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Gateway Swim And Skate Rink At 8510 South Main St.


jwphillips2

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I remember going to the bottom of the Crystal Pool and entering the air dome made by a B17 plastic canopy. The canopy was chained to the bottom of the pool and air was pumped in from the bottom. The canopy trapped the air and floated about 3 feet off the bottom. I know Liability Lawyers would be break dancing to get a shot at that now!

Anyway, my question is "What is the name of the skating rink that was right next door on S. Main? ".

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Alpha, you nailed it, but Subdude trumped us all with a postcard! I remember that it was also called Gateway Skate and Swim, I remember the Hokey Pokey, and that Crystal Pool was the only other Olympic size pool in the area(Shamrock), but the hills and meadows escape me. Thanks everyone!

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Gateway for sure. Great picture Subdue. Although I can't remember all the trees and rolling hills behind it. :D

Artistic license? ^_^

There was some discussion about the air dome on the bottom in another topic I can't find at the second. Not only would insurance companies not be happy with that, I don't expect they would be thrilled with those poolside trampolines! :lol:

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So this venue actually existed? Can anyone name year built/existed or why or what replaced it?

The postcard seems dream-like right, out of a movie set.

Seems Houston really once had bright and cheerful plans for a growing city. ^_^

Actually this postcard gave me a wild idea, I would build a similar idea and add a huge background like the hills or mountain to give the illusion. It would be fun. Could illuminate at night with lights, planes flying by, etc.

To heck with Houston be yourself. Kids would love it, that's all that matters.

Edited by Vertigo58
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So this venue actually existed? Can anyone name year built/existed or why or what replaced it?

I don't know when it was built but it was there until the early 1970s. At some point the pool was enclosed. They also had picnic areas, ping pong tables, volleyball courts, and rope climbs.

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GatewaySwim.jpg

I used to know a guy who told me that swimming pools in Houston have a chemical added to the water that turns a dark purple color whenever someone urinates. The reason is that they want the people to get out of the pool and go to the restroom. Have any of you ever had that happen to you when you were swimming.

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So this venue actually existed? Can anyone name year built/existed or why or what replaced it?

The postcard is what postcard collectors call a "linen" which started changing to "Chromes" (slick, glossy paper) in the mid 50s and had taken over by the early 60s. I went to the gateway in the summer of 65, and one thing I learned about the "bubble" was if you had tooth decay, the water pressure down below would sure let you know.

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The postcard is what postcard collectors call a "linen" which started changing to "Chromes" (slick, glossy paper) in the mid 50s and had taken over by the early 60s. I went to the gateway in the summer of 65, and one thing I learned about the "bubble" was if you had tooth decay, the water pressure down below would sure let you know.

The card also says Skate?

Ever recall any skating going on and where? Card doesn't show a rink of any sort unless its hidden like Waldo? :ph34r:

Skating must have been hell. Skates were those old ones made of metal or aluminum right? Even the wheels were metal. Needed a key, etc.

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I believe a self storage warehouse sits on the property once occupied by Gateway. It's hard to pin-point exactly since the "hills" are no longer there.

You mean the "rollings hills" were actually there via mother nature? I thought someone said it was just a superimposed painting to give the visitor an illusion of a Shangrila-like setting?

Too imagine a developer insane enough to flatten them just boggles the mind. :wacko:

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You mean the "rollings hills" were actually there via mother nature? I thought someone said it was just a superimposed painting to give the visitor an illusion of a Shangrila-like setting?

Too imagine a developer insane enough to flatten them just boggles the mind. :wacko:

Just kidding about the hills. The only "rolling hills" Houston ever had are freeway overpasses.

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Gateway Skate was a huge roller rink in the late 50s. The floors were polished oak which is why they wouldn't let you bring your metal skates. Giant mirrored ball which was lit during the "All Skate".

I think it was wishful thinking about the proximity to Kelly's, but it made me think about where all the addresses in Houston are based - Number 1 Main Street, the M&M Building. The first building in the US that was accessible from trains, boats, cars, horseback, and air. The 8510 S. Main address on the Gateway postcard is further from M&M than the 3512 address on the Kelly's card (where do you guys find this stuff?!). Sometimes knowing this helps with placing addresses in Houston. I remember meeting the wife of the Kelly's owner at one of the Medical Center hospitals in the late 50s - he was dying. I'm not sure how long after that the three locations had disappeared. Outrageous good steaks!

"I used to know a guy who told me that swimming pools in Houston have a chemical added to the water that turns a dark purple color whenever someone urinates. " My chemical would make their suits dissolve.

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Gateway Skate was a huge roller rink in the late 50s. The floors were polished oak which is why they wouldn't let you bring your metal skates. Giant mirrored ball which was lit during the "All Skate".

I think it was wishful thinking about the proximity to Kelly's, but it made me think about where all the addresses in Houston are based - Number 1 Main Street, the M&M Building. The first building in the US that was accessible from trains, boats, cars, horseback, and air. The 8510 S. Main address on the Gateway postcard is further from M&M than the 3512 address on the Kelly's card (where do you guys find this stuff?!) Sometimes knowing this helps with placing addresses in Houston. I remember meeting the wife of the Kelly's owner at one of the Medical Center hospitals in the late 50s - he was dying. I'm not sure how long after that the three locations had disappeared. Outrageous good steaks!

"I used to know a guy who told me that swimming pools in Houston have a chemical added to the water that turns a dark purple color whenever someone urinates. " My chemical would make their suits dissolve.

Most kids couldn't afford the skates that were used on the wood floors of the roller rinks, so they were rented as were ice skates at the ice skating rinks. The roller skates had four wide hard rubber or urethane wheels on them.

I find ads in my wife's and my old high school and college yearbooks. Lots of advertising in the back of those. That's where I found the Kelley's ad I posted earlier.

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Gateway Skate was a huge roller rink in the late 50s. The floors were polished oak which is why they wouldn't let you bring your metal skates. Giant mirrored ball which was lit during the "All Skate".

I think it was wishful thinking about the proximity to Kelly's, but it made me think about where all the addresses in Houston are based - Number 1 Main Street, the M&M Building. The first building in the US that was accessible from trains, boats, cars, horseback, and air. The 8510 S. Main address on the Gateway postcard is further from M&M than the 3512 address on the Kelly's card (where do you guys find this stuff?!). Sometimes knowing this helps with placing addresses in Houston. I remember meeting the wife of the Kelly's owner at one of the Medical Center hospitals in the late 50s - he was dying. I'm not sure how long after that the three locations had disappeared. Outrageous good steaks!

"I used to know a guy who told me that swimming pools in Houston have a chemical added to the water that turns a dark purple color whenever someone urinates. " My chemical would make their suits dissolve.

The M&M building was patterned after the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, which also had rail, road, and water access. As for horses and planes, I can't say.

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  • 1 month later...
I remember that there was a lake next to it. There was also a large thing in the pool that you would climb to the top and rock it back and forth. I made it one time down to the bubble and there were 3 guys playing cards in it. cool place. Dont remember the skating.

A Lake? Are you sure it wasn't Braes Bayou?

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I remember that there was a lake next to it. There was also a large thing in the pool that you would climb to the top and rock it back and forth. I made it one time down to the bubble and there were 3 guys playing cards in it. cool place. Dont remember the skating.

Well It has been 40+ years, but I remember a small lake with a little island in the middle and it did not smell like the shi* channel. I could be wrong about the lake... I went through the 60s since then:)

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Well It has been 40+ years, but I remember a small lake with a little island in the middle and it did not smell like the shi* channel. I could be wrong about the lake... I went through the 60s since then:)

LOL. Yeah I know what you mean. I'm still recovering from the 60's.

I never exhaled though.

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  • 6 months later...

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