Need reassurance or therapy or meds ;)

[Feebee]

I posted on here a while ago about possibly moving to NY from Toronto, but then I kind of let the idea sit for a while.

I just interviewed for a job here, and it went pretty well, so of course it's time to freak out over skating.

I just started working with a new coach in Toronto who is phenomenal, but at this point it would be the only thing keeping my in Canada - for so many other personal reasons, it just makes sense to move to NY.

I've also been working as an independent contractor for the past 3 years, and now I'd probably be going back to full time, in an office. So it scares me on two levels with regards to skating...Am I going to have a really hard time fitting skating in around a full time schedule? And I'm sure there are great coaches in NY, but how do I go about finding one? Are the rinks like Chelsea piers open all summer?

I guess I just want y'all to tell me how it works for you working full time and skating, especially if you're from the NY area...Thanks!

[rd350]

Hi, yes SkyRink at Chelsea Piers open year round, as are some other rinks in Queens, NJ....  plenty of coaches to choose from.  Freestyles, etc less publics due to lots of camps in summer.  Tons of great skating here and there are very early freestyles you could do before work.

I don't have a 9-5 so can't tell you how that would work.  I have flexibility in my work, which is nice because I can skate at times that are not usually as busy.

[celia]

Hi!  I live and work full time in Manhattan and I skate at both sky rink at Chelsea piers and wollman rink in Central Park.  If you will live/work in another borough such as brooklyn or queens or New Jersey or Long Island or westchester you will have additional (and likely cheaper) rink options.

The most frequent availability for freestyles is before work.  Sky rink charges by the 50 minute session (there are some 80 minute sessions but not so much in the morning (and even then not below the pre-juvenile level).  About $22 with a 10 pass.  Sessions start at 6am, 7am, 8am, etc..  Wollman is more flexible and cheaper per minute in that a single session of freestyle starts at 6am and ends at 10am (so it's more flexible with your own personal schedule) and is about $25 I think.  Wollman also has more ice surface with less people but the ice is a little hard (outdoor ice). And you're obviously subject to the elements.  I did some practices this year in 12 degree weather and brrr!  But in good weather it's glorious under the skyline at dawn.

So I try to skate twice a week before work including a lesson.  The non lesson slot doesn't always happen for me. Weekends wollman doesn't really have freestyle.  Sky rink does a monthly subscription for Saturdays but it's packed to capacity.  Sundays if you join the skating club of New York there is a morning session (one for low freestyle and one for juvenile and above).  That's $35 a session or a little cheaper if you buy a ten pass.  I usually do the Sunday and not the Saturday. 

If you go to queens there is city ice in Long Island city and lefrak center (?) in brooklyn and others can tell you about those.

In Manhattan there are two other outdoor rinks I don't skate at: Rockefeller because it's not convenient to me and possibly expensive and a small rink and depending on the time full of tourists.  Bryant park is free with your own skates but also small.  Potentially not so crowded before work.  A madhouse all other times.

I should mention wollman does an "adult academy".  For about $750 you get access to all freestyles all public sessions and 4-5 mornings a week before work there is a group lesson.  I don't do it but if you do around 30 sessions a season it pays for itself.  Wollman is open roughly October through April I think. 

As far as finding a coach there are many good ones.  one way to "try them out" is to take group lessons.  Wollman I mentioned but there is no way to do walk on with their group adult lessons.  It's all or nothing .  Sky rink does a Monday night 7pm group adult session with practice time and group lesson separated by level  from total beginner to roughly ISI Fs5.  Saturday mornings at Sky rink in the summer there is a "black diamond" class for delta/gamma and above and I believe I've mentioned on this board before it's great and an awesome empty practice ice time deal to boot.  $50 for 30 minute off ice 30 min on ice group lesson 30 minute half ice practice time for the class participants only followed by 1.5 hours full ice time for class participants only.  Usually about 6 people show up.

So in summary skating in NYC with a full time job is absolutely doable .  The cons are that it is expensive , weekends are difficult to fit in ,  evenings are non existent in Manhattan except that one group class, and Chelsea piers is far from the subway, eating into your skating time because of extra commute time to your job after skating (Wollman is next to a couple subways).  The pros are that actually there is a LOT of ice time out there and many choices of rinks.