Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Citi Pond at Bryant Park
Frank J. Zamboni's brainchild smoothes the ice on this ingenious use of Bryant
Park's center. Surrounded by the boutique stalls of the Holiday Shops, the ice-skating rink has a European small-
town feel. Thanks to the bottomless pockets of Citi, skating is free, though folks whose skates are hanging by
their laces in their parents' garages will have to plunk down $14 per session for rentals. The rink is open from
late October through late February.
Bryant Park, btw. W. 40th and 42nd sts., along Sixth Ave.
866/221-5157.
www.citipondatbryantpark.com
.
Daily 8am-10pm; until midnight
Fri-Sat. Subway: B/D/F/M to 42nd St.; 7 to Fifth Ave.
Lasker Rink
This rink on the north side of Central Park is half the price of its fellow-park cousin (Trump Woll-
man). Adults can cut figure eights for just $6.75, with rental skates tossed in for $6. It also tends to be a lot less
crowded up here.
Central Park, enter at 110th St., btw. Lenox and Fifth aves.
212/439-6900.
www.laskerrink.com
.
Mon and Wed-Thurs 10am-3:45pm; Tues
10am-3:30pm and 8-10pm; Fri 10am-5:15pm and 7-11pm; Sat 1-11pm; Sun 12:30-4:30pm. Subway: 2/3 to 110th St./Central Park North.
Riverbank State Park
One of only two state-run parks in Manhattan, Riverbank is skating on thin ice thanks
to perennial budget mismanagement in Albany. Hopefully the rink will survive. An arching roof provides some
protection from the elements and crowds are blissfully moderate. Standard admission is $5 and it's $6 to rent
skates. In summer, the rink turns to unbladed skating, with admission just $1.50, and roller skate rentals going
for $6.
679 Riverside Dr., at 145th St.
212/694-3642.
www.nysparks.state.ny.us
. Ice skating Fri 6-9pm; Sat-Sun 1-4pm and 6-9pm. Subway: 1 to
145th St.
NYC's All Skate
The Dead Road (aka Skaters' Road) in Central Park is one of my favorite spots in the city for a workout (well, an eyeball
workout to be accurate). Watching dozens of expert roller skaters and bladers dancing and spinning to a jamming disco
beat is a hypnotic sight. Some of the regulars have been rolling together for more than 2 decades and the skill level is very
high, but if you're halfway competent you shouldn't feel intimidated. The scene is friendly and inclusive, so strap on some
wheels and jump in. Even for nonskaters, this event is a highlight of the park. The DJs are great, especially now that the
city has relented on its antibeat campaign. (In 1995, music was temporarily banned from the park so skaters wore Walk-
men all tuned to the same radio channel, creating a surreal silent choreography.) The outdoor roller disco is in session
from 2:45 to 6:45pm most Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays between mid-April and October. For specifics about
dates and DJs, check the
CentralParkDanceSkater'sAssociation
's website (
www.cpdsa.org
). The Skate Circle on
Skaters' Road is in the middle of the park, between 69th and 70th streets, just a little southwest of the Bethesda Fountain.
If skating in a boogielicious roller inferno is a little daunting, find safety in numbers with
Wednesday Night Skate
(
www.weskateny.org
)
. New York's biggest skating event wheels away from Union Square Park every Wednesday night.
The routes vary from week to week, but generally you'll get to see a few miles' worth of NYC, say up Park Avenue, into
Central Park, and back on over to Times Square. The event usually lasts 2 hours. The flock meets at the south end of
Union Square Park at 7:45pm, from April through October. Helmets and wrist guards are required.
Pooling Resources
It costs $150 a year to use the city's indoor pools (see “Gym Neighbors,” above), but if you're a frequent crawler,
the price turns out to be pretty reasonable. In summer, you'll find 54 outdoor pools across the city (with no ad-
mission fee). The indoor pools stay open year-round (unless they're superseded by an on-site outdoor pool), but
the outdoor ones are summer-only. Late June to Labor Day is the usual season, and you will find many, many
kids taking advantage. General hours of operation are 11am to 3pm and 4 to 7pm; call individual pools for more
information. Some pools set aside early morning and evening hours for lap swimming. In addition to city pools
(
www.nycgovparks.org
)
, the state runs an Olympic-size natatorium in Manhattan. Local favorites include:
