Skating at Bryant Park

The rink itself is in a pretty location with many good restaurants and cafes nearby. Admission is free if you bring your own skates; however, you will be charged if you bring a bag. You can bypass the bag check if you bring a lock to use the free lockers, but be warned that the lockers are tiny. Skate rentals vary hugely in quality and are very limited for certain shoe sizes. You are also prohibited from wearing a jacket tied around your waist - you must put it on or pay to check it as well. I have skated on public sessions at over six other rinks; never have I heard of such a rule, but I suppose they want more money. Additionally, the rink's flow of traffic moves in the wrong direction (clockwise as opposed to counterclockwise). Not a huge deal, but it feels quite odd if you skate frequently. There were also fumes from a leaf blower right next to the rink. Overall, you go for the quintessential NYC holiday experience, not for the quality of ice or skating.

Beautiful but extremely packed... if you're looking for a chill romantic date this isn't the place. I visit Bryant Park's Winter Village at least 5 times every year to skate, its great but it is so hard to get around due to the amount of people this place attracts, I recommend coming early in the day because it comes impossible to enjoy in the afternoon.

If you're visiting NYC for Christmas, ice skating at Bryant Park should be high on your list. The view is breathtaking and the location is awesome. We've been here 3 times so far in December for ice skating. It's pretty fun. Definitely gets very overcrowded every time. The ice skates they have hurt my feet. Usually only get about 25-30 min of time on the ice.

I came during Thanksgiving weekend and they also have winter village nearby for all the holidays shopping. The ice skating rink is very picturesque with great skyscraper in the backgrounds. They clean and smooth out the rink surface very often. They also have an igloo tent nearby where they serve hot chocolate inside.

Staff at the counter was kinda rude. The rink is nice though.

IF YOU HAVE SMALLER FEET- bring your own skates. The ones they provided me were not worth the $23 rental, I’m a six in women’s. Their prices vary during the week and time you come, so the earlier the better. I was a bit annoyed because the staff by the booth where you scan the QR code weren’t exactly helpful. I didn’t understand why two people where there if the tickets couldn’t only be bought online. And then on top of that the park WiFi was terribly slow. I went with my partner who can already ice skate, and they have been teaching me at other locations. The staff who gave us our skates didn’t come across as welcoming (the place was NOT crowded. If it was I would have understood), and I even heard the lady who attended us saying she was being sent home early to other guests. The skates that I was given were so disappointing that I was ready to ask for a refund, my partner convinced me not to and helped me put my skates on because the laces were not in their correct place. Bag fee is $15 and up, and if you leave your bag unattended the staff WILL take it and hold on to it until you pay the fee. A bunch of security around the rink for no reason, cameras at the rink as well as staff…..which kinda made we wonder why hire staff and have technology do the same job. This is a ice skating rink, not an airport. Overall the rink was decently seized, our time frame was only for an hour. There are lockers if you wanna bring a lock. There are also unisex bathrooms that were clean. I dunno if I’ll come back here though. This was my first time here and I could only think of how much better other locations are.

One of the best ice skating rinks in the city — best to bring your own ice skates, if you can! Of all the outdoor rinks in the city, this rink is probably the largest and best-maintained. Given that admission is free if you bring your own skates (but make sure to reserve early!), the price is unbeatable. Although the ice quality certainly depends on the weather/temperature, the rink staff generally do try their best to keep the ice in decent shape. The only major warning is that this place gets VERY busy on weekends (especially evenings). Also, the rink staff often do not do the best job ensuring that everyone is skating safely, so make sure to be on the extra lookout for kids/beginners skating the wrong way. I have also seen many near-collisions due to more experienced skaters weaving through the crowds at dangerous speeds. This is the only reason I'm not comfortable rating this location 5 stars — I've seen many other rinks do a much better job fostering a safer skating atmosphere.

I have never had a chance to skate before. This is a place Where I tried it first and I am so excited with that. I am so thankful that we have that opportunity in the middle of the city and special thanks goes to Bryant park and Bank of America. Indeed, if you have your own skate, you can skate for free but make sure that you do reservation on their website in advance. Everything is organized and staff are very welcoming and helpful.