| # | Comments |
|---|---|
| 651 | Coming back to Empire Roller Skating Rink after 30 years + has made a great impact in my life and to see history not repeat its self would really put the community in harms way. Let's try to keep hope a live. Support the cause! Peace and Love, Vivian "Vickie" |
| 652 | This is an activity that is STILL bringing so many people joy, and creating so many memories. Don't take that away. |
| 653 | We should open up more places for our kids to go, not close them!!!! |
| 654 | |
| 655 | |
| 656 | |
| 657 | I have been going to empire since I was a child and as an adult I still go. Skating is fun, exciting and good a positive way to keep your adrenaline running. |
| 658 | |
| 659 | How probable is this protest. If some other entity purchased the building how could we as a people demand that the property remain a skate rink? Is the petition about 200 Empire in particular ? Or are we petitioning NYC to support the people to find another venue to make a skate rink (as we know it) for the community? A good place to start would be the native Brooklynite Rappers who knows "Empire " (you don't have to say roller rink) and who knows what it was like through the years just growing up in Empire. They would know how important it is to have a venue such as this. |
| 660 | i ama a kid who loves yo go 2 empire. and all my friends love to go its fun and its where we go and hang listen to some music skate meet friends have paty u cant close empire down the community will be willing to help raise money if thats the case |
| 661 | |
| 662 | I was surprised to hear about the possible closing of Empire Skating Rink. I believe that it will be a big mistake to close this community landmark that has been an positive outlet for many generations. When are going to learn that the community needs activities that provide interaction and socialization that has sustain the neighborhood over the years. |
| 663 | our kids need a place to interact in a constructive and recreational fashion. skating and having positive fun with freinds,is a benifitial distraction from the chaos that is going on in the lives of our children today.please don't take away the good things ,but invest in a positive progressive process for the sake of our children. |
| 664 | I would be greatful if this rink were to stay open. once this is gone new york has nothing. This is a family network that is growing. shutting it down will only stunt our growth. The environment is inviting and non confrontational. I pray that something will be done to keep this safe haven open. God bless |
| 665 | It would take an eternity to express the feelings, sensations, revelations, and joy that washes over the body & soul while skating. What a tragedy it is whenever someone with dollarsigns as blinders destroys something beautiful just because he or she cannot understand the joyous experience lived by others. This happens every day in the USA. There are eight million stories from the Empire Roller-Rink, and these stories are all cherished by the skaters throughout the life of the Rink. Some very influential people have skated on this floor. Larry Levan, perhaps the most influential DJ in the history of dance music, was a skate guard here. He went on to change the face of modern remixing and DJing. Imagine! Many other DJs who grew up in brooklyn were regulars at Empire. In fact, I would argue that rollerskating helps to more deeply understand the flow of music as it relates to the body. Bill Butler, the renowned roller disco king, wrote about the rink that became his home: "I put on my skates...and got on the floor and jammed...the rink became my home base. I watched it go through a lot of changes. I helped change it, teaching people how to jam, my way. I added the Brooklyn Bounce to my own repertoire. By the late sixties, we were calling the [Empire] Rollerdrome a 'disco on wheels.'" (From: Jammin' by Bill Butler & Elin Schoen, Pocket Books, 1979.) Empire truly was the place where roller disco was born. Wouldn't it be great to create a museum of rollerskating history at Empire! I would dearly love to see the building become a National Trust Landmark. Whatever the outcome, the skaters know the memories and love will last forever. Peace, dennis |
| 666 | My daughter LOVES to skate...don't take the one place that she can go! |
| 667 | Please, this is the best thing in brooklyn! |
| 668 | I just started skating at Empire in September of 2006, and I love it, and have brought several friends to join in on the fun, they also love it. This place is a landmark, please don't erase such an important part of Brooklyn's History! |
| 669 | |
| 670 | Have no idea where to begin. My mom started skating at empire back when she was still in grade school. She skated there all throughout highschool...even thru her early adulthood. My mom even skated there while she was a few months pregnant with me. On April 9th I will be celebrating my 21st birthday. I've been skating at empire since I my self was in grade school. My elementary school use to take us there on class trips. My neice just recieved her first pair of skates on her 5th birthday. Empire has been there thru many generations for my family as well as many others. The idea of taking away the only skating rink in The State of New York to replace it with something that can be found on almost every other street corner in Brooklyn, not to mention the rest of the 5 boroughs, makes no sense at all. If your going to tear it down at least make it into something recreational for the community. All in all...its a very sad time for the community, the youth, skaters, everyone who has ever stepped foot in Empire. |
| 671 | Why shut it down. This is the only real entertainment place where young kids can go and have fun and even keep active physically. We love the gospel nights especially because you get to have fun with our Lord a different way. Its been here for a long time to just let it close down. |
| 672 | |
| 673 | On February 5, 2007 a whole new group of middle-aged and seniors visited the rink, some for the first time. Many have expressed the desire to do it again and this time on skates. Just as the patronage is about the expand the door is closing in our faces. Save the skating rink! |
| 674 | I support saving Empire Skating rink. |
| 675 | |
| 676 | It is a shame that when it comes to our children that money will come first and not them. No one ever thinks about them how are they going to grow, how are they going to be safe, and how are they going to learn about how it feels to have funny ina place that has so much memories for others. We as a people only care about profit, that same money that bought Empire Roller-Skating Ring should have been money to up grade it and expand it so that more children can have fun. They all ready to a way the bowling allay now this it just doesn't make sence any more. This is not far and I hope that the higer power will give use the strenght to fight this. |
| 677 | we need a place were children can still have fun and not have to leave their neighborhood. The memories last a life time |
| 678 | Skating... its what we do!!! Storage Center????!!!!!! OH, COME ON!!! |
| 679 | It's one of the few wholesome and fun activities that we can get our youth involved in that keeps them out of trouble. |
| 680 | PLEASE SAVE THE RINK |
| 681 | I'm 39 years old and I have been skating since I was a teen and now my kids skate there. Empire is a place for the whole family. All the other places are closed so why sell this historic monument? It will be devastating to see it go. |
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| 683 | |
| 684 | I now am in college in Florida but I have fond memories of Empire Skating Rink. Whether it was a church outing, high school visit, or just fun with friends, or even a birthday party it was a fun place to go and socialize and skate. This is very sad many summer camps in Brooklyn use this skating rink as a outing during the summer. I feel closing this skating rink would be a travesty to the community and to all of New York City. The loss of this what I consider a community center will be detrimental to the community. The skating rink is one of those places where kids who may have been on the streets were hanging out working or just being with friends to take that away from this community would be heartless. I hope this petition will prompt the new owners to keep it open. |
| 685 | When will this dying and condemned world realize that the love of money is the root all all evil and will lead to their eternal destruction. God is able, God is awesome and will have the final word....not man. |
| 686 | It would be a tragedy to close down something so near and dear to so many people in the community! |
| 687 | I believe God with you that this battle is not ours but Gods. |
| 688 | I'm 37 years old and been going to Empire since I was a child. My 12 year old daughter is now a part of this wonderful landmark. Real Estate is a wonderful business, but some things should be left un touch. People will have a place to live however, we'll have no place for recreation. Skating is a wonderful past time and Empire should go untouched. |
| 689 | It will be tragedy to eliminate yet another recreation urban kids can enjoy other than getting involved in negative activities. |
| 690 | There's something troubling about a bored youth; Keep them busy... |
| 691 | save the roller rink if it wasnt for skating my daughter would have nothing to do except get in trouble. thank you |
| 692 | I hope and pray that God will touch the heart of the people in charge to allow this rink to remain our historic sport. I once was employed there and frequent this rink for just about every gospel occasion. Please don't take this from our community. |
| 693 | |
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| 695 | |
| 696 | This is sad to hear when our young people need a positive place to go instead of on the streets. |
| 697 | Please keep this skating rink open. What are our kids suppose to do? We are losing all the good places for our kids and us adults. We do not want our kids out in the streets with nothing to do or nowhere to go. |
| 698 | I live and grew up in bklyn and learned how to skate at empire the rink took alot of kids off the streets we need this place to stay open so we can continue to keep the kids off the corner and at least have somewhere to go peace. |
| 699 | |
| 700 | Empire Roller Rink is a legend and has been open since my father and mother were children and they are in their 70s. I just don't understand why they are closing all these skating rinks. We together with our children need a place to go to socialize, relieve stress, exercise and just have a good time off the streets. I pray earnestly that God will intervene. |