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Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: July 21, 2009 01:19AM
Does anyone remember the Rainbow Rink on North Clark?
The last time I skated there was the day Kennedy was killed. My high school had the place reserved for a skating party that night, and no, it couldn't be cancelled.
What a miserable day and night. And I was worried about root canal scheduled for the following day! Ugh.
BC
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2011 02:46PM by fleurblue.
The last time I skated there was the day Kennedy was killed. My high school had the place reserved for a skating party that night, and no, it couldn't be cancelled.
What a miserable day and night. And I was worried about root canal scheduled for the following day! Ugh.
BC
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2011 02:46PM by fleurblue.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
marfair
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 21, 2009 03:01PM
Yes, it was north of Lawrence on the west side of the street. That may have been the venue that became a psychedelic music destination in the late 60s.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(63.226.79.---)
Date: July 21, 2009 05:30PM
It was recently demolished. Until then, the site held a varying array of entertainment venues dating back to the 1800s.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
adgorn
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 03, 2009 07:28PM
See http://chicago.urban-history.org/ven/dhs/rainbo.shtml for an excellent jazz era historical synopsis.
Also http://www.landmarks.org/preservation_news_going_rainbo.htm
From http://www.compassrose.org/uptown/DownShore.html:
"Three Stooges fans should note that this is where Larry Fine was working as a Master of Ceremonies when he was discovered by the Stooges and invited to join the troupe." This happened in 1925.
The nightclub there was called the French Casino when John Dillinger celebrated his 31st birthday there with Polly Hamilton on June 22, 1934 (the same day the FBI officially designates him public enemy #1.)
Michael Todd took over in 1940 and re-nergized the nightclub.
In the 60's-70s it became the ice rink (Hawks practiced there at times) and Kinetic Playground for concerts.
Also http://www.landmarks.org/preservation_news_going_rainbo.htm
From http://www.compassrose.org/uptown/DownShore.html:
"Three Stooges fans should note that this is where Larry Fine was working as a Master of Ceremonies when he was discovered by the Stooges and invited to join the troupe." This happened in 1925.
The nightclub there was called the French Casino when John Dillinger celebrated his 31st birthday there with Polly Hamilton on June 22, 1934 (the same day the FBI officially designates him public enemy #1.)
Michael Todd took over in 1940 and re-nergized the nightclub.
In the 60's-70s it became the ice rink (Hawks practiced there at times) and Kinetic Playground for concerts.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: August 04, 2009 02:14AM
So much entertainment to be had on a piece of Chicago real estate over the years.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
marfair
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 04, 2009 01:12PM
The Kinetic Playground was shown in the WTTW documentary Chicago:The Boomer Years along with a mention of another concert venue at Pratt and Sheridan known as the Pinque Phinque.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
jessesgirl
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 05, 2009 11:27PM
Boy do I remember. This was my home away from home in the late 60s and early 70s. I was a regular. We called ourselves rink rats. I first learned to skate and later to even play girls hockey. I miss the place so much. So many memories. I met a few boyfriends there as well.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
chgobill67
(---.kc.res.rr.com)
Date: February 03, 2011 08:39PM
Played hockey there in the mid 70's for several years, great place!
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
FranCarmen
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 19, 2011 12:21AM
Jessegirl, you will appreciate this memory: the buttons we earned for each skill level, with three or maybe four different color ribbons earned to complete each level. I took lessons there, starting in the small rink around 1965. Loved the place.
http://francesarcher.com
http://francesarcher.com
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
adgorn
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 01, 2011 07:09PM
You mean awards like these?
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NZPoPD0L34pE_x2i_QiofdXcMHUlys_QLitZWPUfns8?feat=directlink">Rainbo awards</a>
Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook. Alan
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NZPoPD0L34pE_x2i_QiofdXcMHUlys_QLitZWPUfns8?feat=directlink">Rainbo awards</a>
Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook. Alan
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
FranCarmen
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 01, 2011 07:19PM
Yes! I loved getting those ribbons, but I never made it to the green badge. You must have been good.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: March 07, 2011 11:30AM
We were talking about this at work the other day - am I correct in remembering that a body was found during demolition? We couldn't figure out if it was a homeless person who had wandered in and simply died or if it was a body in the structure/foundation/other inaccessible place that had been there all along. Anybody know?
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
kgamb
(---.c3-0.nwb-ubr3.chi-nwb.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: March 12, 2011 12:07AM
davey7, This thread is really interesting.. I was researching the history of the rink/arena and stumbled across this [url=http://www.uptownupdate.com/2009/03/rainbo-village-developer-faces.html]snippet[/url] (read the comments under the article - one of the posters discusses the findings and also gives a lot of other references).
Kelley
Kelley
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 12, 2011 01:01AM
I went there once during its last week of operation and it was kind of grim, but I saw a concert there in 1995 that was pretty grand...they had the stage set up on the roller-skating floor and the crowd just filled in around it.
My dad said that a common insult among his classmates at Jenner School in the late 40s was that 'your momma's as big as Rainbo 'rena'.
My dad said that a common insult among his classmates at Jenner School in the late 40s was that 'your momma's as big as Rainbo 'rena'.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
ken62
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: September 28, 2011 06:18PM
Great memories of Rainbo, played hockey there in the mid 70's. Met my first girlfriend at one of those Friday or Saturday night open skating sessions. Loved those couples only (with the disco ball and stairway to heaven playing), boy's only and girls only skates. I still remember those hockey marathon sessions, for a nominal fee you could play all night. It was a great place to hang out with friends, so many different ethnicity's. Went back years later to find the ice rink was converted to a Roller Rink and the large area to the left was made into a skate board park.
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
jeff61
(---.tmodns.net)
Date: October 30, 2011 02:30PM
adgorn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You mean awards like these?
>
> Rainbo awards
>
> Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook.
> Alan
-------------------------------------------------------
> You mean awards like these?
>
> Rainbo awards
>
> Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook.
> Alan
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
jeff61
(---.tmodns.net)
Date: October 30, 2011 02:32PM
adgorn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You mean awards like these?
>
> Rainbo awards
>
> Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook.
> Alan
I grew up in that ice rink..from 65 till 73..first girlfriend..first kiss..and a thousand hockey games..original rink rat
-------------------------------------------------------
> You mean awards like these?
>
> Rainbo awards
>
> Scanned them from my most precious scrapbook.
> Alan
I grew up in that ice rink..from 65 till 73..first girlfriend..first kiss..and a thousand hockey games..original rink rat
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
pat the guard
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 25, 2012 10:19PM
It was one of best times in my life!! Is there any more rink rats out there?
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
Barse5
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 20, 2012 01:07AM
Rainbo rink rats ....there are a few of us still out there...,my sisters and I used to skate there.......
Re: Rainbow Ice Rink
Posted by:
querencia
(---.c3-0.snb-ubr1.chi-snb.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: June 21, 2012 01:37AM
If you google "Uptown Chicago", Wikipedia gives a detailed history of Rainbo amusements on that site, beginning in 1893 when it was a German beer garden.
