Where To Ice Skate In NYC

This city has a lot of ice upon which to skate—there's the private ice, like the personal ice skating rink on the terrace off the penthouse of The Mark hotel that I just received a press release for. I don't want to talk about it. ($250,000!) And then the public ice, where anyone can skate for a much smaller fee than that penthouse. Now, while I do not like to ice skate these days due to a fear that I will break something in my over-40 body, I do enjoy a rink atmosphere, in the same way that I enjoyed a ski lodge once I retired from skiing (age 18). Below are some of the rinks that exist in New York City.

IC Ice Rink

Here we've got the new rink in town, skating in like a fresh-faced Nancy Kerrigan to the 1987 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. You'll find this outdoor, uncovered rink at Industry City; just follow the sound of the promised holiday acapella performance. The rink will also be "surrounded by a plethora of over-the-top holiday décor including bright lights, iconic figures (Santa, Grinch, Snowman, Buddy the Elf), ski-lodge themed outdoor tent to hang in, and of course—an outdoor bar designed to look like a gingerbread house." I'm not going to say this is the best one, we have some more to get through, but that gingerbread house bar is certainly giving it the edge. Again, I'm in it for the rink extras, not the skating itself. You make your own priorities when choosing an ice skating spot.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under, with skate rentals costing $9. Purchase those tickets in courtyard 5/6 (map). Located at 220 36th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. More details here.

TWA Hotel Ice Rink

Another new rink this year, skating in from 1962 with a Martini in one hand and nothing in the other (safety first when skating), it's the TWA Hotel's latest feature: an ice skating rink (opening November 30th). This gal joins the many other sexy amenities at JFK Airport's mid-century attraction (the infinity pool, the retro sunken lounge, etc). The custom 56-by-44-foot Runway Rink—which is made from 3,500 gallons of "good old frozen NYC tap water!"—will be located on the tarmac around the hotel's 1958 Lockheed Constellation Connie airplane-turned-cocktail lounge.

Admission is $15 for adults, and $10 for kids under 12. Ice skates can be rented for $10 (kids under 12 rent for $8). Located outside the iconic Eero Saarinen TWA Flight Center at JFK, what a world. More details here.

The One That's Always Named After A Bank In Bryant Park

As we, myself included, recently learned: I love Midtown. One of my favorite "meals" was at Bryant's Park's winter village a year ago: a pretzel the size of my head, with an Old Fashioned to wash it down. I enjoyed this pairing next to a heat lamp, while taking in the manufactured holiday cheer masking our universal holiday depression. Markets, ice skating, other places with food and drinks, garland, antler chandeliers, frozen fountain... all the sights and sounds were accounted for. But mostly it's about eating al fresco in the dead of winter! A crazy beautiful idea. If you like to skate, it's a great place too, because of the presence of a giant rink right in the center of it all.

Skating is free, if you can believe it, those rentals will cost you though ($18+). Located in Bryant Park, you know where that is. More details here.

Winterland Rink

The Rooftop at Pier 17 has got its own rink, too, and the view ain't bad. This is, they claim, "the only open-air rooftop ice rink in the heart of Downtown Manhattan." They're open seven days a week, and offer weekly programming (themed playlist skates) and special pricing for the neighborhood community. Critically, for me, there are also lodge-type aspects offered here at their rooftop concession stands.

Skating fees are $14 to a whopping $35. Located at 89 South Street. More details here.

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers

Here we have our first indoor rink, a wonderful choice for those wanting to tap into the spirit of Chazz Michael Michaels, whose untamed skating style needs to be contained by a roof and four walls, lest that kind of energy take over the atmosphere. This one is open year round, which makes me think it is a more sporty, professional place, not the kind of place that might have a gingerbread house bar.

It'll cost you $13 to get in, $7 for the rentals. Located at 61 Chelsea Piers. More details here.

Trump Wollman Rink

Of course Central Park would be the ideal place to go ice skating, but I would rethink this too-good-to-be-true rink location. As it stands, Wollman Rink is the most tragic in the city, maybe in the world. It is (49-year-old spoiler) the last place where we see Jenny in Love Story before she dies. Sad! Did you like my segue into the next fact about this rink? It is owned by the Trump Organization, a fact they are trying to make less clear to potential customers by erasing the name "Trump" from all signage. Probably too touristy anyway, but if you insist on skating at the rink where so many classics were set, you'll find details below.

Entrance fee starts at $6, cash only. Located at 830 5th Ave in Central Park.

Trump Lasker Rink

Yes, there are actually two Central Park rinks, and Lasker is the other, up on 106th Street. And yes, it's also owned by the Trump Organization.

Entrance fee starts at $5, cash only. Located at 110 Lenox Ave. More details here.

The Rink at Brookfield Plaza

Honestly, ever since I saw this ad for Brookfield Place in the subway I decided it is not a place for me. But maybe it is for you? It has both palm trees and ice skating, which is pretty cool. And if you ever wanted to know what it's like to ice skate at a mall, this is the place to be.

Skating costs $15, skates cost $5. Located at 230 Vesey Street. More details here.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park

Prospect Park also has two outdoor rinks, both at the Lefrak Center at Lakeside. And in addition to regular skating, they also offer Curling (!), Broomball, Youth and Adult Hockey, and Figure Skating. There's a skate school there and remember, you're never too old to learn. Except for me, who will, instead, be grabbing a drink over at the Center's Bluestone Cafe.

Entry fee is $7-11, rentals are $8. LeFrak Center at Lakeside is located at 171 East Drive in Brooklyn. More details here.

World Ice Arena

Our second indoor rink is in Queens — the World Ice Arena is in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, yet another iconic venue for a city rink. And this one is best if you would like to cosplay being a hockey player, as it looks like the kind of rink that's seen some pucks in its day. Though by all means, hit your triple salchows there, too.

Entry fee is $10. Located at 13135 Avery Avenue in Queens. More details here.

The Rink at Rockfeller Center

You think you got what it takes to skate on this iconic ice, kid? Undoubtedly the most famous rink in the universe (as a person who is not immersed in the skating world, I realize this may not be true, but it sounds true), the Rink at Rockefeller Center has got it all: the famous dead tree, probably some overpriced hot chocolates nearby, many many people, and a high fee. My advice is to watch the Zamboni come clear the ice and call it a night—so #satisfying, you could put it on your TikToks.

General Admission (yes, VIP tickets are available) entry fee is $25 to $35. Located in the center of it all: Midtown! More details here.

Aviator Sports Center

Is regular ice skating not enough for you? Do you propose more cars on the ice, say, chaotically spinning around and crashing into each other? Well then, look no further than the Aviator Sports Center, which not only features two NHL-sized skating rinks, and public ice skating year round, but also ICE BUMPER CARS. Let the games begin.

Entry fee for non-members: $12 for adults, $10 for children 11 and under; skate rentals: $6. (Ice bumper cars: $13 for 15-minute session.) Located at Floyd Bennett Field, 3159 Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn. More details here.

City Ice Pavilion

Here we have another indoor rink, bringing Big Hockey Energy to the table with an arena-like atmosphere. As such, this Long Island City skating facility isn't always open for your skating whims. They do offer public sessions, however, usually on Wednesdays and Sundays, just check their schedule before grabbing your blades.

Entrance fee: $7 on Wednesday, $10 on Sundays/holidays; skate rental: $6. Located at 47-32 32nd Place, LIC, Queens. More details here.

Staten Island Skating Pavilion

Was a time when you could skate across the city's rivers to get to Staten Island, maybe hit up an ice tavern on the way (really!) but these days you'll have to take the ferry. Where do you go then? There are public skating sessions on the weekends at the SI Skating Pavilion, which also has hockey and ice skating lessons. (SI is also home to the WWII Veterans War Memorial Ice Skating Rink, but be warned of the bad reviews.)

Entrance fee: $13 for adults, $11 for children; skate rental: $7 (Bobby the seal and walkers available for $12-15). Located at 3080 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island. More details here.

Abe Stark Rink

Skating at the beach? Hell yeah, skating at the beach. Out in Coney Island, just a stone's throw away from the Wonder Wheel, you'll find this rink on the boardwalk. The sports arena was built on the site of the Ravenhall Baths, where there was once a huge saltwater pool before a fire destroyed the whole thing in 1963. At that time, then-Brooklyn Borough President Abe Stark built this facility there (though he originally wanted it blocks away). The rink is indoors, so you won't be able to see the beach while perfecting your routine, but I highly recommend you take it in on your way out, because winter beach is the best beach.

Entry fee: $9-10; skate rental: $5. Located at Boardwalk and West 19th Street in Brooklyn. More details here.

Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park

This 28-acre, landscaped recreational facility in upper Manhattan, just off the Hudson River, has plenty to offer. And yes, seasonal ice skating is one of those things. Now let's say you just want to watch other people skate, who are like, really good at it? They got you covered there, too. On December 14th, the Ice Theatre of New York will bring its annual free Winter Holiday Skating Celebration to the rink, featuring "world-class professional skaters [and] young performing apprentices both in solo and group performances." The whole thing will end with the Christmas Tree lighting, as, honestly, every skating experience should.

Entrance fee: $5 for adults, $3 for children under 12; skate rental: $6. Located at 679 Riverside Drive, Manhattan. More details here.