We booked two lanes at Yerba Buena Bowling Center and everyone had a great time. It was a fun and…read morerelaxed experience. For about $34 per person for 2 hours, it felt like good value. The staff were helpful and made the check-in process smooth. Another big plus is that they allow you to bring in your own food and drinks, which made it easy for us to keep things casual. The facilities are clean and well maintained. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and we'd definitely consider coming back.

Bought tickets in advance online for Saturday from 12-1:30pm. It was $22 for 90 mins and includes…read morethe skate rentals, which imo is quite affordable for an SF activity. So much fun! Of course it was busy since it was a weekend, but it didn't feel too bad since the ice rink is big. Majority of people and kids going here know how to ice skate well or above average so you don't find yourself dodging or bumping into people. The only reason I wouldn't give this place a 5 is because the skate rentals were pretty worn down, but can't expect too much with rentals anyway. I'd def come back :)

We initially tried to buy tickets for the rink at Union Square, but they were sold out for the rest…read moreof the night! We took a 7ish minute Lyft to the rink at Embarcadero (who said that they "never sell out" - woo!) and it was such a great choice. They start new sessions every 2 hours; 1.5 hours for folks to skate, and then 30 minutes to re-glaze the ice before a new session. You can join a session at any time - we got on the ice halfway through a session, which was just fine for us (our 6yo and 4yo were with us). They also have lockers that you can use to store your stuff (shoes, purses) - one locker is .75 cents (the ticket sellers have change for bills if needed), and was big enough to store my boots and kind of large purse. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it would be - we went on a Friday night during an 8pm session, and there was plenty of space. We plan on making this a regular tradition!

Public service announcement, just so people know, there was no holiday rink this past year at…read moreEmbarcadero and there was no info about it online. The Embarcadero Center website had a number to call, and I did, but there was no answer. I don't know if they'll have it this coming winter. Fortunately, Union Square still has a holiday rink, but you need to buy tickets online, and they're sometimes sold out. But if so, Yerba Buena is a few blocks away, and I've never known them to sell out.

Union Square is a pretty solid part of SF, and the holiday ice rink is a fun thing to do there…read morearound the end of the year. It's crowded, parking sucks, and the rentable lockers are kind of trash, but you can't beat the holiday cheer of a little ice skating. I'd recommend trying it at least once if you're in the area.

So i finally got to go ice skating. After all the darn rain it was a beautiful sunny day for it. My…read morehusband and I had the whole rink to ourselves which was fantastic. I had such a blast that I can't wait until December to come so I can skate some more.

The Best skate roll ever. Every Friday night 9pm SHARP leaving Ferry building 3 hours 12 miles.read more

I can't wait for Friday Nights to Roll in The City! This is a great way to hit all the hot spots…read morewith a great group of people. Everybody has a good time. And while others are getting bombed, you're getting fit & lean. I just can't get enough!

My experience here was awful. My girlfriends have also had terrible experiences. We've stopped…read moreskating here altogether because every single one of us has been harassed and had our personal space violated by some of the older men who skate here regularly and act inappropriately.

Best when you roll in with your friends…read more I have a strong love/hate relationship with this rink for many reasons (in the short 5 months I've started roller skating). I'll start with the negative; With any public place, you really have to watch out for yourself and your safety. I've gotten physically shoved by one of the older white men who felt like he owned the rink. There are times where you have sketchy people who don't skate and are eying your valuables or may be harassing people. There are some older folks you may need to watch out for, as they are extremely territorial and not friendly to beginners and new skaters. I will say that it is only a tiny percentage of the folks that skate here. On the positive side; It's generally pretty welcoming. If someone is working on something cool that you're interested in and you ask, some people are pretty cool with showing you the ropes and love working on it with you! I've made so many good friends just showing up and working on my own moves and people chatting me up. In general, you just gotta show up and assess the vibe, as it really changes depending on who's skating there. Generally I'd advise going on: Tuesdays and Fridays anytime from 4pm - 10pm (solid group of skaters who watch out for each other and bring lights and music when it gets dark) Saturdays and Sundays anytime from 12pm - 6pm (A lot busier and crowded. Your experience may vary depending on who you know and feel comfortable skating with on the weekend). I typically always go with friends for safety.

Ice Skating....In a huge ballpark... Amazing? sort of. When you enter the field, of course you're…read moretotally excited that you have this rare opportunity to actually be on the field. But the novelty ends there. Once you walk over to the rink you realize that 60' X 120' isn't as big as you thought it was and you're left wondering where the other half of the rink has been placed. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids, which i think is a bit much compared to other ice rinks, but it was definitely a unique experience. They also make you fill out waiver forms before you get to skate; you know, just in case the ice collapses or you lose any body parts. I thought one of the most entertaining things were the abundance of, what i like to call, Ice Walkers that help new skaters balance, but i think they're just plain fun for everyone. Make sure to bring your camera, as being in the park will definitely lead to many photo opportunities, but make sure to wear something with lots of pockets as they do not have any lockers for your personal items. Overall, i thought it was a great location for a Ice skating rink, with great music playing in the background, but the rink could be a little larger, and the price is a tad expensive for what you get. All in all, i think i'll go to the Embarcadero the next time.

Oakland Ice Center is a great spot for ice skating!…read more I was in town and my friend takes lessons here so she brought us during one of the public open-skate times to practice and also for us all to skate since my partner and I LOVE ice skating. We went during the day and it wasn't too crowded. There was just a kid's birthday party and a few other skaters for a bit so it was nice. For birthday parties, they separate part of the rink, which might not be the best for public skate but I think is super cool! Back at my home rink, the parties kind of skate with everyone and it gets a bit rough, especially during crowded times. For beginner skaters, they have both the seal/dolphins(?) that you can use to skate and even stacks of buckets, which I think is genius, to adjust to height. It was easy to pay for a public skate session and grab rentals. The rink is a good size and layout was pretty cool. The skate shop was okay. Overall, a cute ice rink in Oakland!

Oakland Ice Center is such a fun spot for both beginners and experienced skaters. The staff is…read morefriendly and helpful, and the whole space feels well-run and safe. My kids had a blast during public skate hours--it was a great way to burn energy and try something different. The rental process was smooth, and they had plenty of sizes available. It's a little chilly inside (as expected!), so definitely dress warm. We'll definitely be coming back--it's a great year-round activity that's active and indoors, especially on hot or rainy days.