After nearly a year without roller-skating, the pastime returned to Coney Island with the opening of the Lola Staar Dreamland Roller Rink yesterday. The star-studded event - Marissa Tomei, Ashanti, and of course Lola Staar (aka Dianna Carlin) were there - looked like a grand ole time. The portable roller-rink is located in the Childs Restaurant Building at 21st St. and the Boardwalk, where Carlin believes she can reach an agreement to use the building until a permanent tenant is found. more ›

The 34-year-old shop owner/activist (and part-time rollerskater), Dianna Carlin, has taken the first roll around the Lola Staar Dreamland Roller Rink -- set to open in Coney Island tomorrow (ending a near year-long dry spell of rollerskating in the area). Mr. Coney tells us, "Roller skating has always been popular in Coney Island, dating back to the Sea Beach Palace Roller Rink of the 1890s. The Palace, located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street, was transformed from a railroad terminal into a rink that hosted roller dancing and roller racing events. There were also rinks at Dreamland, Luna Park, and Steeplechase." more ›