Serena Brown strapped on her childhood rollerblades to take a spin with her friend Olivia Bettaglio around a blue-yellow-and-pink-checked rink in an unlikely location.
“I saw this pop-up and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s on a roof,” Brown said with a laugh. “So I came out to skate on a roof.”
Event attendees enjoy rooftop roller-skating and roller-blading at SVN West in San Francisco — the city’s only rooftop roller rink. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Olivia Bettaglio poses for a portrait during a roller-skating session at SVN West.. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Azizi Dotson shows off her leather skates while atop SVN West. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
The two Mission District residents were among dozens of people on a recent weekday to skate under sunny skies on top of a two-story building in the heart of San Francisco, where SVN West set up a pop-up rink at 10 West Van Ness Ave.
Bettaglio, who sometimes skates at the Sixth Avenue rink in Golden Gate Park, said she was curious to check out the new venue, where a DJ provided a soundtrack as skaters with varying skill levels glided around against a backdrop of downtown highrises.
“I just like the new venue,” she said. “It’s in the sun, up high.”
Jayna Brunetti, who hails from Michigan and now calls San Francisco home, poses for a portrait at SVN West. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Skaters roll around the colorful rooftop rink, which is open Thursdays through Sundays in downtown SF. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Jayna and Nolan Brunetti, who moved from the Midwest to San Francisco a few years ago, made a date of it for much the same reason.
“I think the fact that it’s on a rooftop, that it’s a beautiful summer day in San Francisco — how could you now come out?” Jayna said.
Nolan said roller-skating reminds him of his childhood in Cincinnati.
Olivia Bettaglio, a Church of 8 Wheels regular, joined a friend to enjoy a skate session with downtown city views. | Source: Loren Elliott for The StandardRollerskaters glide across the rooftop at SVN West in front of epic city views. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
“My wife surprised me with a nice roller rink get-together because I haven’t been skating since I was a kid,” he said. “It’s special because it’s a nostalgic thing for me. It’s something I did in Ohio when I was younger. But this, because it’s on a rooftop, it’s cool.”
Victor Tort, a San Franciscan by way of Puerto Rico, could relate to the nostalgia: the last time he laced up a pair of roller skates was decades earlier when he was 9.
“It’s good to have those memories back,” he said.
Tickets for the rooftop rink go for $29 a pop. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Victor Tort, who moved to San Francisco from Puerto Rico about 15 years ago, strikes a pose. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
All ages are welcome to the rooftop rink, but Thursdays and Fridays are reserved for the 21-and-up crowd. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Serena Brown strapped on her childhood rollerblades for a spin around the rooftop. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Multiple attendees said the experience sparked a sense of nostalgia. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Jason Prieto twirls around on the colorful rooftop rink. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Jason Prieto, left, and Victor Tort coast along the roof on a sunny afternoon. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Jayna Brunetti skates in the sun. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Leah Mitchell wraps up a skating session. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Skaters of all ages and skill levels are welcome to the venue. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard