Rosemary, Beverly's Fabrics (Your rink memories location) is, since last year Mike's Bicycle Center having moved there from it's 40 + yr. location in the West End. FYI
Does anyone remember the ORIGINAL Skating rink in downtown San Rafael on Fourth Street? I went there fairly often in the late 40s early 50s on a Saturday afternoon. More recently it was a Beverley's Craft and sewing/yardage store. Then it was empty for a while. Don't know what it is now.
Had a date there once when I was in high school. Right after we got in and put on our skates, my date disappeared. Into the mens room, I think. I waited and waited and waited and waited. About 15 minutes. Then a boy came along and asked me to skate with him, so I did. Finally my date came back, and was he frosted to see me out skating. He told me a "lady" wouldn't have done that. He never did tell me where he was.
As mentioned the original wooden floor is still in the building. You can still see the painted lines within the flooring. The buidling is now Home Consignment Center (selling used furniture) On East Franciso Boulevard
Has anyone seen that bumper sticker, "What if the hokie pokie IS what it's all about"? I saw it the other day and it instantly reminded me of "The Rink".
Does anyone remember Gertie, the old woman who used to take tickets at the roller rink? She walked with 2 canes and would point one at you if you did something bad.
Who could forget red light green light? I skated there a few times, but I was more of a Raydine's girl. The ice rink was walking distance from my house.
When the roller rink closed, it turned into Whole Earth Access. I worked there for several years, but in the electronics building across the street. Whenever I was in the old roller rink building, with the original wooden floors, I would remember the lights and the music and the noise.
You have brought back a flood of memories! I used to take skating lessons there and lived for the nights when everyone was dropped off. Loved the Red-Light/Greenlight and the hokey pokey.
Isn't it amazing that Pac-Man cleared the floor of an entire roller-rink in the early 80's because it was so unbelievably new and revolutionary....and now all you have to do is Register in this site's Forum section, , click "Arcade", and you can play PacMan and other nostalgic 80's for free?
If only I'd put all those quarters into a ROTH IRA instead...
As a kid growing up in the 70's there was no cooler place to be then at the roller skating rink in San Rafael. Parents would flood the parking lot, dropping off their kids at 8pm. For the next 3 hours your evening was fulfilled by such events as Backward Skate, Redlight Greenlight, Couple Skate, and stuffing your face at the snack bar with crappy pizza and watered down fountain drinks.
I still have my LP's that I used to write my name on the cover and circle the songs I wanted the DJ to play.
People from all over the county would be there and it was the first time I ever asked a girl out. It was the thing my friends and I looked forward to every week.
Oh, and I'll never forget the one night I arrived at the rink and there was not one person skating on the floor. Why? Because every single kid was huddled in the corner near some new arcade game that I could not even see the title of b/c there were so many bodies. That game was PACMAN and no one in the county had ever seen it before.