Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part8


   Rec.skate Frequently Asked Questions Part 8
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                 REC.SKATE FAQ
                                       
Part 8: Where to Skate (Outdoors), Part 2

  SECTION 2: EASTERN NORTH AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA
  
   
   
  COMPILATION OF OUTDOOR SKATING LOCATIONS: SECTION 2
  
   (Last changed June 1, 1994)
   
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
     * Great Lakes
          + Illinois
          + Michigan
          + Ohio
     * Northeast
          + Quebec
          + Massachusetts
          + Rhode Island
          + New York
          + New Jersey
          + Pennsylvania
          + Maryland
          + Washington D.C.
     * Southeast
          + Tennessee
          + Georgia
          + Florida
          + Alabama
          + Mississippi
          + Louisiana
     * Australia
       
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
Great Lakes

   
   
  ILLINOIS
  
   
   
    Chicago
    
   From: jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu (Joe Kaplenk)
   
     2) I go to Northwestern in Evanston, and they must have passed that
     right-of-way ordinance after I left. A friend of mine and I went to
     a meeting of the Evanston Human Services Committee and was told that
     there have been no police accident reports involving in-line skaters
     and there was probably no cause for alarm or restrictive
     legislation. One alderman was bound and determined to get something,
     though, and I guess he did after all. The ordinance applies
     specifically to the downtown business area where there is a lot of
     traffic, pedestrian, bicycle and in-line in nature.
     
   Glad to hear that it wasn't worse. Some people get upset just by
   seeing something that the think might cause a problem, even if no
   problem exists. Glad to hear also that there have been no incidents. A
   little more fuel to add to our arguments against restrictions.
   
     3) Are there any groups/individuals in the Chicago area who are
     looking to congregate to skate? I'm a middle-skilled skater (i.e.
     can stop well, do some backwards skating and am proficient in a
     forwards direction) and would like to progress to that next level.
     Joe posted something about the Odeum offering lessons, but I'm
     wondering if there's any kind of team action or group that gets
     together.
     
   There is a club that has been listed in the Windy City Sports
   magazine. (I'm not sure of the name). Rainbo carries it, it's free. It
   would be neat to form an inline competition club in Chicago. USAC is
   getting more and more open to inlines, inlines are fully accepted
   there for speed(in separate events) and roller hockey though not yet
   in the artistic area because of some technical issues on inline
   design. I'm not sure what IISA is doing about clubs.
   
   I'm especially interested in artistic inlines. Rainbo rink doesn't
   have a USAC club yet, so maybe they could be approached. I don't have
   time to help form one because of my committments to adult ice skating
   currently, but I would certainly join and support an inline club of
   this nature. Rainbo rink is small, and the floor is a little warped in
   spots, but it is very convenient and has the best seating of any
   roller rink in the Chicago area.
   
   The director at the Odeum is going to give me a call soon when he has
   his class schedule figured out, so I can have more information
   shortly. They might also be approached about a club. Though he was not
   very interested in anything involved in USAC. I guess because he has
   so much else going on in getting started and with the WHA tryouts
   coming up.
   
   There is also just outdoors skating, but I think it would be really
   good to have a year round club and to have a rink to back a club up in
   terms of getting members.
   
   From: RRATEICK@vma.cc.nd.edu
   
   There are cycle paths which go both north and south of the "loop" (the
   downtown), along Lake Michigan. I have skated up north, starting at
   Lincoln Park. I have also skated through the downtown both on
   sidewalks and the streets, although, not during the business day (too
   many cars). From downtown, a nice skate is up Clark Street north to
   Wriglie field (sp?). This is an interesting area, with used book/cd
   stores, etc. You can judge distance based on address numbers:
   800/mile. For more information on where to skate (and not too), call
   the folks at Londo Mondo (sorry, but I can not remember the address).
   Remember, Chicago does have some really bad neighborhoods. For
   example, I would not go west of Wells, in the area arround Division
   Street.
   
    Urbana/Champaign
    
   From: jms41276@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Clueless)
   
   The Quad is a good place to do laps and play tag. (a group of us play
   almost every night starting between 9 and 9:30)
   
   The north quad has some nice stairs and a couple fountains to skate
   over when the water is turned off. Assembly hall parking lot and most
   of the other parking garages are good if you're looking for smooth
   pavement. (The later are also nice if it's raining :) We've been
   playing hockey in Assembly Hall parking lot, but there are problems
   with the sewars swallowing the ball. If anyone knows a better place
   where a lot of people can play (we had 13 tonight) hockey, please
   tell.
   
   There's a trail out near Windsor road made for bikes and blades which
   is a good place to go if you want to skate distance.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  MICHIGAN
  
   
   
    Detroit
    
   From: dianne@cbi.com (Dianne Marsh)
   
   Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 13:29:31 GMT
   
   It really depends on where you are going in Detroit. I recommend the
   "metro" parks in the suburbs. If you are staying in the city, the
   closest metro park will (probably) be Metro Beach, ... nice because
   the path briefly goes along the water, but flat. One of my favorite
   metro parks is Stony Creek (trail: 6 miles), which is about 30 miles
   north of the city near Rochester/Utica. If you are visiting farther to
   the west, Kensington Metro Park (near Milford/Brighton) has 8 miles of
   very hilly paved trails. Both Stony and Kensington encircle small
   lakes.
   
   If you visit one of the metro parks, you can pick up a map (free)
   which describes all of them. The map describes which parks have paved
   trails and includes probably the best street map of the metro Detroit
   area.
   
   I believe that the entry fee is $3 daily or $15 for an annual pass.
   The pass allows entry to any of the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks. I think
   that Tuesday is "free" day.
   
   For more information on the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks, call
   1-313-227-2757. The phone book also lists 2 toll free numbers, but
   they are under "Metropark Golf Courses". Try them if you like:
   800-234-6534, 800-477-2757.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  OHIO
  
   
   
    Cincinnati
    
   From: usr2210a@tso.uc.EDU (Stewart Rowe)
   
   Two bike/hike trails near Cincinnati are also used by rollerbladers.
   
   The Little Miami trail follows an old railroad bed for 22 miles, from
   Milford, OH to Morrow OH, largely following the Little Miami National
   Scenic River. Grades are very mild. There is a 6-8 ft. paved trail and
   a parallel grass trail for horses. The best access, with parking,
   plumbing, and skate rental in season, is at Loveland, mile 9. There
   are similar facilities at Morrow (no rentals). Access at Milford is
   difficult; one must cross a major US highway at a nasty intersection.
   The Little Miami Trail is to be extended another 9 miles north to Fort
   Ancient during the 1994-5 fiscal years, if the budget holds.
   
   Weekend use is very heavy, with walkers, runners, bikers, baby
   carriages, dogs etc., especially near Loveland. One would be wise to
   start at Morrow during summer weekend afternoons. Better, pick a cold
   December morning!
   
   On the west side of the city, the county park district has recently
   opened an 8-mile paved loop, at Miami Whitewater Park (we have two
   Miami Rivers, Great and Little). This trail is used by walkers,
   bicycles and skaters. Though mostly level, it has some grades
   requiring reasonable skill. The parking area has toilets, food and
   skate-rental concessions in season. An overlapping inner trail loop is
   heavily used, but most of the larger loop sees little foot or bike
   traffic. Some lightly-traveled nearby roads are used by cyclists, but
   I've never seen skaters on roads in southwest Ohio--I expect any law
   officer would find some reason to tell them to get off.
   
    Dayton
    
   The best places to skate in the Dayton area are on the bike paths.
   Bike, joggers, and skaters (bladers? :) coexist as long as the
   cardinal rule is followed: bike right: skate/run/walk left.
   
   The River Corridor is approximately 13 miles long, including street
   connectors (not many). Parts are in dire need of paving, but the run
   from W. Carrollton to the Carillon Tower is fairly decent, and free of
   pedestrians for the most part. There is a steel bridge that is best
   walked across near W. Carrollton. Whitman's Bike Shop (in W.
   Carrollton) is a good place to meet, get repairs, etc.
   
   The Xenia-Yellow Springs bike path is 6 miles long, gently sloping up
   to the north. It's an excellent way to build up your endurance by
   skating hard north, then working on turns, spins, etc. back south.
   Fairly straight. Note: there have been problems with exhabitionists on
   this path. Do not skate alone. Young's Dairy is near the Yellow
   Springs terminus, and is a great way to put on the pounds you just
   worked off :).
   
   Planned additions to these routes include the Beavercreek connector
   (connecting the River Corridor and Xenia-Yellow Springs) and the
   completion of the Xenia-Yellow Springs path south to Morrow, Ohio. The
   N-S path would then run from Cincinnati to Xenia. The River Corridor
   will eventually be extended south to Hamilton, near Cincinnati. The
   bike/skate/run paths would then form a giant H across south-west Ohio,
   encompassing more than a hundred miles of paved paths! You can help
   speed up the process by contributing to your local/state "Rails to
   Trails" organizations.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
Northeast

   
   
  QUEBEC
  
   
   
    Montreal
    
   From: yatrou@bnr.ca (Paul Yatrou)
   
   There are several bike paths in the city. Try the Lachine canal bike
   path. Go to the old port in Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) and skate
   Westwards along the river until you get to the Lachine canal path
   entrance (ask anyone with blades on for directions). The path is
   around 8 km long one way.
   
   There is another path that ventures West towards Montreal West along
   deMaisoneuve Boulevard (beginning at Greene Ave.), one that heads East
   towards the Olympic Stadium (can't remember what street), and along
   the North shore of Mtl (along Gouin Boulevard) --- all in all plenty
   of klicks of skating available.
   
   Of course, you can street skate along Ste-Catherine, St. Laurent, St.
   Dennis streets (among the most interesting in the city).
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  MASSACHUSETTS
  
   
   
    Boston
    
   The trails on the Charles (at least when I left in 1989) could not
   meet this policy. There are plenty of places where it would be
   physically impossible for one bicycle to pass another unless there was
   no opposing traffic. Portions of the trail up near the Allston exit of
   the Mass Pike immediately come to mind.
   
   I lived in Boston for 10 years. Fortunately, I was able to schedule my
   work to avoid the crunch time on the trails--in to work after 10AM,
   leave work after 6PM. The most fun was skating at night along the
   Charles (yes, O'Leary, with light and helmet). This may have been
   dangerous, but I rarely, if ever, saw any sinister types along the
   park at that hour.
   
   There are some pretty decent places to skate in Boston other than the
   Charles. The linear park along the new Orange Line wasn't bad. I did a
   lot of my practicing on the linear park from Davis to Alewife on the
   Red Line. At that time, the nearly-empty Alewife parking lot, with its
   gentle ramps and not-so- gentle spirals, was an excellent place to
   learn hills.
   
   From: Damon@nomaD
   
   Maximus Skate Park has a half-pipe and a quarter-pipe street skating
   area. 576-4723.
   
   From: mdickens@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
   
   FYI: There are 2 Night Skates in Boston that happen on a regular
   basis:
   
   one is on Tuesday night, meet at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River;
   leaves around 8:30 pm (or as soon as it's reasonably dark). Your $10
   covers 3 glow sticks & some soft drinks. $5 each time thereafter. This
   is a leisurely skate--no tricks or racing or jumping or stairs, etc...
   unless you individually want to ;-> This skate is sponsored by John
   Gilmore, who is somehow related to RollerBlade.
   
   the other is Thursday night, meet at the Trinity Church in Copley
   Square; leaves around 8:30 pm (or as soon as the leaders arrive & want
   to go). Free to all, but this one is fast-paced. You can do jumps,
   stairs, natural ramps, bricks, and any number of these combined. You
   can also choose to go around & just watch; but you'll have to skate
   fast to keep up. Frequent stops to let the leaders show off. If you
   plan to participate, wear full protective padding, including large
   knee pads, and wrist guards at a minimum. A helmet is recommended
   (just in case....). The powers that lead give a short lecture on safe,
   polite, respectful skating at the first stop. This skate is TOTALLY
   unsponsored--skate free at your own risk.
   
   
   
    Cambridge
    
   By the Charles River, just get to harvard.
   Allston/cambridge exit off Mass Pike.
   
   Memorial drive: nice road... 8 hours open ... 11am to 7pm..
   skated on sunday... only open on sundays ...
   open for "recreational vehicles" only...
   pretty neat... had two sets of cones set up... plus about 2 or 3 miles
   of 4 lane road to skate... (bikes, skates, foot, unicycles,
   skateboards..)
   asphalt...few cracks..no real hills ... just by the cones.. mostly
   flat .. by river ... nice....straight away...no loop....
   not really crowded... too long to be crowded...short wait for slalom
   .. one rental van ...
   
   
    Bedford
    
   From: mdickens@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
   
   jns@eriador.Prime.COM (Joe Scianna) wrote:
   
     I recently discoverd the Bike path which begins in Bedford and
     extends to Davis Square in Cambridge. It's perfect for blading. The
     surface is extremely smooth. It's well marked with mile markers, so
     there's no quessing distance travelled.
     
     It's a nice alternative to the Esplanade. Although, blading along
     the Charles River at sunset is tough to beat!
     
   This is the "famed" Minuteman Path--~17 Miles of ~6' wide smooth
   pavement. They've finally taken out the speed bumps that existed at or
   near intersections, and replaced them with ground-level slabs of rock.
   Much easier to get over the slabs.
   
   The path starts in Davis Square between the Au Bon Pain & the Theater,
   just across from the T-stop. The surface begins as fairly smooth
   brick, and eventually converts into smooth pavement. You have to cross
   a few big streets (like Mass. Ave in Arlington) before getting to the
   longer sections. Once you get to Alewife (right at the T-stop), you're
   away from the large busy crossings, and can start the speed skating!
   
   ps. The path is slightly inclined, allowing for some great
   speeds--I've gone a few miles doing 2.5 minutes / mile pace --> 24 MPH
   continuous on 4 wheels!
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  RHODE ISLAND
  
   From: Janice_Green@brown.edu (J Green)
   
   Rhode Island has a beautiful rails-to-trails bike path that is about
   14.5-15 miles long, almost completely flat, and wonderful to skate on!
   :-) sundown along the bay at the East Providence end is quite
   beautiful. :-)
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  NEW YORK
  
   
   
    New York City-Manhattan
    
   From: David Madeo (dmadeo@is.morgan.com)
   
   Depending on how hard core you are, you can skate year round in NYC.
   Windproof insulated garments help. Theprime season is March though
   October. The New York Road Skaters Association (NYRSA) sponsors events
   throughout the season. They can be contacted at 212-534-7858.
   
   The most popular location in NYC is Central Park on the 6 mile loop.
   Cars are barred for several hours each day during the week during the
   "summer" season (which lasts until November) and all weekend
   throughout the year. While you are sharing the road with bikes,
   joggers, and walkers, there's usually plenty or room since there are
   three lanes. When the autos are allowed back in, there's a sidewalk
   for walkers, and a lane for bikes/skates. It does get a bit crowded
   then.
   
   Racing/Loops
   The small loop goes counter-clockwise from 59th and Broadway around
   taking the left at 72'nd past Tavern on the Green and back to 59th.
   This is relatively tame mild rolling hills.
   
   The big loop is just under 10k if you're interested in racing. Go
   straight at the 72`nd turnoff, you go past the Met, around a long
   turning downhill and along the top of the park. Then you're on a big
   winding uphill. There's a long downhill leading back to the other side
   of the 72'nd crossover. While lots of people skate here, this is the
   domain of the speed skaters. I'd be careful doing the big loop at
   night, the top of the park isn't the nicest neighborhood.
   
   It's important to go counter-clockwise. Most of the serious accidents
   in the park have been caused by people going the wrong direction.
   
   Slalom Course
   Just south of the 72'nd crossover on the west side right outside the
   Tavern on the Green is the cone lane. Most weekends, the cones are out
   after noon. There's usually a line of people running the course and a
   whole gaggle of tourists/skaters/bikes watching. There's a short
   course that's usually not being used. This is where the speedskaters
   hang out. They usually gather around 7pm especially on Tuesday nights
   to do laps of the big loop.
   
   Dancing
   Last, there's skater's way. It's a road that was blocked off and
   turned into some volleyball courts and a skating area. This is the
   place for dancers to congregate. There's a path connecting the cones
   area to skater's way. The bottom of skaters way connects to the 72`nd
   crossover. Typically there are three types of things going on. Some of
   the skaters dance to the music of their headphones and/or the sound
   system someone always sets up. Then there's the oval where people
   throw their backpacks in the middle and skate around. Further down,
   they alternate between hockey, jumping trashcans, and teaching skating
   classes. You'll find a lot of quad skaters here as well.
   
   Bandshell/Cherry Hill
   The newest area in the park to skate in. The is just east of Skaters
   way. There's a large tiled area where people skate in a circle.
   There's the occasional hockey game though it's being discouraged by
   the Parks Dept. (Too many other skaters and it's not enclosed.) This
   is a good safe place to learn crossovers. Cherry Hill is a bit north
   of skaters way and is basically a paved circle next to a lake. Mostly
   beginners here.
   
   Wollman Rink
   This is where people go to learn how to skate in a safe controlled
   environment. It's in the SE corner of Central Park.
   
   Street Skating
   Broadway and Fifth avenue (especially at night) all are used by
   skaters fairly extensively. There's a night skate every Tuesday night
   (rain date is Wednesday) 8PM at Blades West (72nd between Columbus and
   Broadway). Helmets, lights, and safety gear are all strongly
   recommended.
   
   There's a lot of places to do tricks, stairs, handrails, grinds in New
   York. Too many to list and probably better not to. If you're really
   interested in this, you'll have to find the right crowd first. Go on a
   night skate or hang out at the cones on a weekend.
   
   From: ricky@pipeline.com (Ricky Marshall)
   
   I checked the Road Runners' map of Central Park. The distances they
   give are:
   

 71 W to  72 E: 1 mile, 716 yards, 31 inches
 72 E to  90 E:        1748,       26
 90 E to 103 E:        1351,       11
103 E to 102W: 1,     1264,       19
102 W to  71 W: 1,      246,       22

   It comes to 6 miles, 48 yards, 1 inch, or exactly 9700 meters, taking
   39.37 inches to the meter. The Road Runners give the overall length as
   9704 (I guess they use 1 more decimal place).
   
   The so-called Terrace Road between East and West 72nd Streets is 542
   yards, 3 inches, making the lower loop 2760.5 meters.
   
   From: schaefer@mtkgc.com (Pamela A. Schaefer)
   
   Another great place to skate is along the south west side of
   Manhattan. You can start at the Hudson River Park (Chambers St.),
   continue to World Financial Center, then onto Battery Park City, and
   end up at Battery Park. All this, without ever having to be on a
   street. It is also great because the entire route is along the water.
   And for people interested in "stair jumping", there is a great set at
   the entrance to Hudson River Park.
   
   From pcrxs@nasagiss.giss.nasa.gov Mon Dec 6 13:13:12 1993
   
   [Hudson River Park] is a decent place to skate, but while skaters
   (particularly teenagers) can often be seen doing tricks on the steps
   at the north entrance, it's a no-no. There's usually some park
   security folks wandering around in little white trucks, and whenever
   they get to the steps, they chase away anybody they catch skating on
   them. They've chased me off twice.
   
   Someone asked in rec.skate a couple weeks ago where the best stairs in
   NYC were for skating, and somebody replied that they're all over town.
   I thought that was technically true, but are they really fit for
   skating. Then I happened to skate by the NY state courthouse on Foley
   Square, which has a flight of about 30-40 steps leading up to it at
   the usual steepness, and observed some high schools kids skating down
   them, backwards. So...you can skate on any stairs.
   
   
   
    New York City-Bronx
    
   From: David Madeo (dmadeo@is.morgan.com)
   
   Mulali Skate Park is the only accessible ramp in New York. This is a
   block away from Yankee Stadium. There's a mini 1/2 with a stair going
   up and a larger 1/2 that you have to pump to get up on. There's a
   whole bunch of 1/4 pipes and launch ramps. Occasionally these get
   demolished by the local gangs so ask around first.
   
   
   
    New York City-Brooklyn
    
   From: David Madeo (dmadeo@is.morgan.com)
   
   Prospect park in Brooklyn is similiar to Central Park, but not as
   crowded. It's also a lot smaller loop. Some people do a loop in one
   park, skate through the city and over the Brooklyn Bridge and do a
   loop in the other park. The Promenade is a good place to walk, but
   contrary to what some people say, not to skate. The pavement is
   extremely broken up and the pedestrians are extremely slow, hard of
   hearing and erratic. Also, going over the Brooklyn Bridge is possible,
   but the wooden slats will have your feet buzzing for a long time. You
   will not forget skating it. Nice views though.
   
   
   
    Long Island
    
   From: David Madeo (dmadeo@is.morgan.com)
   
   Finally, there's a trail on Long Island a lot of skaters use. It's a
   five mile trail along the Wantagh parkway from Cedar Shore park in
   Wantagh, to Jones Beach. The cement path goes from Long Island over
   several smaller islands and bridges to Jones Island fronting the
   Atlantic Ocean. It's flat and there isn't much in between the two
   ends. Bikes and joggers also use the trail. It's much easier to park
   at Cedar Shore than Jones Beach during the summer.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  NEW JERSEY
  
   
   
    Sandy Hook National Park
    
   From: Dennis Black (dblack@cisco.com)
   
   My personal favorite is Sandy Hook National Park (NJ). It's on the
   south side of Staten Island. Check out a NJ map. It;s about an hour
   from NYC, depending upon traffic. There's a ferry from South Street
   Seaport,($$$$ 25. round trip). It has 20+ miles of roads, and only a
   minimal amount of people(a few joggers and a few bicycles) after
   6:00PM and day. Just a handful of skaters so far. Also one side is the
   bay and the other side is ocean, so on days like today and tomorrow
   where it is 90+ inland, on the hook it will only get to the high 70's,
   low 80's.
   
    Saddle River County Park
    
   From: jogulin@camelot.fia.dmg.ml.com (Joseph Ogulin)
   
   To the Fair Lawn area of Saddle River County Park (SRCP)... this is
   where the slalom course is:
   GSP North to exit 160. Turn left at the light at the end of the ramp.
   Follow this road over Route 4. It becomes Paramus Rd. here. Follow
   Paramus Rd. to the first light, turn left. Pass the signs that say
   things like "Welcome to Fair Lawn" and "Say No to Drugs." On your
   right, after passing these signs, you will find a small road which has
   signs (small ones) that say "Bike Route" and "Parking for Bike Path
   and Tennis Courts." Turn right here, and park in the lot.
   
   To the Dunkerhook (Paramus) area of SRCP:
   Follow the above directions, except go straight at the first light.
   Pass the cemetery on your right. You'll see a sign on your left that
   says "Dunkerhook Area, Saddle River County Park." Turn left there and
   follow any other signs.
   
   To the Ridgewood area of SRCP:
   GSP North to exit 163. Follow Route 17 North to the Ridgewood Ave.
   exit. Head toward Ridgewood (you'll loop back over the highway). After
   you pass Paramus Rd., look on your right. When you see the duck pond
   (and signs mentioning that it's the Ridgewood Wild Duck Pond of SRCP),
   turn right into the area.
   
   I can't recall how to get to the Glen Rock area. Sorry.
   
   To Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook from the north:
   If you're coming from the north on GSP South, use exit 163 (Route 17).
   Exit at Century Rd. and head toward Paramus/Fair Lawn/Glen Rock (or
   whatever it says). You will not cross over Route 17. Follow Century
   Rd. to Paramus Rd. There will be a cemetery on your right (this is the
   intersection mentioned in the Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook). To get to
   Fair Lawn, go straight. To get to Dunkerhook, turn right. Follow the
   above directions.
   
   To Ridgewood from the north:
   Exit the GSP at the Ridgewood/Oradell exit (I may be wrong, but I
   believe it is 165) and head toward Ridgewood. You are now on Ridgewood
   Ave. Just follow Ridgewood Ave. as above after you cross Route 17.
   
   Trail descriptions:
   There are approximately 6-7 miles of trails there. Most of them are
   quite smooth, with a few rough spots along the way. They're about 5'
   wide, and traffic is mostly walkers, joggers, bladers, and cyclists of
   various ages from child to senior citizen. Adult cyclists and bladers
   will generally follow courtesies and warn people in front of them when
   they are coming up behind you. The whole series of trails winds along
   side of a brook. Bugs are rampant along parts of the trails during
   summer months in the evenings. There are a few hills, but most of them
   are short, or not too steep. There are a few parking lots along the
   way where many newbie bladers can be seen tripping, stumbling, or
   moving forward when they have their balance. There are no street
   lights along the trails, as they all pass through wooded areas. The
   slalom course, for those interested, is in the Fair Lawn area by the
   tennis courts. If there is nobody there and you have your own cones
   (we tend to use cups because they're cheaper), you'll find red dots
   painted on the ground. The dots are 5' apart (measured MANY times). If
   someone is there, you won't be discouraged from trying. In fact if you
   just stand there and watch, you're very likely to be asked to try the
   cones. Just watch out for the geese and ducks in any of the parking
   lots around duck ponds (Ridgewood and Glen Rock), unless you like
   cleaning your bearings and wheels.
   
   From commpost!opus!camelot!jogulin@uu3.psi.com
   
   I much prefer Saddle River County Park [to Brookdale Park] because it
   has a 5+ mile trail (one way!) which is great if you're looking for
   long skating runs. Most of the people there are friendly and follow
   general courtesies when passing, especially when there's a large group
   (this is cyclists, skaters, and runners alike!). There is also an area
   where we do slaloming through cones. People in the group I usually
   meet there have painted dots on the ground for the cones. They're 5'
   apart (yeah, we know that competitions use 6' as the distance). Any
   time anyone has cones set up, people are welcome to "try their luck."
   We'll never tell anyone that they can't try it. In fact, if you stand
   there and watch for a long time and you're wearing rollerblades,
   someone's going to ask you to try it.
   
   How to get to there:
     * The Fair Lawn area is accessed from Century Rd. Use Route 17 and
       exit at Century Rd. Head toward Glen Rock/Fair Lawn. The access
       road (Dunkerhook Rd) is a small road between Paramus Rd. and
       Saddle River Rd.
     * The Dunkerhook area (Paramus) is accessed from Paramus Rd. The
       access road (Dunkerhook Rd.) has a sign by it and is north of
       Century Rd.
     * The Ridgewood area is on Ridgewood Ave. Use Route 17 and exit at
       Ridgewood Ave. Head toward Ridgewood.
     * I can't exactly remember how to get to the Glen Rock area, but
       Saddle River Rd. comes to mind.
       
   
   
    Brookdale Park
    
   From commpost!opus!camelot!jogulin@uu3.psi.com
   
   Brookdale Park is ok, but I've found that many of the cyclists there
   are a bunch of assholes (mostly it's the cycling club members). They
   might give you 3 inches clearance when they pass you while you're
   avoiding debris on the side of the road. Next time I go there, I'm
   going to bring a hockey stick with me (even though I don't play
   hockey) and swing it back and forth as I go. If the cyclists bother
   me, WHACK... >:-) Other than that, it's got a 1 mile loop with a
   rather nasty hill. The paths going through the park other than the
   main road (which has a car speed limit of 30 MPH, which of course
   nobody follows) are not that great and could use some repaving.
   
   How to get to there:
     * There are entries on Grove St., Watchung Ave., and Bellvue Ave.,
       all in Bloomfield. Take Route 3 to Broad St., head toward
       Bloomfield.
       
   
   
    Madison
    
   From: kamran@pizzabox.dialogic.com (Kamran Vaziri)
   
   There's a great place to skate up around the Madison, NJ area. It's
   the closed (unfinished portion) of route 24. It's paved and very
   smooooooooth. Plenty of room too. I'm not sure how to get to give you
   directions cause I don't know all the street names around there.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  PENNSYLVANIA
  
   
   
    Philadephia
    
   Here's the Philly skating FAQ
   
   From: mckay@VFL.Paramax.COM (Donald P McKay)
   
   I've skated at two places west of Philadelphia I recommend to anyone.
   
   Philadelphia-Valley Forge Bike Trail
   The Philadelphia-Valley Forge Bike Trail is a (mostly) marked bicycle
   route from the Art Museum in Philadelphia to Valley Forge National
   Park. Some of the bike route runs along an old rail bed and has been
   paved.
   
   There are two paved sections I've skated. One is at the Valley Forge
   end of the trail and the other is about mid-way.
   
   The Valley Forge section runs from a little used section of the
   national park located on the north side of the Schuykill River (exit
   off of Rte 422 at the Trooper Rd exit; the park is to the left). The
   section from Valley Forge park to Norristown is approximately 4 miles,
   paved, flat and level. The only bothersome part is that you share the
   trail with bicyclists, walkers and joggers. This part of the trail is
   decently wide and recently paved in 1992.
   
   The Conshohoken section runs from the Spring Mill SEPTA station in
   Conshohoken for 3 miles east toward Philedelphia. Except for the water
   treatment plant you have to skate by, this is an enjoyable area of the
   Schuykill River area.
   
   Ridley Creek State Park
   Located approximately 15 miles west of Philadelphia. Warning--This is
   hilly and you must be able to brake and otherwise control yourself on
   rolling hills, 1 mile climbs and steep descents. Skating here is a
   good workout.
   
   In the state park, there is a paved circular path ostensibly for
   biking, blading and walking. Total distance is a little over 4 miles
   for one lap. There is a 1 mile section along Ridley Creek which is
   rolling, no steep grades up or down. The trail (no matter which way
   you happen to go) ascends from the creek bed to the main part of the
   park which is on the top of some hills. I would guess a few hundred
   feet elevation change although I've never checked a topo map. The
   steepest grade is approximately .4 miles (up or down depending). The
   trail is about 1 mile along the creek, 1 mile of gradual (compared to
   the other) grade, 1.6 miles rolling over the main part of the park,
   and the .4 mile steep grade--there are a few level parts of the run to
   help slow you down, but none at the bottom where it rejoins the creek.
   
   There are a few residences in the park proper so there can be an
   occasional motor vehicle.
   
   The fastest I've ever been on roller blades was going down the .4 mile
   grade.
   
    Pittsburgh
    
   From: bryant+@N3.SP.CS.CMU.EDU (Randy Bryant)
   
   Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 13:59:01 GMT
   
   There IS good inlining in Pittsburgh, but the combination of hills,
   traffic, and potholes makes it hard to choose good routes. Here are a
   few recommendations:
   
   1. Schenley Park, convenient from the Oakland area (where UPitt & CMU
   are located). There's a nice loop of 5K featuring some exciting hills
   with decent runouts. Traffic is reasonable either early AM, or midday.
   
   2. Zoo parking lot, in Highland Park. Popular hangout for racers,
   because it's flat, uncrowded, and smooth (contrast to general
   conditions listed above). There's a 400M oval marked out, but you need
   someone to show you where it is. There's a group that generally gets
   together at 5pm on Sundays & 6pm on Wednesdays
   
   3. Oakland street skating. I understand there's a group that goes out
   on Thursdays and skates stairs, parking garages, etc. Contact Rob at
   Shadyskates (412) 731-5400 for more info.
   
   4. Various suburban locations... I know of skaters who like both North
   Park and South Park.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  MARYLAND
  
   
   
    Baltimore
    
   From: hall@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu (Marty Hall)
   
    1. Loch Raven Reservoir. A 1.5 mile or so stretch of smooth pavement
       on the east side is closed to traffic weekends from 10AM to 5PM.
       Go up Dulaney Valley Rd. along west and north sides of reservoir.
       Stay along the reservoir (ie bear right) when the main road bears
       left at the restaurant. The next road is where skating starts.
       Moderately crowded with walkers, skaters, and bicyclers on nice
       days, esp after lunch. But shaded and cool.
       
    2. Baltimore Street Skater's Club. They meet 1st and 3rd Thursday's
       of the month in the Light Rail parking lot on Deereco Rd. This
       runs parallel to I83 between I83 and York Rd, halfway between
       Timonium and Padonia Rds. They meet 7:30-9:30 with clinics (from
       raw beginners to moderately advanced) going from 8:00-9:00. They
       recommend "joining" for about 20 bucks, but it is not required.
       Joining also gets you a T-shirt. They also have hockey some other
       night. Call Hal Ashman at Baltimore Boardsailing (666-WIND) for
       more info. 60+ people on a typical night. If you can crossover
       backwards, do a few jumps, and do basic slaloms around cones
       (backwards, 1-foot, crossing legs forwards), then you are already
       as good as all but their best instructors, but can still mess
       around with the better skaters. The more advanced groups generally
       take off into the surrounding industrial parks.
       
       Cancelled if there is a home Orioles game that night.
       
    3. Patapsco State Park. Just S of I195 off of Rt 1, near the UMBC
       campus. It costs to get in, but skaters can park in the
       residential area outside the park (go past the entrance up the
       hill), and skate in for free. It is about 1 mile into the main
       park, then there is a 2 mile stretch of river to skate along,
       ending in a hanging bridge over the river. One side of the river
       is a road (no cars allowed most of the way), the other is a bike
       path.
       
    4. Camden Yards stadium. Huge parking lots and smooth sidewalks south
       of stadium and around it. Obviously avoid game days. Guards will
       not let you skate between the warehouses (inside the large gates)
       but will let you skate elsewhere. On a weekday or early AM
       weekend, you can also skate over to the Inner Harbor for a nice
       cruise.
       
    5. Baltimore Annapolis Trail. Nice smooth bike trail running from
       Glen Burnie to Annapolis. I've never ridden it all the way into
       Annapolis, and suspect that to ride into downtown Annapolis would
       be hard, since I think you would have to cross one major bridge
       after the trail ends. Anybody know?
       
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  WASHINGTON D.C.
  
   From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
   
   naru@eng.umd.edu (Naruhisa Takashima) writes:
   
     For those in the D.C. area, I have skated on Rock Creek Park which
     is real nice path for joggers and slow bicyclist, but I'm not so
     sure if it's suited for Bladers. The path is narrow, damp in many
     places, and ocassionally very steep which makes it very difficult
     for speed control, which in turn leads to bail out or wipe out.
     
   Most parts of Rock Creek Park's bike path are OK to skate, except for
   one real steep place that even bike riders have trouble with.
   
   Since the path goes through the woods, keep in mind that wet leaves on
   the pavement are very slippery to skate over.
   
   It's also fun to leave the bike path, and skate about the nice
   neighbor streets adjacent to it.
   
   From: sokay@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
   
   [...] a lot of skaters tend to gather around Freedom Plaza on 14th St.
   on Saturdays and Sundays. There are informal pick-up skates around
   downtown that meet there on Sundays at around noon and take off for
   various points in the city, usually doing a circle up past the Capitol
   and around down Independance past the monuments & museums.
   
   Freedom Plaza is also a hangout for the street/hardcore skaters.
   People thrash there and over at the Liberator(Simon Bolivar monument)
   on the end of 18th st. (NW side of the Capitol). There are stairs,
   rails, barriers, etc. and a big huge flat stone plaza area in both
   places.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
Southeast

   
   
  TENNESSEE
  
   
   
    Oak Ridge
    
   From: mldickens@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
   
   I'm not sure if inlines are allowed, but there was an indoor skating
   rink on the east side of town (Oak Ridge), on the Turnpike.
   
   OR does have some nice BIG parking lots to cruise around; mainly the
   newly renovated Downtown (Indoor) Mall. I'd probably stick to the
   Wal-Mart side because the pavement is better (and newer). There's
   always the Kroger's, K-Mart, and Family Rec parking lots.
   
   I'm from OR, but I've never tried skaing around town. I think it is
   do-able, as biking was quite possibly in town. I wouldn't recommend
   blading out to the 'Labs, because the road is WAY too narrow (as of
   last year, at least. Maybe they finally got their act together & did
   something about it!--it had no shoulder, and had room for 2 cars and a
   bike). During the summer, there are LOTS of runners and bikers. And
   also LOTS of traffic.
   
   I'm also of the opinion that blading might not pass over too well with
   the natives (of OR at least). Skate boards were (and I think still
   are) pretty rad.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  GEORGIA
  
   
   
    Atlanta
    
   From: gn@terminus.gatech.edu (toM o. genesE)
   
   Well, I'm not quite sure what your looking for in a place to skate,
   but if you are ever in Atlanta (well, it is on the East coast after
   all) be sure to go to Piedmont Park. The park itself is home to quite
   a few skaters, and no one minds their presence. Directly across the
   street from the park is Skate Escape, the rec/speed skate shop
   mentioned in the rec.skate FAQ.
   
   Every Monday evening, there is an introductory skate through the
   midtown area, starting at a shopping center near the park. Even though
   the trip is labeled as introductory, when the skaters (80+) gather in
   the parking lot, you can meet advanced skaters and pick up some tips,
   see some tricks, etc. If you are into speedskating, Skate Escape has a
   distance skate every Wednesday night.
   
   There is also a local skate club, the Atlanta Peachtree Road Rollers.
   These are the people who put on the Monday night skate, as well as
   provide introductory skate lessons.
   
   I can get more info on the club and these events if there is some
   interest.
   
   From rbutera@owlnet.rice.edu
   
   GREAT skating city lots of hills and really scenic. Piedmont Park is
   really popular with beginners and pros alike. Go to the entrance near
   Piedmont and 12th street. There's a skate shop on that corner (Skate
   Escape). They can tell you whatever you want about other skating
   events in the city, regular weekly skates with the Peachtree Rollers,
   etc.
   
   Cops don't seem to mind skaters as long as you stay out of everyone's
   way (i.e. use common sense).
   
   The Georgia Tech Campus is another great place, especially for
   freestyle types. Lots of stairs (the ones by the student center are
   ideal for stair-riding) and ramps, great hills, and a few parking
   decks to boot.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  FLORIDA
  
   
   
    Tallahassee
    
   From: dcain@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Daryl S. Cain)
   
   A great place to skate! Its got it all--hills, flatlands, gentle
   slopes, the works. Tallahassee is the capital of Florida and home to
   both Florida State University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
   University. Skating is a relatively new sport in Tallahassee. There
   are few places to buy skates and none where decent accessories or
   compentent help is consistently available. The law is tolerant (play
   it cool) but some private properly owners can be pains.
   
   The best place for flatlanders is the St. Marks Trail south of
   Tallahassee. This is a paved railroad right of way with the trailhead
   located on Highway 363 (Woodville Highway) just south of State Road
   319 (Capital Circle SE). Plenty of parking is available, however,
   space does get sparce on the weekends.
   
   The trail streches 16 miles from Tallahassee to St. Marks--a small
   fishing village famed for its manatee population. The pavement is high
   quality with few rough spots. Traffic is light on the weekdays, heavy
   on the weekends. Most walkers quit after 1-2 miles and skaters after
   2-3 miles. >From there on down its smooth sailing except for the
   bikers. The people are generally polite and accidents are rare. There
   is a combination bike/skate shop at the north end of the trail. They
   rent skates (Roces) and bikes for reasonable rates there.
   
   In the spring the trail is beautiful. Flowers and shrubs are in bloom
   and the lucky can generally find a good blackberry bush to pick.
   However, snakes also like sun themselves on the warm trail so beware
   the occassional rattler when you wander. Florida is a hot place so
   pack plenty of water. Speedsters will find that Tallahassee is quite
   hilly. Most hills are located on the East or North sides of town.
   Pavement is of very high quality, it's asphalt with a fine gravel
   base, but beware the ocassional patch of shell rock. By far the best
   hill (in my experience) is located on Morningside Drive just north of
   Highway 27 off Richview Drive on the east side. My wife has clocked my
   friend and I at 45 mph near the bottom. The hill is about 1500 yards
   long, straight, with a baby hill going up the other side to slow down
   on.
   
   For more radical skating work, the place to go is the Florida State
   University campus. There is no telling how the campus cops would react
   to skaters but mountain bikers generally get away with murder. The
   place is a cornicupia of stairs, ramps, hills, sidewalks, speedbumps
   and parking lots. The campus is huge and almost every type of terrain
   except for mountain switchbacks are available. The only cavat is that
   when classes let out during the semester the place becomes packed with
   pedestrians. The best times to skate there are at night, on weekends,
   and during the summer semester.
   
   For the freestylist, parking lots are in great abundance in
   Tallahassee. Most places are cool, but the rent-a-cops at the
   Governers Square Mall are a pain in the ass. Its a real pity to, the
   parking lot covers about ten acres and was just repaved about five
   months ago with the smoothest asphalt you've ever laid eyes on. A
   suitable alternative is the Kroger Center, located on the east side of
   town between Highway 27 and Capital Circle.
   
   Pick-up hockey games are held at Skate Inn East, 2563 Capital Circle
   N.E. on Sunday - 7:00 pm and Wednesday - 9:30 pm. For more information
   contact Steve Bohl at (904)656-2056. You gotta have your own stuff.
   
   Be forewarned that there are few experienced skaters in Tallahassee.
   For that reason there are no real "skater" hangouts. Most people have
   a steady skate partner that they skate with but organized affiliations
   haven't developed to any real extent yet.
   
   There are many outdoor events in Tallahassee, such as bike-a-thons and
   the like, and they're just now warming up to the idea of skaters
   joining their ranks. Hopefully skaters will get off on the right foot
   here and become a legitimate part of the exercise/fitness community.
   So if your in town and maybe want to skate a few miles, drop me a
   line.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
  AUSTRALIA
  
   
   
    Canberra
    
   From: msp@posmac.UUCP (Mark Purcell)
   
   The network of bike paths is quite extensive, one can go from one end
   of the city to the other on bike paths. The paths are all >1.5m and
   made from hot mix, which makes them fast and ideal for pole work
   training for X-C.
   
   There is nothing like blading around the lake just as the sun is
   coming up over the mountains, with the smallest amount of mist over
   the lake, and only one or two joggers/cyclists to worry about.
   
   There are some problems though, before most road crossings there is a
   section of about 1.5-2 m of concrete bumps, which play like hell on
   the legs. It is possible to jump these but not the easiest.
   
    Melbourne
    
   See InLine April/May 1994 (vol 3, no 5), p. 12, for info about skating
   Melbourne.
   
   
   
   
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
   -Tony Chen (adchen@cs.fsu.edu)
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
