Skating in NYC is a classic and popular winter pastime. Did you know there are 14 skating rinks open for public skating in the city this season?! The most famous rink without a doubt is the Rink at Rockefeller Center which opens for the season tomorrow and Wollman Rink at Central Park is scheduled to open next weekend, Sat Oct 19 (weather permitting)!
Check out my Nov. 18, 2018 post on my two favorite outdoor NYC skating rinks- The Rink at Rockefeller Center and The Winter Village at Bryant Park, https://figureskatingetc.squarespace.com/new-blog/2018/11/18/top-us-family-ice-skating-rinks-forbes-nov-16-2018
Wollman Rink is located on 59th Street and 6th Avenue- a short five-minute walk from Central Park’s south entrance. Believe it or not, I have never skated in this iconic rink since I moved here from Boston when I was five yrs old. I love the NYC and love Central Park and will definitely put it on my list of to-dos for this winter. While this odd-shaped trapezoid rink is four times larger and half the cost of the Rink at Rockefeller Center, it does get quite crowded because there is no rule regarding the maximum number of skaters on the ice. However, you can skate to your heart’s content - all day if you like- and enjoy the stunning Manhattan skyline view. If you didn’t know, the Wollman rink was constructed by Donald Trump and it’s been featured in several popular movies including, Home Alone 2 and Serendipity. For more info, check out https://www.wollmanskatingrink.com
Photo courtesy of https://www.wollmanskatingrink.com
The Rink at Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center) opened in 2013 and is located at the North Cove Marina on the Hudson River Waterfront in Battery Park City. It also is a great place to skate and take in the breathtaking views of lower Manhattan. The rink will open in November and offer skating and hockey classes. Its figure skating programs are hosted by skating Olympians, Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. One of the rink’s special festive events is its contemporary rock/pop Winter Ice Holiday Concert Show, ‘Stars United’. The show will be on Dec 10 and 11 at 7pm and will feature figure skating Olympians along with Iconic Vogue dancers and singers. Be sure to check it out! https://www.therinkatbrookfieldplace.net
Photo courtesy of https://www.downtownmagazinenyc.com/rink-at-brookfield-place-returns/
The other ten skating rinks in NYC are …
Manhattan- Sky Rink at Chelsea Pier (Pier 61); Laser Rink at Central Park (106-108th St); Riverbank State Park Rink (679 Riverside Drive
Brooklyn- Abe State Park (Coney Island Boardwalk); Aviator Sports and Events Center Rink (Floyd Bennett Field); Lakeside (Prospect Park)
Queens- City Ice Pavilion (47-32 32nd Place); World Ice Arena (Flushing Meadows Corona Park)
Staten Island- Staten Island Skating Pavilion (Tottenville); WW II Veterans War Memorial Ice Skating Rink (Clove Lakes Park)
https://www.nycgo.com/articles/new-york-skate-of-mind