I have to be honest here, I know next to nothing about the rollerskating rinks in NJ. In fact, I learned to roller skate only recently, due to peer pressure. I rely on my more experienced friends to point me in the right direction for some roller skating fun. My kids love it, and we have tried three different places for their open skate times already and aiming for the more in very near future. Join us as we explore the different roller rinks in NJ.
Frenchtown Roller Rink
The first place we went to was the Frenchtown Roller Rink. We had a great time there. They have plenty of open skate times to choose from. The rink itself is visibly on the older side, but has a nice floor, and a cozy family atmosphere. There are rentals available, and they are fine, though if you want to be comfortable bring your own skates. Even though it is an older place, I personally prefer it so far for two reasons: the music volume was reasonable, and the floor is not too huge, the prices are reasonable, and I haven’t felt overwhelmed by the crowd on the skating floor. I know they are ‘mom’ reasons, but what can I do, those things matter to me: a beginner and a mom. There are wide benches you can sit on and leave your stuff on in the observation area. There is a snack area, and a small arcade space, but we rarely pay attention to those because we just come to have fun skating. The folks that work there are friendly. There are all sorts of games happening throughout the open skate time, which makes it extra fun for the kids. Overtime, we have been back on several occasions, and each time we had a fantastic amount of fun skating there. Even though it’s quite a drive for us, we are certain that we will be back there again soon.
South Amboy Roller Rink Arena
The second place, and one we tried most recently is in South Amboy: South Amboy Roller Rink Arena. It is visibly a much newer and bigger rink. They also have a variety of open skate hours to choose from. Overall we had a very good time there as well. What I liked about this place is that they had two employees skating on the floor throughout the night. When a kid (or adult) would fall they would make sure they don’t get run over, and help them out. That was just wonderful. The place is bigger, the rink itself is much larger with a nice wooden floor, I love the open layout, and the fact that you could walk all the way around the rink. The folks working there were really nice. They also had some floor games, and a whole dance off with a mascot, which was cute. 
My one complaint was the insane music volume. It was not just my complaint, every kid that came with us (we always come in a fairly large group) also complained. It was deafening and physically hurt. At some point we had to come up and ask for it to be lowered (special thank you to the person working that night, and accommodating our request!).
The South Amboy Rink had a clean eating space, a well stocked snack bar, a shop, and an arcade. Everything looked sparkly clean and new:
They also had lockers you could rent for the night with a quarter, which was very helpful. There was plenty of space to sit on in the observation area. Overall, we had a great time there as well, and will be back.
Update: since I last have been there, they had renovations done, so expect it to look different and hopefully nicer. I am due for another visit there.
Woodbridge Community Center Roller Skating Rink
Our most recent trip was to Woodbridge Community Center. It is not too far for us, so it made perfect sense to try it out. The prices were very reasonable. There is a concession stand, a dj that takes requests, a path over the rink for walking. The Center itself is quite lovely, with a pool, and ice skating rink. It is a place that I would be happy to check out aside from roller skating. The roller skating floor was crowded when we were there. Of course it was the weekend. It got much better toward the end of our visit, when quite a few people left. The music was, again, on a loud side, but not so much that people were complaining (I am thinking it might just be my sensitivity to it). It was clean, and fun, and I would come back on another day.
