The Pond at Bryant Park
First, let’s give credit where credit is due: this was a great idea. Four years ago some genius decided to put an ice skating rink right smack in the heart of midtown… and make it three times the size of Rockefeller Center… and make it beautiful and festive and surrounded by places to enjoy snacks and drinks… and keep it open from 8:00 a.m. until midnight… and–here’s the clincher–make it FREE. Of course, you have to pay–and pay quite a bit ($12!)–for rental skates. And if you don’t bring your own lock, you’ll pay some more ($9 for either lock or bag check). But the skating is free, the setting, for those of us who love New York City, can be totally magical, and even though they’ve shrunk the size of rink over the years in favor of adding more of those gift kiosks (which, we admit, we like browsing through), skating the Pond at Bryant Park remains a part of our New York City holiday tradition. Open now through January 24. For complete information, click through to the The Pond at Bryant Park website here.
Lasker Rink
Lasker Rink, close by the Harlem Meer and the North Woods, in one of the prettiest, most under-utilized areas of Central Park, is not a fancy place. The clubhouse always seems a little rundown. The snacks are decidedly low-end. And though "Lasker Rink" actually refers to two rinks, sitting by side by side, they’re both pretty small, and one’s usually reserved for hockey leagues. All that said, because of its low cost, its away-from-it-all setting (note, however, that the numbers 2 or 3 train, or the M4 bus, stops right across the street), and its friendly staff and unpretentious, locals-only crowd, Lasker Rink was always a favorite spot for a winter afternoon of fun when our children were young, and remains a solid skating choice, year after year after year. For more info, click here.
Wollman Rink Central Park
Think of Wollman Rink, Central Park, as Lasker’s wealthier cousin. Large (in fact, it’s the biggest in town), well-maintained, pricey ($14.75 on weekends, not including skate and locker rentals), gorgeous to look at, filled with both locals and tourists, Wollman Rink fits its glitzy location–just north of Central Park South, just west of Fifth Avenue–like a (cashmere-lined) glove. Everything you need to know is on their website, here.
Rockefeller Center
As long as you accept that you’re not going for the skating, that you’re going for the festive, old-time New York City holiday atmosphere, a spin (or 50) around the Rink at Rockefeller Center, holding hands with a date, or a child, can make for one of the most romantic experiences in town. It’ll cost you ($19 just to skate), and you may have wait an hour or more with the tourists, but in the end, especially once the world-famous tree has been lit, few things can compare to this only-in-New-York holiday-season night. Complete information, hours, and rates can be found here.
Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Designed more for hockey leagues–youth and adult–as well as a top-notch figure skating school, the indoor Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers does open its meticulously maintained ice for "General Skating" for a few hours every day except Wednesday. It’s not cheap–the ten-pass is $110–and the atmosphere is more work-out than hang-out, but for serious skaters, it’s a great place to let it rip. Note: they do throw a very nice birthday party at Sky Rink, for kids and adults. All the info–including league information–is here.
Brooklyn Bonus: Wollman Rink in Prospect Park
Finally, although it’s a bit of a haul from Manhattan (though only a short walk from the Prospect Park Q, B, and S subway station), Brooklyn’s own Wollman Rink in Prospect Park is ideal for a family skating outing: it’s relatively cheap ($11.50 for adults, including skate rental), spacious, and definitely encourages a laid-back atmosphere. We skated for over an hour one morning during Christmas break, and had the ice–and the surrounding woods–almost to ourselves. All information and directions can be found here.
