This is a small outdoor skating rink open during the winter. There's lots of benches around the…read morerink to put on or take off your skates and keep your stuff on. We came on a Sunday morning just after 10 am and the zamboni was finishing up on the rink. The rink got progressively busier the longer we stayed. A lot of families came with young children learning how to skate. There were also some teenagers zipping around the rink and generally taking up a lot of space while everyone tried to skate at a leisurely pace. There's plenty of paid parking nearby or alight at North York Centre station if taking the subway.

We were looking for a less notable (and hopefully less busy) rink to go skating at in Toronto. Mel…read moreLastman Square came to mind. During the summer the rink is a shallow man-made pond and in the winters it becomes an ice rink. Parking around here can be a little tricky in the winter due to all the snowbanks that are taking up the street parking. There is free parking on Sundays till 1pm on some of the side streets nearby, just heed the parking signs. We arrived around 10am and were just in time to see the Zamboni come out to resurface the ice. There are some benches around the rink where you can put your skates on and leave your belongings. There aren't really any indoor facilities that you can go into to warm up but there is a Starbucks nearby where you can grab a hot chocolate. It did get busier as the day went on and about 12pm was the peak time we saw most people there.

Harbourfront Centre Rink (formerly known as the Natrel…read moreRink) Once was a five star rink!!! That was before it was closed and moved. The Harbourfront Ice Skating Rink may be back but it's a mere shadow of its former self and is a completely unremarkable venue now. I had planned to skate there but when I saw where they had moved the rink and the awful condition of the ice, I was flabbergasted and changed my mind!! Everything that made the original rink unique and special was gone!! When you came to the Natrel rink you could enjoy skating around the freeform sunken edged rink all while taking in a marvellous, unobstructed view of Lake Ontario. The ice was always one of the best outdoor ice surfaces to skate on in the city as well. It was always very well maintained and a great surface for outdoor skating. Unfortunately it is now just a poor quality rectangular ice pad with a view of the underside of the highway and buildings. Oh sure they have put some lights up on the thin tree trunks to try and make it look better but it still falls short. For me the experience is ruined forever. (Unless they decide to put the rink back where it was and maintain it better). It's sad that they didn't put more thought into what actually made the rink unique in the first place and what made it a great place to skate. I had been anxiously awaiting its reopening but was sorely disappointed to see what it has become. It is comdevoid of any previous charm and is no longer a good skating venue. I will not be back!

I love this skating rink. So beautiful. Once of my favourites. Perfect place for a dateread more

This is a cute skating rink that is really close to work and home. The parking lot is huge because…read moreit is shared with a theatre and I believe a community centre. They have an indoor room which you can change in and out of skates or just simply watch. There are tons of benches outside. It is completely free and their hours are pretty decent. There is all different types of genres of music and Ample lighting.

*** Avoid Skate Sharpening Booth ***…read more The lady who smokes did a terrible job sharpening my new skates. I had to get them re-sharpened at SportChek for $7 (16 and Woodbine) where they had to re-sharpened my blades. The staff was surprised at how terrible they were considering I had purchased them this year. Skate rental is available but I'd recommend just saving up and buying your own (even used in kijiji) skates. I'd be weary on those rental skates given how terrible the lady screwed up my blades. *** Indoor area not available *** Due to the pandemic, the small indoor area is closed off to the public. So you'll need to change your skates outdoors on the wooden benches. Occasionally there is a staff there but this rink is mostly unsupervised. You're not supposed to be figure skating / practicing hockey moves, but no one is there to enforce it. *** Environment *** The stairs to get to the rink are poorly lit. There's currently a Christmas tree at the entrance but the stairs are not lit at all. They need to fix the lamppost or install new lights bc it's dark enough you can't see people when going down the stairs and might hit / step on a kid playing in the area. There are no lockers / storage available so be sure to travel light and leave your bulkier items in the car. No access to heating area or washrooms. The theatre next door may be open but not sure about welcoming guests to use the facility. Best to drive across the plaza to the washrooms at a restaurant like McDonalds. *** Skating Rink *** Rubber floor mats are limited facing the side of the Civic Centre building where the benches are located to change. It would be better if mats were expanded all around the rink along with additional benches. This would help reduce the crowding and close contact of others during this pandemic. Shaped more like an oval than a circle or rectangle, it's a decent size for skating when it's not too busy. I do find the ice to be uneven / dented / marked up even after the zambino has cleaned the ice. During the evenings, lights are available along with dated 2000s music on repeat. I've been coming here for years and it's still the same, so of course I'd be bored of the music. Bring your earphones to keep yourself entertained.

Formerly known as Scarborough City Hall before amalgamation, this facility opened in 1973 has been…read moreshowing it's age for a very long time. It still has Toronto city services on the 5 floors on the east wing of the Civic Centre while the Toronto District School Board occupies the 4 floors on the west wing. City of Toronto services includes: a new...the 100th Toronto Public library, a Wedding Chapel, Tax & Water, Traffic Services, City Clerk, City Planning Services, Fire Services, etc. An existing ground floor area is being renovated for a Dental Clinic (which will move from 160 Borough Drive next door that is also home to a Health Clinic). Outside, there's a waterfall and a reflecting pool which becomes a skating rinks in winter plus the surrounding Albert Campbell Square. Many City of Toronto plus community groups hold events here year round. Examples include job fairs and concerts. The Scarborough Town Centre mall and a transit hub for the TTC and GO Transit is just minutes away too!

This review is for the Albert Campbell Square. What a lovely place to get away from the hustle and…read morebustle of the Scarborough Towne Centre and Subway station. This oasis of calm is found between the Scarborough Civic Centre and Scarborough Town Centre. Came here during the lunch rush and just took a look around at the sculptures and architecture. Sat down at one of the many benches (they have many tables as well) shaded by the trees and enjoyed listening to the birds and the sound of the man made waterfall. After my moment of calm I headed to the busy Towne Centre, I was ready to face the masses.

The Bentway is a public space under the Gardiner Expressway. You'll see it when you drive along…read moreFort York Boulevard, between Strachan Avenue and Bathurst Street, across from the Fort York National Historic Site. I have driven by this area many times this year. I did a few times when going to Coca-Cola Coliseum for Marlies and PWHL Toronto (now Sceptres) hockey games. Last night, I passed by it heading to Queen Elizabeth Theatre for a concert. I remember when this space was used for parking during the Canadian National Exhibition (The Ex). It was affordable back in the day. You basically parked on the grass, paid for parking, and walked over to the Princess Gates. Good times. Parking for The Ex is atrocious these days. It's better to take the TTC, mainly because this parking space is gone and it's cheaper than shelling out over $30. If you are looking for parking near The Bentway, you've got a couple of Green P options: - 250 Fort York Boulevard - 800 Fleet Street Paying through the Green P app is convenient. If you need to extend your parking stay, it's easy to do through the app than physically returning to the parking machine to pay for parking. The Bentway is popular in the wintertime. It becomes a skating rink where you can rent skates, skate till your heart's content, and grab some hot chocolate. In the summertime, it becomes a rollerskating party every month. You can rent skates, grab a bite to each from food trucks, and visit a few market vendors. I am looking forward to Dominoes. It's basically a community-building activity of laying down giant dominoes along a 2.5 km path through a number of downtown neighbourhoods. They are cutting through The Bentway. The domino run is scheduled for September 22 (tomorrow). It sounds like a lot of fun! The downside is that traffic is horrible in this area. There was a concert and an Argos game at Exhibition Place yesterday. Cutting through this area to get there was painful. When there aren't a lot of activities in the area, The Bentway is a calming, fun place. Otherwise, pack some patience! (371)

A great repurposed space, I wish Chicago would do something similar…read more A communal space, adults and kids roller balding, skating, making conversation, an art exhibit, and green spaces for pets and yogis like me.

Came with some friends for the leisure skate 7-8:45pm, it was PACKED! But we were able to find…read moreparking and get on the ice for a good hour. There's limited bench seating inside, so either come early or be ready to wait a bit. Zamboni came out one during our entire run. I like that they switch directions the second half as you kind of get used to the one direction at other rinks. The crowd was a good mix of leisure skaters, hockey players, figure skater, and little timbit skaters. 20260102

From a night of Hot Flow Yoga to the extremes of Ice Cold Skating…read more Skating is poetry-in-motion, however if you ever see me skate... You'll quickly find that this poem is as dead as a log-on-skates. If you ever see a Los-er coming towards you, start skating away! York Mills Arena is across from York Mills Plaza which is nice. You can get drinks/food/etc before or after your exercise by crossing the street. Aside from convenience, this 1-Rink Arena is relatively small. Parking was 75% full even when there was low headcount night. It was for Friday -Adult Skate- therefore the reason behind low attendance. I did enjoy the skate as it was much more civilized than -Public Skate-. -Public Skate- is Kids infested left, right and center, possible hazards. The skate-changing space/observing area is relatively small. If you have Family/Friends awaiting on a busy night, they might not have seats. The whole facility is Skating-only therefore the whole floor is rubberized. There's no place for you to go aside from Washroom/Changeroom/Vending Machine. Btw, the observing area seating also doubles as the non-locker space. Put your belongings and clothes in the open space under the seats(trust-system). Remember, not much space there. The pros however is that they have the rare -Adult Skate- whereas others mostly don't. Another is the surprising 2-hour 6:45-8:45pm while others have 45min to 1.5 hrs. Plenty of open-ice and everybody goes in same loop-direction instead of 360degrees. Perfect for the after-work skaters such as myself(+0.5 star). 3.5'd

This is a really cute skate trail that's actually in the GTA! There are others in Muskoka and such,…read morebut those are such a trek. This one is also conveniently located by the Tom Graham Arena so there are facilities and parking nearby. They had an art show the day we were going so the lot was quite full on the side closest to he community center but there was still a lot of parking spots farther on. The skate trail actually has a little dedicated area for changing that's indoors or they have tables and benches outside (fingers might get cold!). It's a trail through some trees that kind of loops around so it's a lot more interesting than going around in circles. They play music as well to add to the liveliness.

Awesome skating trail! Smaller than I imagined but nevertheless still fun for an hour or two. It is…read morefree and they don't have skate rentals on site. Come in the mornings when there are less people. Many families come here with smaller children who are trying to learn too. There are no borders around the trail so be careful of skating off trail. Plenty of parking, and the Zamboni comes every 1.5hr or so.

It is a nice open space during the summer but a very nice ice skating rink during the winter. We've…read morebeen bring my young son her to learn skating. There are fewer people than a city-run rink and skaters are mindful of a young child learning to skate. I've seen a zamboni clear and smoothed the ice so it is well maintained. There are no skate rentals or music. In the evening, there are nice changing coloured lights in the background. During pandemic times, the city-run ice rinks require an online reservation of a maximum of 45 mins and a max of 25 people, which means many time slots are full. The Ryerson rink doesn't require a reservation and it is not required and a parent/guardian without skates can be on the ice along with a beginner child skater.

Well, it's not an ice rink in May but it is a community park with a large pond in the center…read more Trees, some seating, and the water at the original location of the Toronto Normal School, which is the predecessor of the world renowned Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). In the warmer times, this is a lovely spot to enjoy a coffee or your lunch or just sit for a spell. In the colder times, get your skates and let's go! [Review 10952 overall, 724 of 2019.]