Picture taken from NY Times Website.
April 23, 2007. The lime green walls that surround the maple floors of Empire Roller Skating Rink in Crown Heights, Brooklyn lovingly known as “Empire” to residents, will officially be home to a storage company. Residents are outraged at the community gem being ripped from their grasp. “I just don’t understand why this is happening,” said Diane Louis, a former employee of the facility. “Skating is the only activity that my family does together. Empire was close, convenient and the music was great to groove to.”
The closing comes just several months from the closing of the famed Roxy roller rink in Manhattan and almost a year after the closing of Bronx’s Skate Key. “It seems like there is a mission against skating,” said Michael Nichols, a 35 year old professional skater from Bedstuy who frequently skated at Empire. “The only rink that’s left in the five boroughs is in Central Park and I’m sure the music and ambiance is nothing like Empire.”
A rally of two hundred participants gathered last week in front of the facility to show their support. Individuals signed online petitions in support of the rink, leaving comments recapping their experiences there. Their efforts were in vain as the 66 year-old-establishment was sold by the building owner for $4.5 million to facilitate a storage company.
Throughout the cries of resentment, shouts of joy can be heard. “I’m glad to see it go,” said Marcus Cunningham, a 55 year-old -man who lives around the corner. “Maybe now I can park my car near my house or walk around the block without fearing that I would be walking into a fight or even gunfire.”
Violence has erupted several times in the past after the skate sessions let out. The most publicized event was a shooting that left four injured on January 3rd of this year. According to a NY1 article, Michael Feiger, the owner of Empire for the last six years, has been cited with criminal summons in the past for fights and shootings outside the rink. Feiger insists that he follows all laws and that his security team enforces strict rules to make sure no weapons enter the building. “We do our jobs to ensure the safety of the patrons as well as ourselves,” insisted Teon Harmon, one of the long-term security guards.
The closing of Empire Roller Skating Rink has attracted major attention. A landmark to the community, it will be missed greatly, but to those who embrace the change, victory prevails.
This is the end of an era, roller blades will never be the same as roller skates.