Roller rink at NYSP

[bobster1985]

Just curious if any of the members ever had the chance to roller skate at the New York State Pavilion. I was wondering how long the skating rink there was open and whether they put any kind of protective covering over the map (my guess is no).

[j4sing]

I visited the rink when I was 7 years old and wanted to skate, but I was too small to skate with all the teens and Ma wouldn't allow it. The floor did have a plastic coating to protect the terrazzo. I am not sure if it was a liquid poured on or if it were plastic panels that were placed over the tile. Chas Aybar would know for sure.

The day I visited the rink was extra special, since it was the same day the elevators ran for the last time and were parked in the position they remain in today. I was there and saw the elevators moving, and started carrying on to my parents that I wanted to ride up to the tower. My dad went over and asked one of the technicians if the towers were going to open up to the public,(that could well have been Dr. Aybar himself that my dad talked to) but the answer was no, they were simply doing maintenence on the elevators. The skystreaks never move again after that day, but the NYSP, the skystreaks,and the incredible colors of the TOT roof were forever etched into my memory that day!

[Chmnofbrd]

I skated there a few times, one of the things that stood out in my mind was how great music sounded in the tent, even recorded music. It had that big booming sound. I only skated one time at night, we usually went in the daytime but i remember the whole pavilion was lit even the towers. It was awesome under that colored roof.

[Elizabeth Klug]

I skated there a few times, one of the things that stood out in my mind was how great music sounded in the tent, even recorded music. It had that big booming sound. I only skated one time at night, we usually went in the daytime but i remember the whole pavilion was lit even the towers. It was awesome under that colored roof.

The acoustics in the TOT are amazing. You can stand in the middle and your voice carries naturally throughout the whole structure. It just shows that this could easily be used for concerts, which I know the Parks Department is considering if they can overcome the noise problem from air traffic.

[Chas Aybar]

The floor was plastic coated several times a year. This was performed with liquid epoxy coating that was rolled on. The building had great acosutics back then.

Do you remember these people?

[j4sing]

Do you remember these people?

Those were the big kids! lol Life was fun in the 70's

[WorldsFairEnthusiast]

Charles,

Could you skate on the mezzanine as well as the map? What was the floor of the mezzanine (terrazzo, wood, linoleum, concrete etc.) and what were the uses of the rooms under the mezzanine (the former Power Authority exhibit, Art in NYS exhibit, cocktail lounge, Wing of Fashion and the cafeteria)? When you were at the TOT was the Otis Escalator still working?

WorldsFairEnthusiast

[j4sing]

That would have been interesting if they used the mezzanine for a roller derby.

I know the skaters stayed in a squared off section in the center of the arena, lined with those nice benches from the Federal Pavilion theater- some pictures posted here by Chas a few weeks ago show it in detail. Ah, here we are!aybar%205a.JPG[/attachment:1srsjxgr]aybar1a.JPG[/attachment:1srsjxgr]

I wish I had one of those benches today!

[Doug Seed]

I like the shot of the kids sitting under the tree on the planter inside NYS. Sort of sitting in the shade outside - inside - outside.

[Chas Aybar]

At that time NO ONE was allowed on the mezzanine either skate or to observe. In fact, we had a guard dog (German shepherd) that the concessionaire placed on the mezzanine to keep anyone from climbing the walls and sneaking in. Later on, a live electrical wire was placed along the perimeter of the upper fencing to do the same. The blue globe lights we not used on the upper floor either because the vandals would try to break them late at night; so we used colored clear --decorator type bulbs in the fixtures (as mentioned many times before the globes were stored in the Theaterama and some storage space in the TOT).

The elevators worked just fine as they were operated and parked for the last time in spring 1972.

The old snack bar area of the fair became the enclosed "new snack bar;" the first aid room stayed as is; the museum area became the skate rental shop; the dressing rooms became the skate sales area; the lounge became the club room; old office space remained as that.

The area between the lounge and snack bar was utilized by Park's as they had someone permanently stationed there. This guy would keep an eye out on the pavilion and clean up trash outside the structure. Other "parkies" would come by to change clothes or take a break (park benches were placed inside this area for a gathering place). Some of the nicest people back then.

The large store room over by the towers was eventually used by the Queens Theater and now the same by QTIP. They would make props there.

[Randy Treadway]

Was the mezzanine used during rock concerts in the late 60's / early 70's? I suppose if so it would have been 'standing room only' area for attendees to look down on the performing band.

I wonder why they installed the fire hose boxes up there in 1966 if they didn't intend to use that area for anything?

A live electrical wire on the outside mezzanine railing to ward off climbers sounds pretty extreme. I'm sure the ACLU or somebody would protest today. Parks would just say 'Wires don't kill people- PEOPLE kill people' !! I can see both sides of the argument; not sure where I stand on that one. It does sound a bit like a neighbor shooting a kid in the back for coming into his yard to fetch a ball, and getting off scot free because he was 'protecting his property'.

Maybe they had the voltage turned down to a non-lethal 'easy over' instead of 'hard boil'.

[bornopeningday64]

i'm amazed that the staircase and steel mezzanine walls are already rusted. were'nt they painting them back then?

[j4sing]

i'm amazed that the staircase and steel mezzanine walls are already rusted. were'nt they painting them back then?

I am beginning to think that, since the NYSP was originally intended to be temporary, they used a cheaper and much inferior blend of metals in their steel for the staircases/railings, since they were believed to be coming down in only two years, and that is why the bird poo and weather elements have corroded those so badly. When I visit, I would like to try and get a couple samples of the metal used in the stairs and railings and have a metalurgist at the University have a look. Optimally, If I can get one of those stairwell treads from the tower that have already fallen to the ground, we can get a good core analysis of some of the non-corroded metal. (that is if there is any non-corroded metal left on the fallen tread)

Would it be possible to aquire one of the treads legitimately, or is it something that has to be done under the shadow of the guard dogs?

[Randy Treadway]

Mary Ellen did have a guard dog who also happened to be trained as a metallurgist, who could do double duty for you.....but I'm afraid that one went to the big chemistry lab in the sky last week.

Seriously there's probably a local university metallurgy professor who would LOVE an assignment project like that for some undergraduate students, and Parks seems to be cooperating with college groups these days, especially if Parks doesn't have to pay anything.

[WorldsFairEnthusiast]

Guys,

Why was the inside wall of the mezzanine painted white after the fair? Was it white on the outside mezzanine wall too?

WorldsFairEnthusiast

[Randy Treadway]

Was it white on the outside mezzanine wall too?

Yes. The ToT became Moby Dick.

[j4sing]

Mary Ellen did have a guard dog who also happened to be trained as a metallurgist, who could do double duty for you.....but I'm afraid that one went to the big chemistry lab in the sky last week.

Seriously there's probably a local university metallurgy professor who would LOVE an assignment project like that for some undergraduate students, and Parks seems to be cooperating with college groups these days, especially if Parks doesn't have to pay anything.

Sounds good to me! Now, I can start sending out some Emails to the professors to see if anyone wants to take up the metal study, but I don't know who to ask in parks if they would be willing to part with a piece of fallen stairwell.

Heyy Johnny~ do you know anyone who can help secure a stairwell tread or two? I would ask Eyegore, but he has a bad habit of throwing things lately. Chalk it up to poor club attendence.

[Randy Treadway]

Yes. The ToT became Moby Dick.

Here's what Moby looked like in the fall of 1976:

[j4sing]

OY!!!

[Joey Chernov]

The day I visited the rink was extra special, since it was the same day the elevators ran for the last time and were parked in the position they remain in today. I was there and saw the elevators moving..... the skystreaks never move again after that day.....

That sounds so incredibly sad j4. To coincidentally be there to witness what would end up being the death sentence for the Lifts must still make you hardly believe it. Every time you look at a photo or visit the pavilion now and see the lifts where they are must bring back memories of the time when you saw them move for the last time.....

[Joey Chernov]

Here is a pic from a great site about the map and the NYSP:http://www.conlab.org/thereallybigmap.com/

It shows the roller rink, and the reflectiveness the coating over the map from the regular tiles around it.

[vladimir schimkewitsch]

Now that I read this thread again. I remember that the acoustics in this place were quite incredible. Everyone's voice did carry quite well. Much better then most places that I ever have been. Thanks for the picture as well Joey. I never saw the rink in the 70's because I never went back to the NYSP after the World's Fair until 2006 when Forgotten New york's Kevin Walsh gave us a tour there. Now I go to the SIP every year because it's a great day.

[Glen Schultzberg]

"That sounds so incredibly sad j4. To coincidentally be there to witness what would end up being the death sentence for the Lifts must still make you hardly believe it. Every time you look at a photo or visit the pavilion now and see the lifts where they are must bring back memories of the time when you saw them move for the last time....."

And to think that the elevators have finally moved again after all these years--only it is unfortunate that, because of all the years of neglect and disuse, the move was to RE-move them from the site for destruction (yes I know that something was mentioned about "preserving" them off-site, but we know that's not going to happen...). :(