Ice Skate Next Door To Wrigley This Winter

by Al Yellon on Nov 12, 2009 8:27 AM CST

From Michael Sneed's column in the Sun-Times today, a temporary use for the land on which the Triangle Building will eventually rise:

Line Drives & Double Axels: Sneed hears the Cubs plan to build an outdoor ice-skating rink along Clark Street in the parking lot just west of Wrigley Field.

• The stats: The temporary rink will open ASAP (probably in mid-December) and run through February. Skate rental and ice time will cost about $10. The cash will be used to fund the $300,000 operation, which will not make a profit, a source said.

(Word is the ice rink, which is largely credited to Ald. Tom Tunney, will be run by the Chicago Park District. No word yet on where the Zamboni will be parked.)

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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When Cubs skate...

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 12, 2009 8:35 AM CST reply actions

What a cool idea!

I’ll bet the hockey game at Wrigley last Winter is where this idea came from.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 12, 2009 8:58 AM CST reply actions

Hopefully for Wrigley neighbors, it will be better run than this quagmire:

This is the central plaza in Mexico City. The square is about six-tenths of a mile. Every year, the local government builds the rink to distract the populace from corruption scandals, hunger, Mexi-flu and general malaise. They charge less than a dollar for 20 minutes of broken wrists and ankles. There are a ton of pics here.

Bear in mind winters in Mexico City are mild. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 30s. The amount of money spent to keep this behemoth frozen for over a month could pay for staffing and operating two hospitals in rural areas for a whole year.

Sorry for the completely off-topic rant. I just have such disappointment and disdain for my homeland…

by chilango2 on Nov 12, 2009 10:00 AM CST reply actions

Wow, that's sad.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 12, 2009 10:07 AM CST up reply actions

What part?

The part where I’m a self-hating Mexican without hope for his motherland, or the part where the government squanders what little money they didn’t steal?

by chilango2 on Nov 12, 2009 10:13 AM CST up reply actions

Both equally, I suppose.

Why don’t they just make it a freakin’ roller rink?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 12, 2009 10:19 AM CST up reply actions

Because it's Christmas time and they figure people want some frozen action.

It’s new and different for them, I suppose. People stand in line for an average of 5 hours to get to the rink, so this is huge for a lot of folks. Most of the country shuts down between Dec. 24 and Jan. 7, so the lines are outrageous.

by chilango2 on Nov 12, 2009 10:27 AM CST up reply actions

Not sure if this applies

But an open-air rink is built in downtown San Diego every ‘winter’ and one has been built on the beach next to the Hotel Del Coronado in past…winters. When I have time, I will search for an image of the rink on the beach, taken at sunset. It was awsome.

I’ve skated on the dt SD rink, and I can assure you — no Zamboni. Just a little mini ice scraper, and some water. I’ve skated on Chicago area ponds that had better ice.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Nov 12, 2009 11:02 AM CST up reply actions

There's an ice rink in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago.

Linky

I have been there. They definitely have a Zamboni.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 12, 2009 12:34 PM CST up reply actions

Awww man

I thought the pics were action shots of “broken wrists and ankles”.

Seriously though sorry to hear that.

"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"

by StevenABQ on Nov 12, 2009 10:23 AM CST up reply actions

Aunque no sabia de esto...

…en realidad, no me extrana. Otra maldita idea del gobierno de la ciudad mas…ahhh, ya ni tengo palabras para describir….

Aqui viene el Toro Venezolano, Carlos Zambrano, a batear...el lanzamiento...A LO PROFUNDOOO...NOO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOO...DIGALE QUE NO A ESA PELOTA!! GANAN LOS CACHORROS DE CHICAGO!!

by Azul Cachorro on Nov 12, 2009 11:07 PM CST up reply actions