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The New York City Inline Skating Guide
Where to Skate: Rinks
Yes, that is a lot of cross-outs in the rink list above. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors several well-known rinks closed during the 2005-07 period.
Inline skaters should note that roller rinks which have wooden and other non-concrete surfaces often have a restriction on skates which might damage the floor. Usually this is in regards to exposed bolts in the frames. If you have an older style of inline skates, you may want to contact the rink in advance to find out whether your skates are rink-legal.
Chelsea Piers Roller Rinks
Pier 62, 22nd St. at West Side Hwy.
Rink no longer exists. After about ten years of use, the rink and skatepark
on Pier 62 were ripped out in 2006. After several years of
work, the pier has re-opened as part of the Hudson River Park facilties,
but while it includes a new skatepark, there is no rink.
Riverbank State Park
679 Riverside Drive at 145th St.;
212-694-3642, 212-694-3600
nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/93/details.aspx
There is a rink in this public park, just northeast of the football/soccer field. It doubles as an ice and roller rink, with open rollerskating during the summer. They have also hosted rollerhockey sessions, but they may vary year to year. The rink can be crowded with many folks from Harlem, Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights, the neighborhoods across Riverside Dr. The atmosphere is very much that of a local rink, with the usual collection of skate rats zipping around randomly at knee level, early forays into courtship rituals by teens, etc. Although the rink is partially open to the elements (there is a roof and a clear, plastic fence about six feet high), sound doesn't seem to disperse much and it can get pretty noisy.
Admission in 2009 was just $1.50 per session, and skate rental was $6.00. Check the park website for a one-page PDF with info about hours, special sessions, party rates, etc.
The Roxy
The famed dance/roller club on West 18th St. closed in spring 2007.
It re-opened within a couple months under the name "Club 515", but that apparently lasted only a month or so before it closed again.
![[photo]](/nyc/pix/wollman_01a.jpg)
Wollman Memorial Rink
Central Park Loop (east side) at approx. 63rd St.
Famous for the ice skating here during the winter, this park used to be converted to roller use from April through October.
As of 2009, it had been been at least five years since Wollman offered any sort of summer skating program at all.
Instead they have turned the rink into a mini-amusement park during the warm weather months.
Empire Roller Skating Center
The property was sold and the rink closed permanently in April 2007.
RollerJam USA
236 Richmond Valley Road, Tottenville;
718-605-6600;
www.rollerjamusa.com
Rink newly opened in July 2007.
And unless we've lost track of things, this is the only indoor, year-round roller rink in the city.
Reported to be a bit small and has a non-wood floor, but has plenty of leather couches for relaxing on when off your skates.
It already seems to have become fairly popular and is drawing good crowds.
Skate Key Skate and Dance Family Center
The Key was a rink in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
It closed permanently in March 2006.
Hot Skates
14 Merrick Road, Lynbrook;
www.hotskates.com/
Located at the corner of Merrick Rd. and Rocklyn Ave., close to Ocean Ave.
It's about halfway between the Lynbrook and Rockville Center stations on the Long Island Rail Road, about three quarters of a mile from each, but it's probably more easily reached from the Lynbrook station if you're thinking of walking or skating.
Alternatively, the MTA's N4 bus travels along Merrick Rd. and stops alongside the rink; you can catch the bus where it and the subway E train both terminate at Jamaica Center.
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