New York City: Rockefeller Center’s ice rink opens for the season

Seems a little soon to be thinking wintry thoughts, but not at Rockefeller Center, where the ice rink opens Monday.

Olympic gold-winning ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White and New York Rangers hockey player Rod Gilbert will lead the first public skate at the rink at Rockefeller Center.

The rink holds the distinction of being first in the city to open each year in a skating tradition that dates to Christmas Day 1936. It started as a temporary rink created to woo shoppers and diners from street level down to businesses, Rockefeller Center’s website says.

Some things you may know: The rink accommodates only 150 skaters and stays open no matter what the weather.

Some things you may not know: You can hire skate concierges to help put your skates on and fetch hot cocoa. The VIP package ($60 to $120 a person for a 90-minute session) also allows you to bypass lines and enter the rink through a little igloo.

And you can get engaged during exclusive ice time at the end of a skate session (starting at $350).

Regular 90-minute sessions cost $27 to $30 for adults, $15 for children younger than 11. The rink opens at 8:30 a.m. daily and ends at midnight, and will stay open through April.

Info: The Rink at Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue between 49th and 50th streets