the lights came up and they pulled out a long, yellow rope that they stretched across the rink longways. Kids would sit or stand behind the rope until the time for the 2nd session was near at which time the skate guards would come out with a large pail. To access the floor, people would line up at the rope's opening, drop the token in the pail and skate out onto the floor. On particularly crowded weekends, this process would often take longer, the music would start and we would all rush the opening, we didn't want to miss a minute of skating!
The music and light show was awesome and it sure was crowded! There could be upwards of several hundred people on the floor, a fall would cause a massive pile-up which would take a minute or two to untangle. There were multiple skate guards and we got to know which ones would blow the whistle and which ones would let things go. Getting a whistle often meant that you were off the floor for a period of time. During the most crowded times only the brave (and accomplished) would skate backwards as the human hazards would come quickly and unexpectedly. They would often turn off all the lights and leave only the color organ and strobes running so you'd be skating in a dark mass of bodies, all trying to get to the next turn first. Also popular was mens-only and ladies-only skates, great time to scope out that special someone. Men's only skates became a race track, something which we all enjoyed and embraced. Ladies were pretty quick, also. Couples skates were fraught with teen angst, "should I ask her, what if she says "no"?" I made many good friends there and look back at those days with longing.
Wow, thank you Bob! Sounds like you had awesome experience! Of course some rinks had two sessions a night and I never heard one with a token to show you paid for both sessions. At my first home rink, we had 2 sessions a night and I paid for mine for two sessions but no tokens. It was that for a time stamped on the hand that showed you paid for 2nd session but if you did not, no stamp. Later, it was wrist band for a brief time before my favorite rink closed in 1983.
So, I understand how that function. Sounds fun! Thank you so much!
The Interior.
The floor appeared to be Maple. Photos of skaters I see on Facebook that skated at this rink was not much to show the floor. However, carpet appeared to be Bleached Red (worn out look).
The floor may have been maple underneath however it was covered with a thick yellow plastic coating which was renewed on an annual basis. When it was renewed, it was very tacky and we had to be careful to not catch an edge during a turn. Plus the smell of polymer was very strong during the weeks after a re-coat. The carpet color varied depending on location. Towards the front of the rink it was indeed red and yellow, as I remember it was blue back near the snack bar.
It had 4 columns in center of the roller rink floor. It was Maple floor but after they closed, the floor was gone.
The Exterior.
The map I see it may have been in a shopping plaza where the rink was at. I do not know which part of the plaza. Unless skaters can tell me. Anyone know more about this rink and where it was exactly? If was in plaza, it would be Flat roof and the truss had column support.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Appeared to be Maple wood. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: If it was shopping plaza, still standing.
Type of Building: Indeed a shopping plaza. 4 columns centered supported Steel Trusses Cinderblocks Build plaza.
Roof: Flat if it was in shopping plaza.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: February 1978 to 1990
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Record Journal - 3 rinks in town.
Facebook group.
Email. 16 January 2022.
Date of Issue: 2020. Update: 16 January 2022.
For office only: 4.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.