Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. This showed in its state before renovation. And the logo showed bowling ball with lights shining on it, not a rink. Must be it had a rink and bowling at same time? Courtesy of Jeffrey Melvin/Bar-A-Roue Facebook group.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. A skater fell down at the Spinoff Rink. You alright, man? Photo courtesy: Emily Sweeney, March 25, 2007, Boston.com.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Both pictures above and bottom: Google Map (present day)
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Part 1. A skater who skated at this rink send me this and did not say what newspaper this was from. I spotted this article was published in 1980. Source: Boston Globe.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Part 2. A skater who skated at this rink send me this and did not say what newspaper this was from. I spotted this article was published in 1980. Source: Boston Globe.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. First issue newsletter! Very much of Art Deco logo in the early 1980s when Art Deco theme made a comeback in later 1980s.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. First issue newsletter! Very much of Art Deco logo in the early 1980s when Art Deco theme made a comeback in later 1980s. Well-known people have skated at this rink. Page two/back page.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. It was a color advertisement likely from a magazine. Very professional ad. And its ageless. Looks like it was printed for today.
Spinoff Roller Rink 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Spinoff Roller Rink in Boston, Massachusetts was a beautiful rink because of its traditional brick building that had two stories and very traditional appearance yet unique architectural design because of street was in about 30 degrees angle. The roofline with the truss you can see in the ariel view showed it went along the parallel of the street. This made the style unique. But also what was unique is that it is kitty corner from the famous Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball Team. It's proper site for the rink was excellent only until 1987 when it eased operations.
The rink was on the second floor because of the large arched windows. It appeared to be luxurious at the time for the rink even with the windows that most of the time mid-century, rinks do not have windows. Even today rinks do not have windows.
The interior according to the photos at Jillian's Lucky Strike Bowling Center, they may have added third floor for the bowling in addition to the second floor where the roller rink may have been. Needs information and photos to prove it. But evident showed the ceiling was clean arched design and wooden floor for skating. They may have had used the same wood floor for Jillian's Lucky Strike Center.
Today, Jillian's Lucky Strike is not just a bowling house but has many arcade video games which can easily reminds visitors and patrons the facility is very much like a Dave and Buster's. Not a shopping mall or an independent arcade. None of that.
Just picture that it had tall arched frame windows, two storys height roomy rink for skaters. The rink may have been on the "second" floor (of Jillian's) and the exterior photos from Map Google.
What was before Spinoff is unknown because Spinoff was etsablished in 1979. Only to close merely 8 years later. That was quite sad. After it closed, it became Jillian's Lucky Strike Bowling Center, a couple of bars and a coming soon to a section at the building closest to the Red Sox home field.
This rink did not last long because it came onto the scene rather late. Some rinks that began later in the 1970s or 1980s usually ends quicker.
Now many skaters go to another rink to skate.
UPDATE:
Jillian's is no longer a bowling house but now it is Lucky Strike Fenway.
Steve and his wife, Gillian Foster owned this rink. The building itself was built in 1855 as a horse riding academy and later, a warehouse for Bloomingdale's and Scandinavian Design.
The couple, The Fosters were living in New York City and they got sick of the tight spots of the Disco clubs of the 1970s whereas it was small, extreme crowded, and the present of drugs and trouble I might add. Steve was working in a law firm as his wife was a fashion designer for a little known designer. They almost went to a rink in the Village in New York. That is how New Yorkers say. Its the Greenwich Village where there are a lot of artistic people living there. Having been to the Village, I know what that is like. And I know what the New York City 1970s disco clubs were like thanks to TV shows, a certain classic starring John Travolta who wore his three-piece white suit and people told me. I was a kid in the 1970s when that craze was going on so I could not know. So. Haha. I finally went to two different ones in New York City in early 1990s! And no, not Disco Clubs. One is a night club and the other was a bar-restaurant where I went for my then ex-fiancé's 5th anniversary high school reunion (It was a steal! 10 Dollars per person in the heart of Manhattan for that reunion including food in 1993 compared to mine in Syracuse for the 10th anniversary at cost of 40 dollars for classmates and 45 dollars for a guest. Crazy!)
Anyway, back to this...
They moved back to Boston and that is how they started this rink in August 1979 in a 145 years old building.
Interior:
It gave that old time rink feel inside the third floor building where this Maple floor roller rink was once housed in from 1980 to 1988. Just 8 years running before it became Jillian's Bowling and now, Lucky Strike Fenway which is named after where the Red Sox plays at. The Fenway Stadium.
Exposed bricks walls which gave the NY-Loft feel with beautiful arched windows. The bowling place raised the floor which I can tell by seeing the windows compared to that newspaper article showing a skater doing a figure skating (see above in newspaper article). This rink was not designed for children but for a night club skating. Kind of like the Roxy in New York City was or a few other New York City night club style disco rinks.
Besides the rink itself at 11,000 Square Feet, the entire facility including the rink itself, it was 25,000 Square Feet. It had Mylar- mirrored walls, plants and trees at every corner of the rink (like you saw in the newspaper photo), In one corner, there was a neon parrot under the tree.
Naked Red and Black Fluorescent lights, park benches, and of course, mirror balls. It was giving that indoor beach theme.
Exterior:
It is a Dark Red Brick Building with tall Arched windows. It appeared to be an old factory or something for its time long before the skating rink and now, a bowling alley houses in.
Rink Size: 11,000 SF. Floor: Maple Ice (light Maple) Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: (rink business floor) 25,000 SF Built: 1855. Demolish: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Brick "factory" look Building.
Roof: Combination of Gable with angled gable.
Acres: N/A
Operations: August 1979 to 1987.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: photos of its time. And more information. It was short lived rink that did not have much information.
Source: Google Map, Yelp (Jillian's); Boston.com; email from a skater.
Date of Issue: Early 2019 Updated: 30 June 2021.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
The rink was on the second floor because of the large arched windows. It appeared to be luxurious at the time for the rink even with the windows that most of the time mid-century, rinks do not have windows. Even today rinks do not have windows.
The interior according to the photos at Jillian's Lucky Strike Bowling Center, they may have added third floor for the bowling in addition to the second floor where the roller rink may have been. Needs information and photos to prove it. But evident showed the ceiling was clean arched design and wooden floor for skating. They may have had used the same wood floor for Jillian's Lucky Strike Center.
Today, Jillian's Lucky Strike is not just a bowling house but has many arcade video games which can easily reminds visitors and patrons the facility is very much like a Dave and Buster's. Not a shopping mall or an independent arcade. None of that.
Just picture that it had tall arched frame windows, two storys height roomy rink for skaters. The rink may have been on the "second" floor (of Jillian's) and the exterior photos from Map Google.
What was before Spinoff is unknown because Spinoff was etsablished in 1979. Only to close merely 8 years later. That was quite sad. After it closed, it became Jillian's Lucky Strike Bowling Center, a couple of bars and a coming soon to a section at the building closest to the Red Sox home field.
This rink did not last long because it came onto the scene rather late. Some rinks that began later in the 1970s or 1980s usually ends quicker.
Now many skaters go to another rink to skate.
UPDATE:
Jillian's is no longer a bowling house but now it is Lucky Strike Fenway.
Steve and his wife, Gillian Foster owned this rink. The building itself was built in 1855 as a horse riding academy and later, a warehouse for Bloomingdale's and Scandinavian Design.
The couple, The Fosters were living in New York City and they got sick of the tight spots of the Disco clubs of the 1970s whereas it was small, extreme crowded, and the present of drugs and trouble I might add. Steve was working in a law firm as his wife was a fashion designer for a little known designer. They almost went to a rink in the Village in New York. That is how New Yorkers say. Its the Greenwich Village where there are a lot of artistic people living there. Having been to the Village, I know what that is like. And I know what the New York City 1970s disco clubs were like thanks to TV shows, a certain classic starring John Travolta who wore his three-piece white suit and people told me. I was a kid in the 1970s when that craze was going on so I could not know. So. Haha. I finally went to two different ones in New York City in early 1990s! And no, not Disco Clubs. One is a night club and the other was a bar-restaurant where I went for my then ex-fiancé's 5th anniversary high school reunion (It was a steal! 10 Dollars per person in the heart of Manhattan for that reunion including food in 1993 compared to mine in Syracuse for the 10th anniversary at cost of 40 dollars for classmates and 45 dollars for a guest. Crazy!)
Anyway, back to this...
They moved back to Boston and that is how they started this rink in August 1979 in a 145 years old building.
Interior:
It gave that old time rink feel inside the third floor building where this Maple floor roller rink was once housed in from 1980 to 1988. Just 8 years running before it became Jillian's Bowling and now, Lucky Strike Fenway which is named after where the Red Sox plays at. The Fenway Stadium.
Exposed bricks walls which gave the NY-Loft feel with beautiful arched windows. The bowling place raised the floor which I can tell by seeing the windows compared to that newspaper article showing a skater doing a figure skating (see above in newspaper article). This rink was not designed for children but for a night club skating. Kind of like the Roxy in New York City was or a few other New York City night club style disco rinks.
Besides the rink itself at 11,000 Square Feet, the entire facility including the rink itself, it was 25,000 Square Feet. It had Mylar- mirrored walls, plants and trees at every corner of the rink (like you saw in the newspaper photo), In one corner, there was a neon parrot under the tree.
Naked Red and Black Fluorescent lights, park benches, and of course, mirror balls. It was giving that indoor beach theme.
Exterior:
It is a Dark Red Brick Building with tall Arched windows. It appeared to be an old factory or something for its time long before the skating rink and now, a bowling alley houses in.
Rink Size: 11,000 SF. Floor: Maple Ice (light Maple) Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: (rink business floor) 25,000 SF Built: 1855. Demolish: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Brick "factory" look Building.
Roof: Combination of Gable with angled gable.
Acres: N/A
Operations: August 1979 to 1987.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: photos of its time. And more information. It was short lived rink that did not have much information.
Source: Google Map, Yelp (Jillian's); Boston.com; email from a skater.
Date of Issue: Early 2019 Updated: 30 June 2021.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.