One should bear in mind a few things before embarking on a late night skate or shiny run. Firstly, try to keep the noise down. There's nothing less considerate than slamming a puck against the boards at 3am in the vicinity of high rise apartment buildings. Secondly, try to factor in the amount of streetlight that will get to the ice surface because the dedicated lights will likely be off.
Here are my picks for the top rinks for late night skating in Toronto.
Nathan Phillips Square
The most obvious rink for late night skating in Toronto is still its best. The backdrop of city hall and the Financial District make up for the snowy ice and the likelihood that you'll be accompanied by other people with the same romantic idea as you.
Harbourfront Rink
Late night skates at Harbourfront can be chilly affairs on windy nights, but the view of the black lake to the south of the rink is worth the extra layer of clothing you'll inevitably have to wear. The late night lighting conditions are such that it's easy to navigate without ruining the mood.
Gould St / Ryerson
This used to be my favourite late night ice rink, but maintenance hasn't been so good in recent years. Nevertheless, when the ice is skate-able, it's a great place for impromptu games of shiny after midnight. Do mind the boulders, please.
Mel Lastman Square
One of the best bets for those who live north of the 401, the centrally located Mel Lastman Square often plays host to a small contingent of post-midnight skaters. If you head there late enough (say after 2am), you might just get the entire pad to yourself.
College Park
The small College Park rink is a hidden gem with not a fence in sight. Not a spot for hockey-playing, this quiet rink is a good spot for a night when you really want privacy. Area lighting is dim without being dark enough to complicate your figure eights.
Ledbury
Ledbury is also a quiet rink, though you might occasionally find a few North Toronto kids out for game of shiny in the wee hours. The rink is, however, long enough to accommodate hockey players at one end pleasure skaters at the other. The bridge that crosses over top adds a romantic element if that's what you're after.
Wallace-Emerson Rink
The hockey rink side of Wallace-Emerson is fenced-in (though sometimes you might get lucky and find it unlocked), but the pleasure skating pad is accessible at all hours, which attracts both late night pleasure skaters and shiny types.
Sherbourne Common
You will be cold at Sherbourne Common, but the view of the skyline to the west and the near guarantee that the rink will be abandoned should prove a draw for those after some quiet one on one time. Shiny is rare here.
Colonel Sam Smith
Toronto's skating trail is unsurprisingly accessible at all hours of the day. The lighting is a bit low late at night and the snow buildup can be a bit annoying, but it's still one of the prettier places to skate in the dark.
Rennie
Rennie is another double pad rink in which the hockey area is protected by a fence, and thus typically inaccessible after hours. The pleasure skating pad is, however, unique for its central tree, which serves as a natural focal point for folks to skate around. This isn't the best spot for late night shiny, but makes for a nice quiet spot to do a few stick-free loops.
Photo by chris cachia in the blogTO Flickr pool.
by Derek Flack via blogTO
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