| East West Ice Palace in Artesia was built by Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and is home to the California Hockey Club (an amalgamation of the California Wave and Artesia Avalanche). This is the newest addition to Southern California’s ice skating community, opening in May, 2005. The facilities feature a single ice surface (85’ x 200’), large fitness center, dance & exercise room, a snack bar and full service pro shop. East West is not a great place to watch a hockey game. Unless you have access to the fitness center above the ice, you'll be spectating from ice level. The only bleachers are a small set located between the blue lines, but again mostly at ice level. The other big con of this venue is the parking. The lot in front has a imited number of spaces so you'll most likely humping it back to your car parked somewhere along Artesia Blvd. There is TV in the snack bar area tuned to NFL football on Sunday afternoons. Being that this venue was designed by a career skater for skaters, expect the East West Ice Palace to be a very well run operation. If they can figure out the site lines and the parking, it could be one of the, if not THE premier facility in SoCal. Or maybe not. OK, probably not. |
