Questions and Answers (Q&A) Forgotten Chicago Forum
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Ice skating
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: December 21, 2012 12:08PM
Where did you ice skate when you were a kid? I skated on the Lincoln Park south lagoon near to the Cafe Brauer, in the 40s; and if my memory still serves me, horse drawn plows cleared the snow cover . . . and also, I skated on the tennis courts next to the Fullerton L station,however, Google Maps street view shows a Dominick's store now on the site.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 05:58PM by nordsider.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2012 05:58PM by nordsider.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
b.a.hoarder
()
Date: December 21, 2012 07:21PM
We skated at the local parks and sometimes on the Des Plaines river. One year in particular (1962?) was special. Conditions were perfect, very smooth ice, with no snow cover on the river and we skated from about 4800 S., just off Harlem Ave. all the way into Riverside.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
ambrosemario
()
Date: December 21, 2012 08:52PM
Michael Kirby's at 75th and Loomis (as I recall). We used to meet the girls there when I was in high school. Good memories
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
()
Date: December 21, 2012 10:41PM
[b]Cornell Park at 51st and wolcott and Fulton school yard at 53rd and Hermitage.[/b]
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: December 22, 2012 08:52AM
b.a.hoarder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We skated at the local parks and sometimes on the
> Des Plaines river. One year in particular (1962?)
> was special. Conditions were perfect, very smooth
> ice, with no snow cover on the river and we skated
> from about 4800 S., just off Harlem Ave. all the
> way into Riverside.
b.a.hoarder,
Skating the Des Plaines from 48th and Harlem to Riverside, must have been fun; reminds me of those old 17th century Dutch paintings of river and canal skating scenes.
-------------------------------------------------------
> We skated at the local parks and sometimes on the
> Des Plaines river. One year in particular (1962?)
> was special. Conditions were perfect, very smooth
> ice, with no snow cover on the river and we skated
> from about 4800 S., just off Harlem Ave. all the
> way into Riverside.
b.a.hoarder,
Skating the Des Plaines from 48th and Harlem to Riverside, must have been fun; reminds me of those old 17th century Dutch paintings of river and canal skating scenes.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: December 25, 2012 08:00PM
Do people still skate at the Midway Plaisance in Hyde Park? Long-distance skaters would have been delighted had the Midway "Venetian" canal linking the lagoon systems of Jackson and Washington parks been buildt, as once planned.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2012 08:13AM by nordsider.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2012 08:13AM by nordsider.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
SJMR
()
Date: December 26, 2012 03:28PM
I skated at Dvorak Park at 19th or Cullerton St. and May St. They flooded the baseball field and the snow was shoveled off to the sides to provide a place for us to sit while changing our skates. It seems like we skated all winter long and had a muddy field come spring.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
cmysli
()
Date: February 14, 2013 03:25AM
We would ice skate outdoors at Kelly High School in Brighton Park. Afterwards we would stop at Zip's Ice Cream or Gerty's.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Dunning1
()
Date: February 14, 2013 01:27PM
For years, the grassy fields in front of the field house at Shabbona Park were sunken about two feet from the sidewalk level and filled with water for a skating rink. It was fun when spring hit, and before all of the water ran out, as we had our own private lake out there. Used to go by it every day on the way home from grade school at St. Priscilla. The ground has since been filled in and is now level, no possibility to flood it any more for a rink.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
shekaago
()
Date: February 14, 2013 02:13PM
I had ice skated at Portage, Shabbona and Riis Parks as a youngster and most recently, as an oldster, have skated at Millennium Park. I learned to skate at Michael Kirby's school in Park Ridge. My skating instructor's name was Kitty. Below is an old video I found on You Tube...
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM9iPV7ktc8]You Tube Video - Michael Kirby in Park Ridge[/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM9iPV7ktc8]You Tube Video - Michael Kirby in Park Ridge[/url]
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Diogenes9561
()
Date: February 16, 2013 12:05PM
The first place I ever skated was in the schoolyard at Audubon School, then later, at Revere Park where the east side of the park was about a foot or 2 lower than the west side and was flooded for skating every year. Also skated at Welles Park where the Revere Park Boys Club held a skating meet each year. Years later,when my kids were small, we'd go down near Waveland and the lake where there was a nice warming house to change into our skates.
I've lived in Orlando for 29 years now and haven't ice skated since I can't remember when; I play golf in January instead now. ;^)
I've lived in Orlando for 29 years now and haven't ice skated since I can't remember when; I play golf in January instead now. ;^)
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
rjmachon
()
Date: February 18, 2013 05:03PM
In the 1960's I used to skate on our side street in Logan Square. The street sometimes would become pure ice. In the 1970's, I also use to skate at the different Chicago Parks as well as the Rainbo Ice Rink.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
adgorn
()
Date: February 19, 2013 03:18PM
Clarendon Park along the north lakefront. Used to stop in to Cuneo Hospital on the way back to buy little heated up spaghettis from a vending machine.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Paul Petraitis
()
Date: June 13, 2013 08:56PM
Lake Calumet. Holland kids from South Holland used to be able to SKATE TO THE LOOP down the frozen calumet River then over on the Rock Island railroad ditch at Blue Island...round trip in only a day when a buggy ride might take 10 hours one way...of course that was in the 1860's!
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
bwalsh
()
Date: June 13, 2013 10:43PM
I skated at the park across the street (Rainey), but took lessons all the way out in Willow Springs at the Ice Chalet. My mother used to skate at the Midway Plaisance. To answer someone's question above, yes, they do still have an ice rink on the Midway.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Clutterqueen@icloud.com
()
Date: February 03, 2015 02:38PM
I learned to ice skate at the Midway Plaisance in Hyde Park. It belonged to the University of Chicago. .....they flooded the area every winter . There was a warming house on the Plaisance with a coal stove where we could change into our skates & warm up when we got too cold to stay out. This was in the late 1940s when I was 12 years old. Later I skated at Michael Kirby's indoor rink at 75th & Loomis. Here we skated to music & often a boy would ask me to skate with him....like dancing on ice. Wonderful times on the Southside of Chicago.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 03, 2015 10:33PM
We lived three homes down from Oakley Playground 50th and Oakley. We had roughly 25-30 kids in the neighborhood that would help the park manager build a berm around the park and Florian our Maint. man would water the area until it was perfectly smooth. No one was allowed on the ice until it was perfect.
Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
()
Date: February 03, 2015 11:23PM
SWEDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We lived three homes down from Oakley Playground
> 50th and Oakley. We had roughly 25-30 kids in the
> neighborhood that would help the park manager
> build a berm around the park and Florian our
> Maint. man would water the area until it was
> perfectly smooth. No one was allowed on the ice
> until it was perfect.
> Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
[b]I know the park well. I sometimes hung out at 50th & Oakley at Roger's Tavern Back in the 70's. I lived across Cornell park and skated ther from the 40's to the 50's.There was a Florian tavern at 51st & hoyne.[/b]
-------------------------------------------------------
> We lived three homes down from Oakley Playground
> 50th and Oakley. We had roughly 25-30 kids in the
> neighborhood that would help the park manager
> build a berm around the park and Florian our
> Maint. man would water the area until it was
> perfectly smooth. No one was allowed on the ice
> until it was perfect.
> Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
[b]I know the park well. I sometimes hung out at 50th & Oakley at Roger's Tavern Back in the 70's. I lived across Cornell park and skated ther from the 40's to the 50's.There was a Florian tavern at 51st & hoyne.[/b]
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 03, 2015 11:33PM
I passed Florians just about every evening to walk my grandmother home after she came to eat supper at our home. Rich, I believe I told you about Roger Casper buying Town Club Tavern from my cousin and renamed it R&S Hideway We sure get around this forum. It's great to hear from someone that knows the Back of the Yards as you do.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: February 04, 2015 09:31AM
deleted
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 03:09PM by nordsider.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 03:09PM by nordsider.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
()
Date: February 05, 2015 12:18AM
[b]My fatherinlaw used to hang out at Florian's in the 50's.[/b]SWEDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I passed Florians just about every evening to walk
> my grandmother home after she came to eat supper
> at our home. Rich, I believe I told you about
> Roger Casper buying Town Club Tavern from my
> cousin and renamed it R&S Hideway We sure get
> around this forum. It's great to hear from someone
> that knows the Back of the Yards as you do.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I passed Florians just about every evening to walk
> my grandmother home after she came to eat supper
> at our home. Rich, I believe I told you about
> Roger Casper buying Town Club Tavern from my
> cousin and renamed it R&S Hideway We sure get
> around this forum. It's great to hear from someone
> that knows the Back of the Yards as you do.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: February 05, 2015 10:14AM
deleted
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 03:10PM by nordsider.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 03:10PM by nordsider.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Cragin Spring
()
Date: February 05, 2015 03:16PM
Fun topic and brings back good memories of my dad teaching me how to skate. We use to skate at Blackhawk Park, 2318 North Lavergne Ave. just southwest of Fullerton & Cicero. In the summer when young my grandpa took me to Blackhawk Park to watch 16 inch softball.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Longford
()
Date: February 07, 2015 06:36PM
When I was a kid (in the late 50s/early 60s) we skated at the Michael Kirby rink at 74th and Loomis (might have been Racine, but I think it was Loomis). It was a great rink, adjacent to the rail tracks. Somebody played the organ, and most of my friends and fellow students from Altgeld Elementary, nearby, skated there at least a couple of days a week during the Winter.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 06:36PM by Longford.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2015 06:36PM by Longford.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 07, 2015 10:55PM
My wife from Altgeld also skated at Kerbys at that time. Did you know a guy Robert Tracy?
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Longford
()
Date: February 07, 2015 11:46PM
Swede, I don't recall a "Robert Tracy." My memory isn't as good as it once was! Michael Kirby's was THE place to go as a kid on Winter evenings.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
()
Date: February 15, 2015 01:01PM
SWEDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We lived three homes down from Oakley Playground
> 50th and Oakley. We had roughly 25-30 kids in the
> neighborhood that would help the park manager
> build a berm around the park and Florian our
> Maint. man would water the area until it was
> perfectly smooth. No one was allowed on the ice
> until it was perfect.
> Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
WAS THAT BEHIND THE PUMPING STATION OR THE PARK NEAR 51st st
-------------------------------------------------------
> We lived three homes down from Oakley Playground
> 50th and Oakley. We had roughly 25-30 kids in the
> neighborhood that would help the park manager
> build a berm around the park and Florian our
> Maint. man would water the area until it was
> perfectly smooth. No one was allowed on the ice
> until it was perfect.
> Sometimes we would go to Kirby's or Rainbow.
WAS THAT BEHIND THE PUMPING STATION OR THE PARK NEAR 51st st
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 15, 2015 11:12PM
I lived three doors/houses east of the playground. Town Club Tavern was down the street from the pumping station. The front entrance to the pumping station was on Western Ave.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
thejimdoherty
()
Date: February 16, 2015 07:54AM
As a kid, I lived on the 3400 block of N. Claremont. Next to us was an open lot. Well, not just an open lot; it was actually a tree-filled yard (it still is) that was the property of the people who owned the building just south of it. In the winter, one of the neighbors in that building would hook up a hose from the basement and flood the big yard to make a big ice skating rink.People in the houses on either side of the "rink" would put their radios in their kitchen windows, all tuned to the same station, to provide music, and various neighbors would bring thermoses of hot chocolate.
Re: Ice skating
Posted by:
southwestsiderlaredo
()
Date: May 27, 2015 02:07AM
bring the skates to the Bogan High School fields, they used to flood the fields in the winter, also in the early 50's the old 'temporary' kindergarten/first grade/second grade schools on 83rd street east of Hamlin, had a pretty good skating spot. Someone remember those?
