Skating in NYC, touristy and practice

[Sunshine247]

So, we plan on being tourists in NYC between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any NYC natives or previous visitors have advice? So far online reviews are for non skaters and I was wondering what advice I’d find here. Because of course she wants to have the best experience possible on ice and also still might want to do some training.

I’m probably going to hear it’s the worst time to go, lol. But she wants to see the NYC ballet nutcracker, Christmas window displays, and skate under the giant tree. I’m open to all feedback. Thanks in advance!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

So, we plan on being tourists in NYC between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any NYC natives or previous visitors have advice? So far online reviews are for non skaters and I was wondering what advice I’d find here. Because of course she wants to have the best experience possible on ice and also still might want to do some training.

I’m probably going to hear it’s the worst time to go, lol. But she wants to see the NYC ballet nutcracker, Christmas window displays, and skate under the giant tree. I’m open to all feedback. Thanks in advance!

Besides Rockefeller Center, skate at Bryant Park, they do shows too around that time of year.

Chelsea Piers is your best bet for indoor rink to train.

have fun!

 

[apgold]

Check out this article https://loving-newyork.com/ice-rinks-new-york-city/

Agreed on Chelsea Piers to be the place to train in Manhattan.

There is also skating in Brooklyn, at the Lakeside rinks at Prospect Park.

 

[celia]

For NYC ambience, go to Wollman in Central Park. Crowded and maybe around $20 (?) for public skate, but there are Freestyles from 6am-10am every weekday, and they are not that crowded, especially around 8am-ish. I don't quite recall, but I think single-session freestyle passes are around $30, maybe $35 for the whole 4 hours. So more than public skate, but definitely a better experience, and tourists usually don't know about it, so it's just the locals. Chelsea Piers/Sky Rink has beautiful windows overlooking the Hudson River, but because it is indoors, much less scenic than Wollman for the visitor. Chelsea Piers is $30 for a 50-minute freestyle session.

 

[2sk8]

Skating at Wollman Rink is a really special experience! Go for it! If you are staying in Manhattan, Chelsea Piers Sky Rink is the most convenient for training but it is expensive. World Ice Arena in Queens is also a decent option.

 

[Sunshine247]

Thanks everyone! Skating at a Wolman freestyle session sounds really cool. I want her to have fun and have new experiences, she wants to skate….so that will be both. Of course we need pictures at the rink at Rockefeller too. I’ll probably tie on some skates even. lol

Plane tickets are purchased and we will be staying in Manhattan just south of Central Park so maybe we’ll hit a few rinks while seeing the sights too. Things are shaping up! Thanks again.

 

[Kitt]

Rink at Rockefeller is pretty small. Two good pushes and you're across! Good for photos though.

 

[Minz]

As someone who’s lived in NYC my entire life, be note the insane chaos and traffic that you will almost certainly encounter at that time of year.

Also a warning about Wollman - I used to skate there as a child, and they would frequently cancel LTS sessions if the forecast was rain or snow - often times it wouldn’t actually end up raining at all. Now I haven’t skated there in a while, but just be warned.

On another note, I agree with training at Chelsea Piers if possible - I used to skate there and it was very nice. Additionally, Rockefeller is nice (but mostly for pictures as people have said), and again it’s outdoors. There is also lots of stuff nearby the rink like Top of the Rock (extremely pricey), Radio City Music Hall, a huge LEGO store, a big Nintendo store, FAO Schwartz, the NBC store, a ton of other stores, plus a bunch of extra restaurants. It can be expensive, but it’s fun.

If you have any other questions about NYC whatsoever feel free to ask and I’d be happy to answer!

 

[celia]

As someone who’s lived in NYC my entire life, be note the insane chaos and traffic that you will almost certainly encounter at that time of year.

Also a warning about Wollman - I used to skate there as a child, and they would frequently cancel LTS sessions if the forecast was rain or snow - often times it wouldn’t actually end up raining at all. Now I haven’t skated there in a while, but just be warned.

On another note, I agree with training at Chelsea Piers if possible - I used to skate there and it was very nice. Additionally, Rockefeller is nice (but mostly for pictures as people have said), and again it’s outdoors. There is also lots of stuff nearby the rink like Top of the Rock (extremely pricey), Radio City Music Hall, a huge LEGO store, a big Nintendo store, FAO Schwartz, the NBC store, a ton of other stores, plus a bunch of extra restaurants. It can be expensive, but it’s fun.

If you have any other questions about NYC whatsoever feel free to ask and I’d be happy to answer!

Note that for decades Wollman was run by the Trump organization. Since 2021 it is now under new management! But yes, if it rains, you cannot skate. I think they have a Twitter feed to keep you up to date on weather closures.

 

[Minz]

Note that for decades Wollman was run by the Trump organization. Since 2021 it is now under new management! But yes, if it rains, you cannot skate. I think they have a Twitter feed to keep you up to date on weather closures.

Fair. I'm just trying to help the OP avoid any potential conflict/dissapointment. It obviously wouldn't be great if they were showing up to the rink, and 10 minutes before the session Twitter says "Oh, BTW the rink is closed".

 

[Sunshine247]

I can see it will definitely be a “NYC” experience. lol. Luckily my daughter and I have travelled quite a bit and learned to be flexible. But it‘s all part of the experience. as we get closer I’m probably going to take some of you up on the offers for advice!

 

[cheapskate]

Bryant freestyle at 6am is pretty vacant from what I've heard! And cheap, only $15 as of last year. And just another vote for Chelsea Piers, it's a nice rink, pretty area, all around a good experience. Have fun!

 

[Mariposa22]

Hi. I live and skate in NYC. If you're willing to come to Queens, there's City Ice Pavilion and World Ice Arena (my home rink). Both are off the 7 train and have freestyle sessions. I'm still working on my basic skills, so I go to World Ice during their public skate sessions. If I go at 10:30am, there are usually only 2-3 other people there, and there have been a couple of sessions I have the ice all to myself.

This is the first year I've been skating, so I'm excited to check out the outdoor rinks, Bryant Park and Wollman Rink, which open this week!