Logo courtesy of Janet Manno Brady on Pinterest. Classic art work and design of 1950s look. I believe that tiny logo on the lower left corner is the RSORSA membership logo.
Bottom two courtesy of Google Map. Ideal location of the former rink.
Gulfgate Roller Rink 6839 Holmes Road, Houston, TX
Starlite Skate I - 610 South Loop East Freeway at Telephone Rd, Houston, TX
Starlite Skate I - 610 South Loop East Freeway at Telephone Rd, Houston, TX
Starlite Skate was a rink at I - 610 South Loop East Freeway by Telephone Road in Houston, Texas. A fan wrote to me over the weekend of September 26-27th, 2020 pointed out that there was a rink in Houston Texas called Starlite Skate. I also found out it was also the same location, Gulfgate Roller Rink.
Unfortunately, the fan did not have any exterior photo which would have been helpful for me to pinpoint on Google Map and Vintage maps as well. So, for now, I had to have educated guess where the rink was. If literally on I-610 South Loop at Telephone road, then it would be the place behind the current Shell Gas Station.
UPDATE! --
I received an email yesterday on 22 August 2021 from a local historian and fan of history in the area and he said I pinpoint correctly where it was. It is a recycling center now according to him.
He mentioned another Gulf Gate.. this one was a mall. I zoomed out and it was like the next big block away from the former rink. Here is the link to show of interest of that shopping mall.
Gulfgate Mall. This mall was an open air mall that was opened on Sept. 20, 1956 with much fanfare, there was an automobile as grand prize to win and it was on displayed on the center court of the open air mall. But they enclosed the mall in 1966 and provided air conditioning for hot Texas climate. Originally called, Gulfgate Shopping City. Then that name changed. In 2002, the mall closed for good after years of decline.
Fans on a website, Houston Architecture pointed out it was cross street from a former mall which is now a home improvement center which takes up pretty much the entire square feet of the old shopping plaza. So, again, that pointed to the potential South Loop Freeway which became a garage.
The rink was properly placed because many teens would attend to skating or go to the drive-in theater (The Winkler) or to hangout at one of the earliest enclosure modern shopping mall built after 1953 (Southdale was considered World's first). They were all within walking distance from each other (about 3 blocks apart each direction between those three in a triangle perspective as seen on the map. Many changes occurred in that section, however. The mall, the rink, and the drive-in theater were all gone and demolished. A home improvement store has, of course, replaced the mall. Stores and businesses took over the drive-in, and the rink became some business depending on which you are talking about.
I kept researching for 2 hours on this. Likely Gulfgate Roller Rink was also located at the same place. Said to be largest rink in the area. The exact location is difficult because Gulfgate Roller Rink had old address before the name was changed to loop. Google Map would not give exact location though. I found the number 6839 to be pointed at a small Cinderblock building 2 blocks away but that is not it. Those blocks are very short. Between that building and the building I am thinking of is a group of apartment complexes. So, Gulfgate Roller Rink and Starlite Skate were one and the same in the same building but different era.
The Interior.
The fan told me it was Maple wood floor. I will wait for her photos she will send me of herself at the rink interior. It will be posted. She will describe it as soon as I get it and pasted onto here.
The Exterior.
The building was very much pointed to a Gable building. Not as big as I can see in the photos on Google Map. It was rather narrow, long, Gable roofed, with Cinder-Block front where the admission was. It had bigger parking lot because of the old road was not even a highway till around 1972 or 1973. The building was built after 1953 because the Historical Aerial showed me that in 1953, there were no 1-610 roads at all. None. All grass. But the 1957 photo showed that road, not yet a highway or interstate bypass yet. Three numbers highways like 610, 395, 481, etc are bypass highways or business interstate highways. Anyway, it was just a parkway with grass median and then the highway was built in c. 1973. So, the rink's building was built in after 1953 at the same time as that new parkway which later became a Freeway.
Was the rink around at the time in 1950s? It was possible. The fan was there in 1970s skating so anyone has more information, please let me know!
I may have thought of wrong location. Someone said in the forum that it was where the trailer supply company was after the rink was closed. But I see it was before the rink was there. If you have the exact location or snip the Google Map of where the rink was, please let me know.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: c. 1954. Demolished: Still standing..
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: N/A.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact location, description of place, dates of open, closed, why closed. Was this also was the Gulfgate Roller Rink for a time being as well?
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
A skating fan,
Google Map,
Historical Aerial
Houston Architecture Forum,
Gulfgate Mall. It was cross the street from the former rink. Foundation history connected to the road.
Highway fan (emailed 23 August 2021).
Date of Issue: 2019. Updated: 2020. Updated again: 23 August 2021.
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. God Matters. Jn 3:16.
Unfortunately, the fan did not have any exterior photo which would have been helpful for me to pinpoint on Google Map and Vintage maps as well. So, for now, I had to have educated guess where the rink was. If literally on I-610 South Loop at Telephone road, then it would be the place behind the current Shell Gas Station.
UPDATE! --
I received an email yesterday on 22 August 2021 from a local historian and fan of history in the area and he said I pinpoint correctly where it was. It is a recycling center now according to him.
He mentioned another Gulf Gate.. this one was a mall. I zoomed out and it was like the next big block away from the former rink. Here is the link to show of interest of that shopping mall.
Gulfgate Mall. This mall was an open air mall that was opened on Sept. 20, 1956 with much fanfare, there was an automobile as grand prize to win and it was on displayed on the center court of the open air mall. But they enclosed the mall in 1966 and provided air conditioning for hot Texas climate. Originally called, Gulfgate Shopping City. Then that name changed. In 2002, the mall closed for good after years of decline.
Fans on a website, Houston Architecture pointed out it was cross street from a former mall which is now a home improvement center which takes up pretty much the entire square feet of the old shopping plaza. So, again, that pointed to the potential South Loop Freeway which became a garage.
The rink was properly placed because many teens would attend to skating or go to the drive-in theater (The Winkler) or to hangout at one of the earliest enclosure modern shopping mall built after 1953 (Southdale was considered World's first). They were all within walking distance from each other (about 3 blocks apart each direction between those three in a triangle perspective as seen on the map. Many changes occurred in that section, however. The mall, the rink, and the drive-in theater were all gone and demolished. A home improvement store has, of course, replaced the mall. Stores and businesses took over the drive-in, and the rink became some business depending on which you are talking about.
I kept researching for 2 hours on this. Likely Gulfgate Roller Rink was also located at the same place. Said to be largest rink in the area. The exact location is difficult because Gulfgate Roller Rink had old address before the name was changed to loop. Google Map would not give exact location though. I found the number 6839 to be pointed at a small Cinderblock building 2 blocks away but that is not it. Those blocks are very short. Between that building and the building I am thinking of is a group of apartment complexes. So, Gulfgate Roller Rink and Starlite Skate were one and the same in the same building but different era.
The Interior.
The fan told me it was Maple wood floor. I will wait for her photos she will send me of herself at the rink interior. It will be posted. She will describe it as soon as I get it and pasted onto here.
The Exterior.
The building was very much pointed to a Gable building. Not as big as I can see in the photos on Google Map. It was rather narrow, long, Gable roofed, with Cinder-Block front where the admission was. It had bigger parking lot because of the old road was not even a highway till around 1972 or 1973. The building was built after 1953 because the Historical Aerial showed me that in 1953, there were no 1-610 roads at all. None. All grass. But the 1957 photo showed that road, not yet a highway or interstate bypass yet. Three numbers highways like 610, 395, 481, etc are bypass highways or business interstate highways. Anyway, it was just a parkway with grass median and then the highway was built in c. 1973. So, the rink's building was built in after 1953 at the same time as that new parkway which later became a Freeway.
Was the rink around at the time in 1950s? It was possible. The fan was there in 1970s skating so anyone has more information, please let me know!
I may have thought of wrong location. Someone said in the forum that it was where the trailer supply company was after the rink was closed. But I see it was before the rink was there. If you have the exact location or snip the Google Map of where the rink was, please let me know.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: c. 1954. Demolished: Still standing..
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: N/A.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact location, description of place, dates of open, closed, why closed. Was this also was the Gulfgate Roller Rink for a time being as well?
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
A skating fan,
Google Map,
Historical Aerial
Houston Architecture Forum,
Gulfgate Mall. It was cross the street from the former rink. Foundation history connected to the road.
Highway fan (emailed 23 August 2021).
Date of Issue: 2019. Updated: 2020. Updated again: 23 August 2021.
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. God Matters. Jn 3:16.