New York City rink info

[dorvalskater1]

I will be in New York to visit a friend and she has said that she is willing to get me to any and all arenas I wish to sakte at, indoor and outdoor. I need info on best times and prices. I am bringing my own skates, so no need for rental...I am looking at Sky Rink to guest skate at if possible. Anyone have any info on that? I also want to skate at Rockerfeller and Wollman. those are outdoor I know. Any info would be great. Thanks!
And hello to any fellow Montreal Adult Ice Dance Weekend people!

[dbny]

Sky Rink info here: Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers (http://www.chelseapiers.com/sr01.htm) The Wed night freestyle session is SCNY and guest fee is either $25 or $30. It's pretty crowded, with both adult dance and freestylers and some teenagers. There are usually three or four lessons going on at the same time. I haven't been to any other sessions there this season, but have heard that some of the public sessions are pretty empty during the day. If you want to make the trip to Brooklyn, the Kate Wollman Rink in Prospect Park is beautiful and empty 8AM to 10:30AM during the week. Then the busses of school kids arrive and it's all over. Don't know when Wollman in Central Pk opens, but the Prospect Park (http://www.prospectpark.org/events/ice.html) rink opens the weekend before Thanksgiving.

[wannask8]

I only have last season’s (thru 4/02) Rockefeller info, but it’ll give you an idea (call 212-332-7654 for current schedule and fees):

Adults per session: M-Th. $8.50; F-Sun. & holidays $11
Kids under 12/seniors: M-Th. $7.00; F-Sun. & holidays $7.50
Rental, per session: $6.00

M-Th. sessions: 9AM – 1 PM; 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM; 6 PM – 10:30 PM
Lunchtime sessions: (M-Th. only; not holidays): 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ($5.00)
Fridays sessions: 2-1/2-hour sessions start at 8:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM & 8:30 PM
Sat. sessions: 8:30AM – 11:30 AM; 12 noon – 2PM; 2:30 PM – 4PM; 4:30PM – 6PM; 6:30PM – 8PM; 8:30PM – midnight
Sun./holiday sessions: 8:30AM – 11:30 AM; 12 noon – 2PM; 2:30 PM – 4PM; 4:30PM – 6PM; 7PM – 10PM

I’ve only visited there on an occasional Saturday. I stopped by to have lunch at the little eatery next to the rink a couple of Saturdays ago, and it was pretty crowed, plus there were a couple of lessons going on, but people were able to pop into the center from time to time for occasional jumps and spins. I’ll bet it’s crazy during the holidays – hopefully someone else here can tell you which sessions are least crowded.

-- wannask8

[RoaringSkates]

The rink at Rockefeller Center is fun if you just want to skate around, and has great atmosphere, but isn't a good rink if you want to really practice anything. It's usually too crowded, and the ice is almost always kind of messy. It is open now.

The Wollman rink in Central Park is better maintained. It can be crowded, but often less so than Rockefeller Center. This rink is also open now.

The Sky Rink is a good one for real practicing, at Chelsea Piers, but it's a bit hard to get to on public transport. It's expensive and it can be crowded.

There is a second rink in Central Park up in Harlem, too. I forget the name, and the area can be a bit dreary at night. The ice isn't 100%, but it usually isn't very crowded at all.

There is a great rink in New Rochelle at New Roc City. It's about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour from NYC by Metro North Railroad. A lot of people go back and forth between this rink, Sky Rink and the rink in Queens.

[peachstatesk8er]

Wollman is the best for outdoors, IMO. Rockefeller is waaaaaay over rated and over priced.

[kar5162]

Sky Rink has freestyles in the morning. It can be crowded if you're low (below Juv free/Silver dance) before around 9:30, ok after that. They're pretty uncrowded if you're high. SCNY has sessions Wed night and Sun morning...typically crowded and the walk on is $30...very expensive. The SCNY sessions are typically older dancers, the other sessions are mostly freestyle. Saturday mornings are both crowded and expensive. Public sessions begin at 11:30 during the week and are generally empty until 2 pm or so. 50 minute free sessions are $18 and $21 on Saturdays. Public transportation isn't too bad - there's a cross town bus (M23) that runs regularly across 23rd Street and goes right to Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers is the only normal size indoor rink I know of though in NYC.

Wollman is beautiful, but gets crowded when public sessions start (around 11 am). Also, since it's outside, the ice quality is quite iffy and the temperature could make skating interesting. Freestyle (5:30 or 6 - 8 and 8:30 - 10) sessions are $15.

Lasker is up at the top of Central Park (east side) around 110th street. I've heard it's cheap, but not good ice.

Rockafeller Center is SMALL. But it's looks really cool to skate there and I plan to make it at least once this winter...it's been 3 years now and I still haven't gone there. It's cheaper during the week and less crowded earlier in the day. Until Nov 1 the noon skates were only $5 ...super inexpensive for NY.

There is also Riverbank State Park up in Harlem(?) on the West Side of the city. I don't know much about it, but it's partially covered.


Feel free to PM me if you need any more information. I skate at Sky Rink a few days a week.

[dbny]

Originally posted by RoaringSkates
The rink at Rockefeller Center is fun if you just want to skate around, and has great atmosphere, but isn't a good rink if you want to really practice anything. It's usually too crowded, and the ice is almost always kind of messy.

Yes, I have a skater friend who broke his shoulder there two years ago because he hit something on the ice. He was treating himself for his birthday :cry: Took away all my desire to skate there.

[CoolbugSuz]

I just ran into a friend at one of the rinks here in Columbus, OH today, and he said that he and his fiancee just got back from NY. He said they skated at Rockefeller Center, and I was like 'How cool is that!!"

He said the ice was in bad shape. And he said it cost 'em around $15 each to skate there. I'm not sure if they took their skates with them, but I doubt they did. They're not figure skaters, but they are learning hockey type skating.

They make skating at the Rockefeller Center look so cool on TV. LOL Was that the Wollman rink that was in that movie "Serendipity"?

Suz

[jazzpants]

Well, most of you guys made excellent comments on NYC skating. I'll put in my two cents.

I was at NYC visiting my in-laws for a few days and I skated at the Grand Park(?) rink. (My MIL is a Long Island resident, so I get to go in there cheap! Of course, the catch is that my MIL and two of my sisters-in-law got to watch me skate.) It was very VERY cold that night (for me anyway...) It was around high 20's and I lost circulation to my fingers b/c of the cold. I couldn't untie my skates b/c I lost feeling to the fingers!!! :P I had a good skate though. I had the center to myself... and all the kids were definitely watching me that night! (That is if they weren't asking me to "show them how to spin.") :P Best part was that I've impressed my in-laws too!!! :D

The second skate I did was at Wollman's Rink. Unfortunately, it was on a weekend. (Can you say "cattle call?") :P Couldn't spin or jump or anything. I NOT had to go around and around like everyone else, but I had to go at this really, REALLY slow pace that everyone's going to and I almost got knocked over a couple of times by hockey skater wannabes. :x It was $7 for about a 45 minute skate too.

My third rink trip was Rockefeller Center. It was not as crowded as Wollman's but the rink is so tiny that I also couldn't do much. It was crowded for a 10am weekday session too! And yes, quite overpriced! It was $13 for a 1.5 hr session...w/o rentals!!! (I brought my own skates with me.) The ice was also crappy, but lucky this time I had enough gloves on me that my fingers weren't frozen. I could say that I HAVE skated there now!!!

I hope to be back in NYC next year for the holidays. And I do have plans to skate THEN at the Sky Rink! I look forward to meeting everyone here on this board that skates there regularly!!! :)

[KathySkates]

Jazzpants! I live not too far from Grant Park! Next time you come, if you are staying on or near Long Island, you can skate at Long Beach Arena or Iceland (in New Hyde Park). Let me know and we can meet up!

[Mrs Redboots]

When we went to NYC last year, we were too early for the outdoor rinks to be opened, which in one way was a pity. We were allowed on an early freestyle ice at the Sky Centre by courtesy of a friend who arranged for us to meet her there - we were horrified by the price, though, which was about $15 for 45 minutes! All the same it was a wonderful place to skate, and I'm very glad we did it. And there was a super diner round the corner to have breakfast at. I don't know who said it was not easy to get to by public transport - we didn't find it so; we got a cross-town bus from the Subway (I can't remember off-hand where, could it have been Penn Station?) and then it was just a very short walk south.

The other skate we had in NYC was with DB on Staten Island. That, too, was great fun, and DB very kindly took us there in her car from where we were staying in Brooklyn.

Talking of outdoor rinks, they have opened a new one in London this year, at Marble Arch, and the (now) traditional Somerset House rink opens this weekend. Both over-priced, in my opinion! And if it doesn't stop raining, neither will be usable!

[dbny]

Originally posted by KathySkates
...or Iceland (in New Hyde Park). Let me know and we can meet up!

I used to take my daughter to public sessions at Iceland. Now that she is learning to drive (shudder) I'm thinking that freestyle sessions there could kill two birds with one stone, as she is not allowed to drive in NYC without a licensed instructor and dual controls. Do you have info on their freestyles?