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June 21, 2007

Video: The Closing of the Empire Skating Rink


Speaking of Empire Boulevard and storage places, we came across this home-made documentary about the April closing of the Empire Skating Rink yesterday that drives home what an important role the rink played in the community for four decades. It made us sad we never checked it out. And guess what's replacing the rink? Another storage facility.
Goodbye Empire [YouTube]




Posted by Brownstoner at 11:31 AM | Comments (14)
Categories: Historical

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Brownstoner, why do you lament the loss of a place where dozens and dozens of kids have been killed due to a perceived lack of respect or looking at someone else's girl or whatever other stupid reason kids kill each other.

The family of victims and innocent bystanders wont shed a tear over the loss of this 'institution' and neither should you.


Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2007 11:47 AM

That's interesting. The video portrays it as a kind of safe harbor for teenagers where that stuff didn't happen. Were there really a lot of shootings there?

Posted by: Brownstoner at June 21, 2007 11:50 AM

As recently as the first of the year.

http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=4373

Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2007 12:08 PM

My understanding is that the 71st Pct. was very unhappy with problems caused by rowdy teens leaving the rink after their teen nights and that this lead to these events being cancelled. I'm sure there was some violence, but anon. 11:47's "dozens and dozens of kids have been killed" is surely a rather gross exaggeration.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 21, 2007 12:12 PM

It does seem to me it was common to read in the paper about violence at that rink, including shootings. Still, it could have been an institution that was popular in the community.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2007 12:17 PM

Bob, change "dozens and dozens of kids have been killed" to "dozens and dozens of kids have been shot" Does that make you feel better?

This place has been open for half a century. 4 kids were shoot this year alone.

In the 80s and 90s this place was a shooting gallery.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 21, 2007 12:29 PM

i'll try to post a more detailed history of the Empire but PLEASE-- isn't it curious how black on black (or latino) crime is only of great interest (not here, i mean the regular mass media from which most here have this "knowledge") when it's able to castigate/vilify entire groups? i hereby challenge the anonymous posters to offer us annual or decennial crime figures for the Empire. then we can compare that to all sorts of other NYC bar scenes, sporting events, etc.

it's slipping my mind right now but i KNOW there are at least a cpl classic hip-hop songs celebrating the Empire. (in the meantime, try to hear Biz Markie goofy but charming paen to the soon to be gone "Albee Square Mall.")

while i don't want to diminish gang or other violence upon anyone, it's crazy to take the word of the press alone as your "source" sadly, i doubt we have many Empire patrons here, tho' maybe some have checked out roller derby at the Skate Key in Mott Haven, The Bronx (which also has a reputation far worse than its reality.)

wwib

Posted by: wwib at June 21, 2007 12:52 PM

Yes 12:29--quite a difference!

I personally will NOT miss the skating rink, although the 80s was a very different time in this city. I never thought I'd be defending that establishment, but you (assuming you're also 11:47) have a curious need to make a bad situation seem far worse than it actually was.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 21, 2007 1:06 PM

That rink was Awesome. Straight outta the 70's. Amazing skate dancers, neon, GREAT music, and a totally fun vibe. I lament the passing of the Empire, as well as the Skate Key, and the Roxy.
Where are we supposed to take our ladies roller skating now, right fellas? Sure the park is fun, but more like excersise.
I don't care what violence happened there, it was a fun, vibrant place that was a community meeting place for 3 decades. It will be sorely missed.

Posted by: jescajeda at June 21, 2007 4:40 PM

More and more of the old Black New York is fading away under the pressure of gentrification, immigration, demographic and economic changes, and a shrinking African-American population in NYC. Empire was a really fun scene and a place to go for poor and working-class people back when such people were still central to the city's economy, particularly for small neighborhood businesses and entertainment venues. But like everything else in the city things changed in and around Empire, and those days are over. I would like to think that it could've survived the changes but the tastes of people in the neighborhood now are simply different from those of the population back in the 70's and 80's. It's good that the scene was documented before it faded away forever though. Far too much of the city's African-American history hasn't been, and now will never be.

Posted by: Big Al at June 21, 2007 6:18 PM

We keep losing more and more of our soul. SO sad.

Posted by: anon at June 22, 2007 12:42 PM

You're sad you never checked it out? Why would a whitebread Upper East Side faggot like you have even known of this place if not for your part in the gentrification of Brooklyn and shitty websites like yours that inform other yuppie manhattan and midwestern faggots like yourself of these places.

Posted by: BrownstoneKilla at June 23, 2007 4:10 AM

most of the negative and racist comments about EMPIRE are coming from white folks who really know nothing about this place or culture. Why expect anything different from them?


Havent you noticed anything dealing with the Black community posted here will generate stereotypical racist comments from some white folks who dont have a clue??

Posted by: Anonymous at June 24, 2007 10:18 PM

Hey folks, I made that video on Youtube, if anyone wants to comment on it, I'd love to hear your feedback. Just leave the comments on the Youtube site. Nothing nasty though, please. If you want to privately message me, that's cool too. I'd really like to hear what people think about the closing and about my little video. Thanks Brownstoner, for picking it up.

-Chaim

Posted by: chaimsl at July 4, 2007 2:44 PM

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