Rink Information

1. Can we store our gear at the rink? Yes. Storage is available from Friday night until Sunday.
2. Skate sharpening? At Wonderland pro shop at the rink. 212-824-4096. Mon - Fri 11 am - 10 pm. Sat - Sun 9:00 am - 7:00 pm. Last sharpening half-hour before close.

General NYC Information

1. How safe is New York? New York is the safest large city in America, with the lowest crime rate of all U.S. cities with populations over 1 million. Among the 72 cities with populations over 250,000, all of them have a higher crime rate than New York City by a large margin. Proof. More proof.
2. Average Temperatures
3. Exchange Rates. Roughly $1US = C$1.01 or C$1.00 = $.99.
4. Official NYC Tourist Site
5. 311 is New York City's phone number for government information and non-emergency services, in 170 languages. Outside of New York City call 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675).

Getting to and from NYC

1. Which airport should I fly into? LaGuardia (LGA), Newark-Liberty (EWR), or J.F.K. (JFK), in that order of preference, with J.F.K. being a distant third.

2. Is there cheap mass transit to and from the airports? Yes. You can take shuttle buses from all three airports. Save even more money with AirTrains. Newark Airport's AirTrain + N.J. Transit to New York's Pennsylvania Station works well, even with luggage. The J.F.K. AirTrain + subway is not as convenient, but still manageable with considerable savings each way compared to a cab. LaGuardia Airport's bus + subway route is not recommended.

   Ground Travel Information: LaGuardia | Newark | J.F.K.

   AirTrain Information: Newark AirTrain | J.F.K. AirTrain

Getting around NYC and to the Rink

1. Should I drive? No. Subways, buses, taxis and livery cabs are faster, easier, and much cheaper. Parking and parking tickets are expensive. Driving directions.

   Map. To take mass transit to Sky Rink, take a subway to 23rd Street and then walk or take the westbound M23 bus to Chelsea Piers.

2. Subway Map. Take a local C, E, F, N, R, V, 1 or 6 subway to 23rd Street and then the westbound M23 bus to get to Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers. Take only local trains; no express trains stop at 23rd Street. All subways and most buses run 24 hours a day.
3. Bus Map. Use the M23 bus to get to Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers. The M23 travels eastbound and westbound along 23rd Street, stopping at every avenue. The last westbound stop is Chelsea Piers. The M23 runs 24 hours a day.
4. MetroCard. On buses, you can pay with the MetroCard or coins (no bills). On subways you can use only the MetroCard. $2 per ride. Various discounts available. One-day unlimited ride MetroCard is $7.50.
5. Hailing a yellow cab. Just raise your arm! Legal cabs are all yellow and have a metal medallion permit stapled to their hood. The light on the cab's roof tells you if it is available. If the numbers are dark, the cab is taken. If the words "Off Duty" are lit, the driver is off duty. If the numbers are lit, that cab is yours, baby!

6. Which way is uptown? Roughly, north. Downtown is south. Eastside is east and westside is west. North of 14th Street, Manhattan streets are laid out in a grid. The avenues are long and run uptown - downtown. The streets are shorter and run eastside - westside.

   Higher numbered streets are uptown (north) and higher numbered avenues are west. (The avenues are numbered in the direction the country was settled, east-to-west.)

   Hint: To figure out which way is uptown, downtown, eastside and westside. 1.) Look up and down an avenue. Uptown is the direction with higher numbered streets. 2.) With very few exceptions, Even-numbered one-way streets go Eastbound and odd-numbered one-way streets go westbound.

   Below 14th Street, the streets are a jumble and you will have to ask for directions.