Grab some skates and go swirling and twirling all over New York, like the Rockefeller Center ice rink.
Credit: Patina Restaurant Group
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for a seasonal skate. Here are our favorite places to go.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center
At the Rockefeller ice rink, you can do more than skate. Start the day with breakfast with Santa at Sea Grill or Rock Center Cafe; end the trip with a private proposal to your beloved (accompanied by your chosen music and Champagne), go VIP through the rink’s beautiful igloo entrance or take a skating lesson. You can also “just” enjoy a normal ice skating excursion with a view of the iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree. Don’t be afraid of the crowds — they only allow 150 people into the rink at a time.
Where: 601 Fifth Ave.
Hours: The Rink is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to midnight; see website for changes.Each session lasts 90 minutes.
Price:
Normal admission: $27 for adults, $15 for children under 11 and seniors; $12 for skate rental
VIP: $50-$105 depending on month, includes a no-line entrance to rink, skate rentals and other treats
Engagement package: $350-$1,000 depending on service choices
Breakfast with Santa at Sea Grill: $105 adults, $75 children. At the Rock Center Café, $90 adults, $65 children (includes entrance to rink).
Skate rentals are available for $10 per person.
Private lesson (30 minutes): $35
Phone:212-332-7654
The Standard
In between old meatpacking warehouses and fashionable stores, you can find a small oasis: The Standard Hotel’s ice rink. Enjoy a spin on the ice, find warmth with holiday drinks and gain back the calories by grabbing a waffle or pancake — or both. It is, after all, Christmas.
Where: 848 Washington St.
Hours: The rink is open weekdays noon to midnight, and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Price:$12 for adults, $6 for children, $3 skate rentals. Locker rentals are available.
Phone: 212-645-4646
Central Park’s Wollman Skating Rink
Escape the city without leaving the city with a skating day in Central Park. If it turns out to be more than a one-time performance, you can consider taking one of their classes in figure, fitness or hockey skating.
Where: 59th Street and Sixth Avenue
Hours: Changes from day to day. Check www.wollmanskatingrink.com
Price: Monday-Thursday: $11.25 for adults, $6 for kids 11 and under, $5 for seniors
Friday-Sunday and holiday weeks: $18 for adults, $6 for kids, $9 for seniors
Skate rental: $8
Phone:212-439-6900
Bryant Park Winter Village
In the holiday season, Bryant Park transforms into a whole little winter village with more than 125 boutiques, plenty of food and of course, an ice rink! For zero dollars you get a 170-by-100-foot sheet of ice to let loose on.
Where: West 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 8 a.m.-12 a.m.
Price: Admission is free; $15 skate rental
Phone:212-768-4242
Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Yeah, it’s open all year around, but there is something special about hitting the ice during Christmastime. With a view of the Hudson and the comfort of a roof, the Sky Rink is the perfect place for a rainy (or snowy!) day.
Where: 23rd Street & Hudson River Park
Hours: Changes from day to day. Check www.chelseapiers.com/sr/general-skating
Price: General admission $10; $5 skate rental
Phone: 212-336-6100
South Street Seaport ice rink
The skating rink is part of South Street Seaport’s Winter SEE/CHANGE programming of Unseasonably Cool events.
Where: 89 South St.
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Price: $10, children 5 and under get in free; $6 skate rental
Phone: 212-732-7678
McCarren Rink
The beach gets winterized: More than 7,000 square feet of natural ice skating surface has been installed on top of the “beach” plaza located at the center of the McCarren pool area to create North Brooklyn’s first ice rink.
Where: 776 Lorimer St., Brooklyn
Hours: Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price:$8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, $4 for children, $5 skate rental
Phone: 347-482-7798
