{"id":216,"date":"2008-11-04T12:24:41","date_gmt":"2008-11-04T18:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/big-apple-on-ice-best-skating-rinks-in-new-york-city\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T14:45:43","modified_gmt":"2016-12-17T20:45:43","slug":"big-apple-on-ice-best-skating-rinks-in-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/big-apple-on-ice-best-skating-rinks-in-new-york-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Apple on ice: Best skating rinks in New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"New<\/a>
\nBy Samantha Chapnick<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong>New York City<\/a><\/strong> is an excellent place to ice skate in November, December and April when temperatures typically range from 45 to 65 degrees but the rinks are already open.<\/p>\n

Here’s our rundown of places to skate (one for free) on a <\/strong>New York vacation<\/a><\/strong>. All are either open now or will be open by mid-November, and they’re easy to get to from most <\/strong>New York hotels<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The hottest news in ice is the no-refrigeration-needed rink rumored to be coming to the American Museum of Natural History<\/strong><\/a>. No one quite knows, and the staff isn’t talkin’. So keep checking the blog until we are the first to post the lowdown, with photos, of course.<\/p>\n

Wollman Rink<\/strong>, the perennial as-seen-in-movies Central Park<\/strong> rink. There are always long long lines here on weekends, but you can usually skate right in during school days, especially earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

Lasker Rink<\/strong>. Bookending Wollman Rink, this one is at the very north end of the park at 110th Street. Quiet, tranquil, peaceful — how many other synonyms can we think of to describe the relative calm and ease of skating here? There is rarely a line, the ice is smoother (due to fewer skaters), and the attitude is just generally taken down a notch. My favorite Manhattan rink.<\/p>\n

Chelsea Piers<\/strong>. The city’s only year-round skating rink is a delight. Large, indoors, few lines, courteous staff.<\/p>\n

The Pond at Bryant Park<\/strong>. Ah, if only one could actually get into this rink. As Manhattan’s only free skating rink, and centrally located at that, it tends to be a mob scene with waits up to 2 hours on gorgeous weekend days. Go when school is in session or earlier in the day and you have a chance of a few hours of free skating.<\/p>\n

Rockefeller Center<\/strong>. Need I say more?<\/p>\n

Riverbank State Park Ice Rink<\/strong>. Quite possibly the most out of the way ice rink rewards with nice views of the Hudson a few steps away and very very few crowds.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n