I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but I'm wondering how many of you skate in NYC? (I'm an NYU student, skating at home for the summer, and I'd like to continue skating during the school year.) I will probably end up taking lessons at chelsea piers... What's the skating program like there? Also... does anyone know any coaches? Ideally, I'd like to do some private lessons as well, if I can afford it (I'm assuming the rate is even higher in New York?)

Thanks in advance for your responses! :-)
Joyce

If you mean Manhattan, yes everything is more expensive. Look into the Columbia University Figure Skating Club - sunjoy (board member) skates with them regularly. They welcome any college student, regardless of their college. Central Park's Lasker and Wollman rinks are their home court, but I'm not sure if they rent ice or skate at public/freestyle sessions.

A lot of skaters come out of Chelsea Piers and they seem to have a good staff of coaches. TimDavid used to skate there occasionally, maybe he'll chime in with some info.

If you go to www.arenamaps.com, you can search for rinks.

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Extremely expensive If you will be skating regularly, you might as well buy the 50 minute - 10 pack for $180
I never liked skating there, but sometimes I dont have a choice during competition time

The lessons per 1/2 hr ranges from $39 to $60

Let me know if you are in the city already, sometimes my friends and I skate somewhere else where is cheaper...
We go to New Roc City for a 7:00 pm to 8:30 (Mondays or Wednesdays) for only $12... And at Nyack-Pallisades Mall (Saturdays) - 9:30 am to 11:30 for $16 ...

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Tim David's Website

Yup, Chelsea is expensive but if you don't have a car it is the only game in
town in the summer. It is lovely with the river view along both long sides, and the ice is very well kept.

Between October and March, there are more choices reachable by public transit. Check out www.skateny.com for a convenient list of area rinks.

-Liz

Thanks for your help... so where do you all take lessons then?
TimDavid - thanks for the offer - i'll be in the city in late august :-)

Cool, so hopefully I get to meet you in August

These past years I dont take lessons I just coach myself ...

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Tim David's Website

Summers at Chelsea Piers, in-season at Rockefeller Center. I take lessons in Manhattan but prefer to practice closer to home so I don't have to drag skates and sweaty self to work!

HelenC skates at Chelsea, Wollman and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. She should have some info for you also.

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Speaking of "sweaty self"... I remember Chelsea Piers has a shower in the ladies locker room. I am visiting this Christmas again and would love to be able to take a shower there and then go sightseeing afterwards w/o feeling grudgy. Do I just bring soap, shampoo, conditioner, towel and that's it and hope that the showers are empty? Is the showers dingy? (I also did remember that there weren't a lot of lockers available either. )

Hi, HelenC if you're reading this!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

thanks!

Also - do you guys buy skating apparel in manhattan? If so, where? and how about sharpening blades?

another place to check out is aviator sports in brooklyn they have a double rink and many hours for public and fs sessions. what level are you and do you do fs or dance? you can pm me for info on a coach in chelsea. many skaters get their sharpenings out in long island at skate for the gold.

hope to see you!

I skate at Chelsea Piers, Wollman Central Park, Prospect Park, and Aviator.

I love skating at Chelsea Piers, except that it is expensive. Great view, great ice, lots of adult skaters. There are many excellent coaches. (If you like, you could PM me with your level and goals and I could give you some info) It would be good to observe how the coaches interact with their students to see if you like their teaching style. Being a student, you would probably be able to skate during the emptier freestyle sessions.

I skate with my synchro team outdoors at Central Park. It is very beautiful. You can skate all day for $20. If you join the academy, it's about $925 for the season including ice time and 4 classes a week. The classes look great with just a few students. I always wished I could join in. The rink is huge, so you could always find a spot to fit in your jumps.

Rockefeller Center has a low cost season rate. The rink is tiny though.

For skate sharpenings, many NY skaters use Ken Benson, a coach at Chelsea and Wollman. Some take the bus from Port Authority to the Ice House in Hackensack to have Jim Skibin do their sharpenings. In a pinch, Joe, the owner of the skate shop at Chelsea has been OK.
(I go to Mennen NJ, and use the profiler in between.)

Let me know if you would like more info about anything. Hope to meet you this winter!

Skate For Gold, Tim Murray's shop in Hicksville, LI, has closed. Don't panic, you can still find Skate For Gold at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset. I was just out there Friday to pick up my new blades. The shop is smaller, but entirely devoted to figure skating, as Tim has a separate space there for hockey.

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Hi Jazzpants!

I think the showers at Chelsea are clean. You have to bring your own soap and stuff.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at Christmas!

And yet another rink in the NYC area, opening this fall:
http://www.interiordesign.net/article/CA6387707.html

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Oh that rink is paradise to me, I go every year to the freestyle the Monday morning after Thanksgiving (last year went the day before Thanksgiving).
It's just gorgeous there and I don't even mind skating over the weeping willow leaves

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Little Rain: Welcome to the city! I'm actually moving out of NYC around the same time you're moving in. I have a car, so I have always skated in the suburbs, mostly north of the city. If you want the inside scoop on those rinks, I'd be happy to share.

I know TimDavid mentioned New Roc, but I thought they were closing? No? I hope not, because my new home is just up the street from there!

Also, someone mentioned Jim Skibin at the Ice House, which is where I go fro my sharpenings. He is excellent, and will always try to squeeze you in in a pinch. I think he waited for about 45 minutes for me once, just so he could stone my skates before I left for AN.

As for buying apparel, I highly recommend online shopping- I think there's a sticky thread for good sites

Oooooh!!! (Geez, I wish we're opening rinks in my neck of the woods! Guess since we're "sunny California" that "winter sports" don't necessarily fit into the picture, huh. )

(How's the neighborhood though? Is it a safe area for little 'ol me to go there w/o the hubby come Christmas time? Or is it ghetto enough that I better show up in a bullet proof vest? )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

OMG SQUEEEEEEE! I did not know that!

So *that* is what that funky building is. DH and I have been staring at it whenever we drove past there. We were wondering what the heck it was going to be.

That is near my neck of the woods. The park is large, so bordering neighborhoods vary and I don't think it is going to be convenient by subway. I'm trying to spot it in the google satellite image, but I don't see it. The photo may be to old. That roof is distinctive. I'm guessing the nearest stop would be the same one for Shea Stadium.

PM me when you are coming to town and maybe I can arrange a lift and skating buddy. Same goes for any of you.

-Liz

I've heard everything to be double there.

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FSWer

Just take the 7 train (the purple train), the express from Grand Central, to Willets Point; it's 20-25 minutes for the express and 30 minutes for the local. The neighborhood is fine enough.

Word is that Chelsea Piers was supposed to be in charge, but they turned it down. I think the Flushing Meadows rink will focus primarily on general, and ot freestlye, sessions.

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

I sure hope not - I hope it'll be cheaper! Then I'll go! I don't mind the trip to shea stadium or even as far as flushing. Nova Sk8r, you said that they're probably going to focus more on general skating rather than freestyle? Will you keep us updated?

thanks to everyone for the nice welcome :-)