BUSHWICK, Brooklyn — Old is new again at Xanadu Roller Arts in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The intergenerational hotspot has carved out a special nook in a neighborhood known for its nightlife.
Robert Scott has been skating in New York City since the 1970s and calls Xanadu “skating at its purest.” According to Scott, “if you’re working all day, you know you want to go into a space where you don’t have to think about your day. You know you just want to release that day and have a moment when you could just be free. That’s what it’s about.”
Scott and other skaters are grateful founder Varun Kataria brought the venue to fruition.
Kataria thinks it’s the perfect place for New Yorkers to let go, saying “we go out to sort of leave the drudgery of our daily lives behind and sort of step into different versions of ourselves – imagined versions of ourselves, where we can have the best night ever.”
Many nights, the line to get into Xanadu spans the block.
It’s hard to miss seasoned and expert skaters dancing and zooming by. At the same time, Xanadu welcomes skaters of all ages and experience levels.
Kataria explains that “part of our mission is to teach people how to skate. To basically spread the love and joy of roller skating. We would love to spark a renaissance.”
If you ask longtime skater Robert Scott, “Xanadu represents skating at its purest. It is a community. You know, whatever else is going on outside doesn’t matter.”
