Community Ice Skating at Kendall Square

Truly awesome. My second skating attempt and was able to go across without holding the rail. The instructor was helpful, and a very clean, lovely place. They said 2 more times and I should be good to skate on my own! Love it! Very friendly staff. nice intimate setting!

The water was frozen solid. One star.
Oh, but I kid. The rink at Kendall Square is a great place to glide with the grace of Nancy Kerrigan* (too soon?). Any fumbles or wobbly knees displayed (yes, definitely too soon) were simply indicative of my skating skill — the rental equipment is comfortable and in solid shape, and the ice is glazed regularly with the sounds-​like-​macaroni prowess of their Zamboni.
A sizable surface means even if it gets to be bit kid packed, you’ve still got room to tumble around them, and you might even blend in to the pack when you’re craving a post-​session candy bar and Mountain Dew (sodas and snacks sold in the hut).
Parking is hit or miss, as the garages are prohibitively expensive and the street spots are few, but hell, you don’t want clingy slush to melt on your new cowhide seat covers anyway, so take the T, walk a smidge and tackle that oval before it tackles you.
Spoiler alert: it tackled me. Ice skating ain’t easy!
*Harding-​har-​har.

I really enjoyed my time at this place. I went on a Thursday night around 6:30 and the place was practically empty. I prefer here over Frog Pond because this place was much cleaner and very well-​kept. Entrance and rental are much cheaper here as well! I also really liked their customer service. Staff members were very polite and helpful!
The only downside might be it is very difficult to find street parking. Other than that, I think this place is a gem!

The rink is quite small (and a strange triangular shape) but it’s an adorable public rink. The staff there is fantastic — they’re extremely helpful and very friendly. The rink is located a little out of the way, but it’s only a 10 minute or less walk from the Kendall T stop.
The ice itself is a little bumpy and uneven, and a lot of their ice skates are rather ill fitting, lopsided or are a bit dull. However, none of the ones I tried on were bad enough that you’ll be uncomfortable skating if you manage to put them on correctly, and the rink is small enough that you’re probably not doing anything fancy during community skate.
In my experience it doesn’t get super crowded, but it does get pretty full. It’s a great place for first time skaters, and young children, especially since they have a lot of staff on the ice (they were marked with red lights on their skates when we go). Quite affordable too.

We went last night and had a total blast. The staff is extremely helpful and friendly; inside they helped me lace up my skates and once on the ice we got a hockey-​stop tutorial. Super fun, we’ll definitely be back.

Found this deal on Groupon and I figured «why not?» Prior to purchasing, I’ve never been ice skating so I decided to grab a few friends and run with it. Overall, I had a great experience! It was easy to find parking, it wasn’t crowded, and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
For my first time ice skating I had fun with no injuries! I will be making my way back. :-)

Ice skating is always fun. Outdoor ice skating is even more fun. So, it’s hard not to like this place. But it does have a few shortcomings: it’s small; oddly triangular-​shaped; and doesn’t have the best ice upkeep (a few holes and wet spots). But otherwise, it’s fine. And it’s one of the few things that makes winter likeable.
It wasn’t too crowded on a non-​freezing Saturday afternoon, but we were definitely the only adults there without kids.
The location is great — just a short walk from the Kendall T stop.
They offer lockers for $ 1, and ice packs for free in case you fall (which I, proudly, did not do). You can also purchase some hot chocolate and small snacks if you feel so inclined… but I would just wait to go to Leisure Station for a ginger milk tea afterwards!
$ 3 admission with student ID, $ 5 otherwise. $ 8 skate rental.

Awesome local space to skate. Truth be told I never really knew how to skate before coming here. I’m ashamed to say I was a rail grabber. So I decided to sign up for some lessons. They have a couple of sessions during the snowy months. Classes were about 7 – 10 of us and we got the ice all to ourselves an hour before it’s open to the public on a Sunday.
As good and patient as the teacher was I still wasn’t all that confident. Then she suggested I try a helmet. My main issue was fear of falling which she also taught us how to fall and get back up. By the 3^rd session most of us in the class, including yours truly let go of the rail. Turning and stopping were other issues but I felt thoroughly accomplished having abandoned my safety rail (which really isn’t all that safe since you can really bang yourself up if you hit your head on it).
The rink itself isn’t all that big but that’s a good thing for people, like myself who don’t go out for too long on the ice. There’s plenty of parents and kids who come here as well. Some of those kids have really good moves, they put me to shame. But the people running it are friendly. There are lines during the weekend but those move fairly quick. They also offer free hot cocoa. It’s much more affordable than skating at MIT, not as packed as Frog Pond and an incredibly friendly staff who are always on the ice in case anyone needs assistance. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

I completely realize that this is an off-​season review, but I love this place so much that I felt it warranted such. Let me just start off by saying this, the Frog Pond is good (and I think tourists visiting Boston in the winter should try to experience it), but Kendall Square is better for the rest of us. The crowd is smaller, and that is definitely a plus in my book. Some people have commented on the odd shape of the rink, but I personally liked it. In fact, I found it refreshing. How often do you get to skate on something that isn’t a rounded rectangle? I thought the rates for both admission and skate rental were pretty reasonable. Also, as others have said the rental skates are in great condition. If you live in the Boston/​Cambridge area, I’d definitely recommend checking this out this winter. It’s easily accessible from the T, and if you enjoy skating, it’ll be worth the ride.

Yes, yes, yes, this section of town is fast becoming my favorite in all of Cambridge thanks to the new restaurants, the proximity to the Charles River, and my recent love affair with this little outdoor rink. There is nothing quite like strapping on your skates on a crisp winter evening and skating under the stars. Even though you are surrounded by modern architecture and not the pine trees and mountains of your youth, you can’t help but feel rejuvenated by some great exercise on the ice.
Rented skates are sharp and clean so if yours disappeared in the last yard sale, you can pick some up here. (Tie your laces tightly so your ankles do not start to droop.)
You can get hot chocolate, have a lesson or even rent the whole rink for a birthday party. There’s a great music sound track so you can shake your bootie while you glide. How much fun is that?
Hockey games would be tough here, due to the shape of the rink, but a little innovation could lead to some new form of hockey game. After all, this is innovation territory.
You can get a season pass, a day pass, and there are discounts for people who work in the surrounding buildings, seniors and kids. The rink opens at 11 or noon, depending on the day of the week, and you can skate until 8 or 9.
The rink’s odd shape takes a little getting used to, and there are lots of kids teetering about, but this is good old-​fashioned fun and would be a fantastic date night activity, especially if you go off to Abigail’s, Fuji or EVOO afterwards. (EVOO even gives you a 10% discount if you show your receipt. Nice!)
I am happy to report that skating is like riding a bike. Once you know how, you can do it for life. It felt great to get out there on the ice again under the night sky. I’ll be back during a lunch hour next time!

I don’t mean to sounds like a square, but I’m not crazy about ice skating on an amoeba shaped rink. That being said, this place is cute for the winter and they are definitely taking advantage of the space. This is one of those places that is a great date spot but also a great to take the kids out. By far the best part was the people watching. Some kids were fearless, others held the railing as if their lives depended on it. They pulled themselves at a sloth like speed around the rink with giant grins on their faces. I guess what I’m saying is you don’t have to be great. Sure there were the folks who looked like had been born with ice skates on their feet, but it’s ok to stumble, and even wipe out.
Embrace the winter.
Brrrr, where’s my hot chocolate? Not here. :-/

If I gave this place a tagline, it would be: The Perfect Alternative from the Frog Pond!
Likes:
–Forget those old school, smelly, banged up skate rentals. The skates here are super nice and fit well.
–Not crowded, so the ice stays smooth longer, and doesn’t get choppy within minutes. Plus, with less people you don’t have to skate in a boring circle like drones, there’s room to play!
–I dug the music, PG good old hits from my middle school days.
Dislike:
–There was this weird patch of bumpy ice near where the zamboni enters and exits the rink. Avoid or face a possible butt plant.

What a great ice skating spot! The rink is pretty small, but it’s right in the heart of Kendall Square. I thought the prices were good, though I suppose if you were to come often and have to rent skates all the time, it would add up. If you can bring your own, you save $ 8 per adult.
I love that it’s right in the city. There’s parking, and it’s pretty easy to get to. Lots of families go, but it’s not terrible crowded. The indoor portion is really small, and there’s not a lot of bench space, but once you have your skates on and your things stashed away, it’s actually alright. They sell hot chocolate (with whipped cream!) for only $ 2. Sure, it’s the instant kind, but it’s warm and sweet.
The skate rentals were actually quite good. They run almost a whole size too big, though. Fortunately they let you trade if they don’t fit right. I didn’t realize this until later, but they actually also have helmets that you can use, free of charge. I wish I had seen it when I first got there, but I will certainly grab one next time.
I was also really impressed with the staff there. After previously eventless skating, I fell and needed a ice pack. They were so attentive, making sure I was okay. They even called me the next day to check in on me! It was very sweet.

Don’t waste your money at Frog Pond, come to Kendall Square for ice skating! We went right before their Nutcracker performance (11am on a Saturday) because it was free to skate until the show at 1:30pm. 11am is obviously early for most twenty somethings so the place was overrun with parents and 4 – 10 year olds, but they weren’t too bad. Mostly it consisted of parents skating and literally dragging their kids feet over the ice with tiny little skates on their feet. Some kid got left behind by his dad (this kid was like four years old) and he saw my black coat and just hit me so hard thinking i was his dad and we were like «no no your dad is over there he just walked away». jeeze.
the only problem is their «shop» area where you have to rent skates ($ 8 for adult skates) and where you also have to rent a locker, put your skates on, and make sure not to hit children with the spikes of your skates. They do validate parking (so amazing) so it was only $ 2 for 2 hours.
this was the second time i’ve been to the kendall square community skating rink, and i’ll probably keep coming back considering my boyfriend is completely against braving the Frog Pond (which is also a rip off).
It’s an interesting location to put it nicely, but there’s a lot more room to skate, and hold on to the edge — if you’re an ice skating noob.

Great spot for some outdoor winter fun!
Fortunately my skates fit fine on the first try because I got the vibe that the man behind the counter had no intention of helping me figure that business out. I think he might have said two words total to me even though I asked about 5 different questions. Amazing how grunting and pointing can be considered communicating!
Despite the lack of customer service, the ice skating was so fun! They kept the rink pretty and smooth, had some great music playing, and offered food/​drink options to purchase.
It really was a nice, but inexpensive, night out!

I came, I saw, I skated, I had fun, and I nearly made it the whole time w/​o falling… nearly. Yep, it bit it, and although it was a somewhat graceful fall — I still had bruises on my knees. Nonetheless the rink is small, and oddly shaped, but I really liked this rink. The skates fit me better than most rentals do… the price is not as expensive as the frog pond and other rinks, and you’re in a really good location. Kendall square is easy to get to, but away from the hustle and bustle of other squares.
Good times!

I got the Groupon here and figured it would be a great date for me and the bf. We NEVER go ice skating.
This rink was really easy to get to and has a great set up. It is just oddly shaped and a lot smaller than I expected. Also I just couldn’t get the right size skate, but that’s really my fault for not having my own skates. Can’t expect rentals to really do everything!
I suspect we will be back at some other point next season!

never a long line.
great location (now that there’s some food options! like Za — pizza and salad and a bar — and Evoo — fine-​ish dining featuring local produce and other local stuff).
skate amongst concrete, brick, and glass buildings of Genzyme and other med tech-​y pharmaceutical type companies. and then follow up by walking along the new bridge toward the river. there are places to park, too, whether in a garage or on the street.

SO MUCH FUN!
As others have said, this place is a little small and oddly-​shaped, but we went this afternoon and it wasn’t crowded at all. There was a good mix of young and old (er), decent skaters and first timers on the ice. If you’re driving, either park on the street or in the lot that they validate from. Don’t park in the big garage down the block or they’ll charge you a ridiculous amount (found this out the hard way!)

I absolutely love going to this skating rink. It’s just awesome. The guy running it is such an amazing, nice guy. Been going there for a couple of years now, often with my girlfriend as it has this romantic feel to it. And because of it’s size it is very, very well maintained. It’s also like 10 feet away from Acceituna which is a great restaurant to grab a snack before or after you skate.
The shape of the rink itself is very unique, it’s almost like a kidney shape. I can’t describe it. It’s a shame that it’s not a bit more symmetric but who cares? It’s still a lot of fun.
You can rent out the entire rink through their website at a fee if you want to and they also have some decent rates when it comes to renting skates through them. The skates are in excellent condition and they also have a sharpening service available.
Overall I highly, highly recommend this awesome rank which is a very, very nice alternative to the Frog Pond which gets packed every other day during the winter.