1. FREE.  (Versus nearly $20 at Rockefeller Center, and that’s if the ice isn’t already booked by a private party.)

2. Skate rental [...]]]> Chicago, IL–Ice skating at Millenium Park has to be the coolest, most amazing free thing to do in a big city.  No offense, Rockefeller Center, but you’ve got nothing on us.  Let me innumerate:

1. FREE.  (Versus nearly $20 at Rockefeller Center, and that’s if the ice isn’t already booked by a private party.)

2. Skate rental is $10, but you can bring your own, and you’re not wearing something that was on another person’s sweaty feet a few minutes before. (OK, Rockefeller Center’s rental is $9, so it’s a mite cheaper.)

3. Unobstructed view of Michigan Avenue, a national historic district.  Seriously, you could hail a cab from the rink. (Versus potential glimpses of 5th Ave. and Avenue of the Americas.  And if it’s bad weather, you know you can’t hail a cab anywhere in NYC.)

4. Skating under the shining Bean (a.k.a. Cloudgate).  (Versus gliding under the watchful gaze of the gold Prometheus statue of Rockefeller Center.  Well, that’s almost a tossup.)

5.  Ice skating lessons are free on Saturday mornings and dance parties are free on Friday and Saturday evenings in February. (Versus $30 at Rockefeller Center for lessons.)

6. Our Chicago Blackhawks hockey team is awesome. (So what if it doesn’t have anything to do with the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink?  Just sayin’.)

Enough said.  Get your skates and get to Millenium Park.