For a limited time, New Yorkers can soon glide above it all.
The loftiest winter blading spot in town is slated to open more than 1,100 feet above ground this coming week.
It will all be happening over at Manhattan’s Hudson Yards development, where — yes — the highest skating rink in New York City will allow patrons to drift over a 1,024-square-foot rink from Jan. 10 to March 14.
Instead of ice, however, visitors will be skating on “glice” — a synthetic material that’s said to feel just like the real thing. The “zero-energy ecological and synthetic ice rink” Sky Skate venue will be located in the indoor section of the Edge observation deck, which extends just under 80 feet out from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards. The observation deck is the highest in the Western Hemisphere — and is perhaps best known for its glass floor portion, which looks down to the city streets far below.
Tickets — which include admission to Edge and skate rentals — grant rink access for 30-minute intervals between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week and can be purchased online. Prices start at $48 per adult and go up to $73 for a premium admission pass, which includes a glass of champagne and a personalized photo book — and $88 for an express admission allowing guests priority elevator access and the ability to visit at any time on the day of their choosing. Slightly discounted tickets are available for seniors and children over 5; children 5 and under are free.
After their time slot, guests are invited to enjoy the views from Edge’s outdoor viewing area, which has views extending to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, the Atlantic Ocean and everything in between. Those who do not get vertigo from the experience may consider also buying tickets to the building’s City Climb offering, in which patrons pay to scale the outside of the building.
Sky Skate represents a rare pop-up ice — or “glice” — skating rink at a time when roller skates have far outpaced the more traditional winter sport in trendy popularity. Following a pandemic resurgence of the groovier pastime, venues from JFK Airport’s TWA Hotel to Sunset Park and Rockefeller Center have all hosted temporary roller discos, while mostly only established venues have welcomed ice skaters.