Xanadu Roller Arts — Attraction in New York

Wanted to share my experience for a concert I attended here for those who plan to do the same:

The ticket that I purchased said that it came with admission for a pre-show skate session. I wanted to confirm things like the price of rentals (they had no FAQ up at the time), locker sizes and to double check if there would really be a pre-show skate, but Xanadu is extremely hard to contact! No phone number to call, never answered my email nor my DM on ig, and took forever to answer Dice when I asked them to help contact the venue.

Morning of the event, I noticed that the description of the event removed the part about admission to the pre-show skate. I get to Xanadu at the time listed for the pre-show skate and what do you know, there isn't one. No staff knows what I'm talking about. I had an email from Dice confirming the skate session and that I wasn't crazy, so I'm not really sure whose fault this was, but I was really disappointed. I guess be warned if you see that on your ticket.

Due to this, I can't review the skating, but I will review the venue. The vibes were pretty cool inside; overall the ambience was spot on for the theme. Restrooms were also plentiful and clean. Lockers are tiny (good for maybe a pair of sneakers and a small purse, prob not a coat on top of that, def not for if you brought your own skates to use before the show). Coat check is $5 per item. Merch was CASH ONLY at my particular show, so if that matters to you, have both cash and card.

Something I didn't quite understand the value of were the booth tickets, because the layout of the venue is such that you'd be all the way in the back of the floor and watching the show through the gaps in the bar. I guess if you don't want to or can't stand in GA then it's an option, but I felt it was far removed from the stage and all the action.

The show itself was pretty good. I was towards the front so the sound was fine. The stage lights were a bit annoying because they were beaming right into the audience's eyes at the beginning. Also, they pumped so much fog in that the fire alarm went off.

Overall was not impressed with this place due to poor organization and difficulty communicating. If there are any more concerts at this venue, I will think twice about going. So sad because it has such good ambience for a concert venue but everything else kinda ruined it for me.

**Edited because I kept writing "pre-skate show" instead of "pre-show...

TL:DR If you are someone who wants to party at a place that happens to be a skating rink ✅✅✅ If you are someone who skates seriously and wants a place to practice or go full out with moves ❌❌❌

Longer version: In advance, I want to clarify that I'm from the A- where skate culture thrives. I thought there would be a similar vibe up here, but was sad to learn that most rinks closed during the pandemic. I was excited to learn that this place opened up, and have been only once since visiting.

For starters, there is no open skate, only events. Events are variably priced, and most cost at least double what a standard general entry would cost (even in an expensive city like ATL). A thing I've noticed about NYC is that everything has to be a big event and many of those events are aimed at highlighting influencers and turning the whole thing into a big party with photographers and djs so they can get clout on social media. I'm not against a good party, but it's simply not possible for an intermediate or advanced skater to groove while other people shuffle and dance and take pictures in the rink. The rink itself is smaller than average, so there's really no flex room. I'm not sure what jobs people have to where they can regularly afford $40 skate sessions excluding lockers, food, and drinks just to go really slowly in a circle on a crowded floor, but it's not feasible for me.

The rink also slows my wheels since there is a raised design on it. I think this is also a thing where they want to boost the vibe for their events, esp the non-skate events. Having non-skaters treat the rink like a club on non-skate nights is going to wear down the flooring faster than average, and I don't get why they didn't just open up a disco-themed club if they want to prioritize events over offering a quality skating rink.

I honestly would LOVE a place in NYC that is firmly dedicated to roller skating. Not an outdoor skate park with mostly skateboarders and not a quick rink with those horrible grids that are impossible to build speed on. A simple polished rink with a good dj or even playlist would be amazing and is an already-tested formula for success. Let's not reinvent...

This review is for price transparency and general info related to standard/regular events as it is behind an app wall (Dice) as of 07/09/2024:

Entry, Skate Rental, Locker Rental, and Coat Check are all separate charges. Skates are not included in the GA tickets. Please see below for what is included with a booth.

Even if you are not skating, you WILL still need to buy a ticket. This will be called either General Admission or Spectator.

Skate Rental: $7 (Subject to Change) Locker Rental: $5 (Subject to Change)

Regular All Ages Skate (Saturday Afternoons at 12pm): Adult: $18.54 12 & Under: $13.39

Skate Classes (Skaterobics) (Every Wednesday): Class Only (6-8pm): $23.69 Class + Community Skate (6-12am): $33.99

Regular Friday Night Skate: General Admission: $28.84 Spectator/Just Dancing: $28.84

Regular Saturday Night Adult Skate: General Admission: $28.84 Booth for 2 in VIP (Minimum 2 people, includes 1 entry ticket and 1 skate rental): $109.18 Booth for 4 in Opera area (Minimum 6 people, includes 4 entry tickets and 4 skate rentals): $327.54 Booth for 6 in Opera area (Minimum 6 people, includes 6 entry tickets and 6 skate rentals): $327.54

Other: On Saturdays, the skating floor is open from 6pm to 10pm. After that, the venue switches to dancing from 11pm to 3am. 16 and under must be supervised by someone over 21 during All Ages Skate. Skating rink is 21+ after 8pm Prices otherwise are not standardized and change by event. Pay changes each time. Closest commute stops are the Jefferson L and the B57 bus at Flushing & Wyckoff Capacity for the venue is 1200 and it functions as a bar and dance venue in addition to being a skating rink. With this in mind, know that the rink is much smaller than standard fare and that it may be crowded for skating purposes on major event nights. There is a high potential for injury. See other reviews on Google/Yelp for other experiences...