Philadelphia Named One Of The Best Ice Skating Cities In The U.S.
Winter is here, so it’s time to bring the cold weather gear out of storage. For those who don’t play hockey all year, this specifically means ice skates. LawnStarter published a list detailing the best cities for ice skating in America, and a Pennsylvania city ranked in the top 20. In fact, there were two major cities in the Keystone State that were recognized.
“We looked for cities with plenty of access to ice rinks, skating lessons, and hockey equipment,” LawnStarter said when explaining how they compiled their list of cities. They also analyzed Google search trends, considered weather conditions, and the popularity of the local hockey teams.
It will come as no surprise, however that Pennsylvania as a whole produced favorable results. Pittsburgh was the first Pennsylvania city named. Pittsburgh finished with a great score, coming in at #4.
Philadelphia Is The 19th Best Ice Skating City
Of the 199 cities evaluated here, Philadelphia is the forth best city in the country for rink access. Ice skating lesson options also carried Philly, finishing sixth best in this category. In total, Providence finished right above Philadelphia, but the City of Brotherly Love did beat out Las Vegas, who rounded out the top 20.
In terms of team popularity, of course, the Flyers are an iconic name in the NHL. The option to meet or skate with Gritty certainly helps as well. The Flyers have played in two NHL Winter Classics. The second time was at Citizen Bank Park, and was one of the biggest outdoor skating events the city has held.
Dilworth Park in Center City during the colder months always turns into a winter wonderland. This includes open-air ice skating. The rink here is now open for the season (through February). After skating, you can head over to the chalet area and warm up by the fire pits.
The historic 1923 Penn Ice Rink in University City is another fan-favorite ice skating spot in Philadelphia. This offers over 16,000 square feet of ice to carve up. It is open select hours during the week, however is only a $8 admission fee.
4 Great Christmas Dinner Options For The Whole Family
Now that the Thanksgiving meal is behind us and we are all still feeling more than stuffed, it’s time we shift our focus. To more food! Here, we’ll cut into four great dinner options to feed the whole family at Christmas dinner.
Yes, Thanksgiving requires a lot of hours in the kitchen. Prepping a turkey, maybe even frying one, takes some proper attention. Then, to some, the most important part is the sides that go with the main attraction. Again, making these side dishes means cooking up a storm. However, perhaps we underappreciate the art of this meal. For the most part, the menu is designed for us. Furthermore, it is consistent every year. All you have to decide is how much to make based around how many people will be gathered around your table.
Fast forward a month, and it’s time to prepare another epic holiday meal. In addition to running around to grab last-minute gifts, if you are hosting a Christmas get-together you have to do a lot of preparing, again.
The Magic of Christmas Cooking
Here, we are going to break down some options to jump-start your Christmas prep. First, let’s set the table on some criteria, and some bust some myths. You certainly do not need to reinvent the wheel and cook up something extraordinarily unique. In fact, it’s best to keep it simple. Dozens of classic dishes have already been well-established as delicious to satisfy your family, friends, and guests.
The thought process in suggesting these four Christmas dinner options is that they are proven to be delightful. They can also be prepared in large batches that do not require a tremendous amount of hours in the kitchen. These meals are family-friendly and are sharable. Some of them you may even be able to combine together. Again, this list won’t spark an idea that’s never been cooked up. Perhaps it just serves as a simple reminder that these Christmas dinner menu items can be straightforward and delicious enough.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.