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This sprawling 16,000-square-foot space, designed to double as a concert venue and nightclub for up to 1,200 people, is the city’s first new wooden rink in over a decade.
Founded by Varun Kataria, a local business owner who’s already made his mark on the neighborhood with the Turk’s Inn and the Sultan Room just down the block, Xanadu is decorated with a giant black-and-white photo of a group of young Black skaters taken over 40 years ago at Empire, a model for the energy in the room today. There’s also a rinkside bar, serving drinks with names like "Skaterade" and "Purple Rain" with direct sightlines of all the action on the wood. And in the bathroom, a surprise DJ spins a soundtrack for patrons to dance to as they wash their hands, a cheeky setup Kataria calls “Club Flush.”
As skaters from all corners of the city converge on this groovy Brooklyn rink, it’s clear that Xanadu isn’t just here to fill a void—it’s creating a whole new world of possibilities for NYC skaters.