#TuesdayTidbits- Ice-Skating this Holiday Season

Prospect Park
A skating pass at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center at Lakeside rink will cost you $6 ($8 on weekends) and rental $6.  You’ll find two 16,000sq. ft. rinks (one covered and one open-air, both connected by an ice bridge).  After a skate you’ll have the beautiful park to explore.

South Street Seaport Rink
Here you’ll pay $10 to skate and $6 for skating rentals.  While you might get a little bit longer line than in Brooklyn it won’t be anything compared to midtown.  You’ll skate right alongside the historic Peking ship and get a great view of the Seaport’s very own tree.  Local residents (within the nearest zip codes) get 50% off.

New Yorkers tend to have mixed feelings about the Holiday Season in the city.  You have beautiful lights everywhere, the Holiday markets are up which makes shopping super easy and you can also grab a great hot drink and fresh baked goods.  Even the snow is beautiful for the first hour or so (or until you have to shovel it, or trudge through it to work).  But, it of course, also comes with hordes of tourists, ringing bells on every sidewalk, and pretty much renders Rockefeller Center and 5th Ave. a prohibited zone for anyone wanting to walk faster than a shuffle.

Ice-skating is a great seasonal sport that often has to be avoided due to Holiday overload.  Rockefeller Center ice-skating will cost you about $42 (also a seasonal pass, which includes a locker and the opportunity to skip the line will cost you $450), Bryant Park, while free if you bring your own skates, will give you a longer wait time than you’ll end up spending skating.  So what’s a New Yorker to do to get a little Holiday Magic?  We’ve put together some of our favorite ice-skating spots where you can avoid the crowds.