I’m a California girl who’s made it through 11.5 New York winters (a remarkable feat, I know). Along the way I have honed several coping methods for getting through these cold, dark months. Top of my list: long underwear (my fave fit is Uniqlo men’s), wool socks (my faves are from Costco), hot chocolate (trolling this Instagram), and ice skating.

Ice skating! An outdoor activity you can really only do because it’s cold outside! This is a delightful winter antidote and I try to go every year.

Tips for Ice Skating in NYC

1. Avoid Central Park Rinks

Both Central Park skating rinks are owned by Trump. You may be surprised to learn this – the rinks no longer bear his name. That’s because it was scrubbed off the walls of the rinks this fall! He is so reviled here, he’s ruined Central Park skating. Fortunately, there are other picturesque options!

2. Rockefeller is iconic, but is always crowded and doesn’t have much of a view once the Christmas tree is gone.

Plus I had a terrible date there years ago – maybe the skating’s actually great and I’m just scarred from that.

3. Bryant Park has my favorite outdoor skating in Manhattan.

You get views of the Empire State Building and Public Library, plus it’s super accessible on 42nd Street. It’s also FREE to skate! Yes FREE! But there is a catch – skating is free, but skate rental is not. It would be wonderful if I had space in my apartment to store skates I only wear a couple times a year… But I don’t, and you probably don’t either, so expect skate rental to run about $25. It’s a bit cheaper on weekdays.

Hacks for Ice Skating in Bryant Park

BYOL – Bring Your Own Lock

No bags of any kind (yep, that includes small purses!) are allowed on the ice. Also, you obviously need a place to stash the shoes you swapped for skates! Bag check fees are steep, but lockers are available FREE of charge. The catch here again is you must provide your own. Don’t have a lock? Buy one from Duane Reade on your way the rink, it’ll save you!

Designate a photographer from the sidelines

This rink has a surprisingly strict policy of NO PHONES and NO CAMERAS on the ice. If you’re subtle, you can slip your phone out of your pocket to snap a quick Instagram story, but if you want a full photoshoot, it needs to come from off ice. I speak from experience – I got yelled at for having my phone out!

Go on a weekday, or on a snowy weekend, if possible

It was snowing this Saturday when I went skating – it seemed to deter crowds and was magical as far as I was concerned! Snowing while ice skating? It’s all my California childhood fantasies about winter coming true!

Laced up your skates as tightly as possible

Rented skates are never going to be that comfortable, but if you pull your laces as tight as possible, your laps around the rink will be significantly more pleasant.

I love people watching, always. But it’s especially fun when ice skating, because almost everyone fits into just a few sub-groups:

8 kinds of Skaters you will see when ice skating in Bryant Park

1. The Wall Clinger – The Wall Clinger never lets go of the rink’s surrounding wall. They moves very slowly and do not take any risks on the rink (and I’m guessing not in life either).

2. The Hot Shot – The Hot Shot possesses the impressive ability to brake without slamming into a wall. They weaves in and out of groups with dizzying speed, this will cause at least one fellow skater to fall at some point in the session. The Hot Shot may well have played hockey at some point in their past and is at the rink to relive glory days. Avoid these skaters as much as possible.

3. The Parent Teacher – The Parent Teacher dedicates their time on ice to the unenviable task of convincing a terrified child that this activity is actually fun. Hopefully they are capable of skating backwards while clutching tiny, mitten covered hands.

4. The Frighteningly Fearless Child – The FFC is undeterred by falling down constantly. They have no concept of personal space and are prone to grabbing on to anyone in their general area. Avoid these erratic skaters as they will not hesitate to pull you down with them.

5. The Romantic Date – The Romantic Date will attempt to hold hands at all costs, even if confronted with a Fearless Child on the loose. One skater in the couple is definitely expecting “mad props” for creative date selection.

6. The Awkward Date – The Awkward Date differs from the Romantic Date with far less hand holding. Here, one half of the couple shows off their skating skills, the other half wishes they were literally anywhere else but this cold, hard icescape.

7. The Birthday Party – The Birthday Party is known to travel in packs that that may cause blockades and stagnate movement on the ice. These skaters can likely be completely avoided on weekdays.

8. The I-Wish-I-Could-Do-That! Figure Skater – The Figure Skater owns the illusive coned off, middle area of the rink. You are not allowed near this area unless you are in the top 1% of skaters on the ice. These skaters possess a level of grace on the ice that is pretty much mind blowing. “How can they do tricks!? I can barely keep from falling on my ass!”

The rink at Bryant Park is open daily 8am-10pm now through March 1st. Go while the weather is rough! For more info on skating and other Bryant Park winter activities visit: https://bryantpark.org/amenities/the-rink

How do you get through the dirty worst of winter? Let me know so I can try your tips!