Skating in the Sky at the W Hotel Downtown

Have you ever skated in the sky? Now you can at the W Hotel Downtown, as expected, a pretty groovy place down on Washington Street @ Albany. The balcony skating rink is a lot of fun for a winter afternoon- the ice isn't real and the skating surface is small (the size of a suburban walk in closet, I'd estimate), but the festive-ness is fabulous. Take the elevator up to the fifth floor check in and walk to the end of the dimly lit bar. It's funky inside with lounge seating , ottomans and little round cocktail tables. Pay at the bar and grab your skates at the desk, then loop around the balcony until you hit the rubber mats. Take in the views – you're looking right down on the WTC construction, into a sea of cranes. It's surely the most unusual place to scooterpush, T-stop and the rest. There's not enough room for a walz jump or triple axel – please don't try it! They say it maxes out at 15 skaters, but I'd hesitate to say that four is plenty. After your fill, turn in your skates and flop down at the lounge and order hot chocolate and french fries. The room has an apres ski vibe – a bit of camaraderie amongst those brave enough to take a silly feeling whirl around the Flor-style balcony rink.