Tales from The Social Club: Magic on Ice

Shane Holmes
5 days ago
3 min read

Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Meeting Location: Whole Foods Across the Street from Bryant Park, 1095 6th Ave., New York, NY 10036

Website Link: https://bryantpark.org/

The story of commemorating the holidays with The Social Club (TSC) began at the Pelham, NY Metro North Railroad station. This is the station I regularly walk to from my home as part of my commute to the TSC meeting location in Manhattan. This time, however, I saw something that I have never seen before. A train passing the station decorated with lights for the holidays.

A train car adorned with red and green lights at dusk. — Train Car Decorated for the Holidays

When I arrived at Grand Central Terminal, I was greeted by the decorated Main Concourse.

Grand Central Terminal, bustling with people under festive wreaths. Warm lighting, iconic architecture, and holiday decor. — Image Source: Wikimedia Commons | Theo Winter

After leaving Grand Central Terminal, I walked three blocks to our meeting location at the Whole Foods across the street from Bryant Park. Here I met Kate Libby Coaching (KLC)'s newest Coach, Dylan Kapit (they/them) for the first time where they were shadowing Juliette so that they can substitute as a group leader in the future. You can learn more about Dylan by reading their bio on the KLC website. It has been a pleasure getting to know Dylan. I learned from interviewing them that they have a PhD in sex education for autistic individuals from the University of Pittsburgh. I also found out Dylan has lived in Manhattan for the past 13 years and is originally from the Washington, DC area. In addition, Dylan told me in their free time they see Broadway shows, exercise, and try fun mocktails.

After Juliette and the rest of the group members arrived, I went ice skating. Others in the group got a selection of food from the outdoor holiday food booths. No one in the group joined me in ice skating. The reason is, it costs $52 to rent skates. I brought my own so skating was free.

However, the ice skating rink closed on March 1 and typically will does not reopen until late October. When it does open, all tickets must be booked in advance using this website.

My recommendation, if you decide to go, would be to bring your own skates as it is free. I would also pack light, and bring a combination or key lock. There are free lockers but they are very small and require a lock to be used. They used to sell combination locks for $12, but that is now no longer the case. If you do not use a lock, your stuff can be removed by staff to the bag check area where you will get charged to pick up your stuff after skating. In the locker, I was able to store my shoes (I am not sure if the shoe check is free for people who bring their own skates), water (which I highly recommend you bring as you can not carry it on the ice while skating and you will want to stay hydrated, trust me on this one), and an extremely small backpack (which also is not allowed on the ice). All the things I brought just barely fit into the locker. As is visible in this picture below, the lockers are very small.

Light blue lockers that are very small. — Very Small Lockers

Now I want to discuss why I love ice skating. For me, there is something that is magical about ice skating in the heart of Manhattan with the Empire State Building and a lit up Christmas Tree visible directly from the rink.

Bryant Park Outdoor Ice Skating Rink lit up at night. Skyscrapers and the Empire State Building are in the background. — Bryant Park Ice Skating Rink with Empire State Building in the Background

Ice skaters at Bryant Park Outdoor Rink at Night with a lit up Christmas Tree in the Background — Bryant Park Ice Skating Rink with Christmas Tree in the Background

This rink is superior to other public rinks in NYC in that it is the only rink with free skating to those who bring their own skates.1 From my own experience, this rink is also approximately double the size of the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

Ice skating makes me feel like a kid again (yes, I skated as a kid). I also love ice skating because it’s good exercise and I get some of my best ideas on the ice. It is a great place to think about things and brainstorm solutions to problems.

The Ice Skating Rink had music playing but, unlike some of the other locations I have visited with The Social Club, this location played their music at a tolerable volume.

After I finished skating, I met up with Juliette, Dylan, and the rest of the group. We walked a very short distance before I said my farewells. Juliette and I sat down for about 15 minutes to have a conversation which I do not remember what the topic was. I remember drinking tasty hot chocolate with whipped cream while looking at the rink, park, shops, and surrounding buildings. A nice way to end an eventful evening.

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