The best places to go roller skating in NYC

This sprawling 16,000-square-foot space, designed to double as a concert venue and nightclub for up to 1,200 people, is the city’s first new wooden rink in over a decade.

Founded by Varun Kataria, a local business owner who’s already made his mark on the neighborhood with the Turk’s Inn and the Sultan Room just down the block, Xanadu is decorated with a giant black-and-white photo of a group of young Black skaters taken over 40 years ago at Empire, a model for the energy in the room today. There’s also a rinkside bar, serving drinks with names like Skaterade and Purple Rain with direct sightlines of all the action on the wood. And in the bathroom, a surprise DJ spins a soundtrack for patrons to dance to as they wash their hands, a cheeky setup Kataria calls, “Club Flush.”

Read more about it here.

When it's not a roller disco on Friday nights, Lakeside’s outdoor roller skating rink provides pop hits you can skate to while taking in views of Prospect Park Lake. Starting at 11am on weekdays and noon on weekends, admission is only $8 during the week and $12 on weekends and holidays. Rentals are $8 daily. Check out its website for programs you can join, including roller skating classes, roller dance lessons, and hockey leagues. 

Head to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 2 to skate with a beautiful view of the city. While the roller rink is used by a hockey league twice a week, it is open for public skates most days in the summertime for just $6. It's free on Mondays and Fridays between 3:30 and 6pm. Skate rentals are just $7-$11 depending on the day. If you're looking for some extra fun, the rink regularly hosts themed nights!

Each week starting in April through October, dozens of in-line skaters cruise along different routes for two hours during this totally free hump-day social; the group has previously wheeled through Central Park, Queens, Brooklyn and even New Jersey. All skill levels are welcome as long as you can stop and turn, and because you’ll be rolling on the road, helmets and wrist guards are obligatory. The diverse club includes college kids and retirees, which makes for interesting postride conversation, usually taking place at an end-point bar. Meet at the South end of Union Square Park (14th St) near the stars at 7:45pm.

It seems like New Yorkers can't get enough of skating rinks these days, which is why we assume that the black-owned, Brooklyn-born The Roller Wave—a nostalgia-inducing destination at Atlantic Terminal Mall. The 9,000-square-foot pop-up rink will be accessible to folks of all ages through June 4 at the Boerum Hill mall at 625 Atlantic Avenue following runs across other cities and local neighborhoods. The groovy, massive new rink will also be home to an arcade and serve food and beverages by Buds 2 Roses Café and Union Square Hospitality Group. DJs and musicians will be on premise as well to provide entertainment.

It's not a rink per say, but All Night Skate is a bar that encapsulates all the joy, attitude and ephemera of a roller rink and encourages patrons to wear their skates inside by giving them 10% off drinks. Speaking of which, cocktails are designed by co-owner Olivia Hu, who bartended at Sunrise/Sunset. Try the one with the Pop Rocks and chili rim called the "Poppin' Off."

The park’s roller-party scene burst into being in the late ’70s, but gatherings were often shut down due to excessive noise and allegations of substance abuse. In the ’90s, the Central Park Dance Skaters Association (cpdsa.org) was formed to help mend relationships with the city. The group continues to host weekend parties—like ice skating—which are established items on the park’s calendar. From April until October, old-schoolers and young enthusiasts rock flashy outfits and boogie down to R&B, dance and house music. Bring your own skates or just sit on the sidelines—regulars often show off tricks that make this party as entertaining to watch as it is to join.