New York City has nearly 700 ice ladders scattered around more than 100 bodies of water. The bright red ladders are for professional use only in case of emergency, to help rescue people who venture out on the ice and either get stuck or fall in.
Interestingly, the ice ladders are not really ladders at all. They function more like a large snowshoe, distributing a person’s weight across the surface of the ice and making it less likely for them to fall in.
Ice conditions are not very predictable these days, so the city has a blanket ban on venturing out onto frozen bodies of water. But this was not always the case.
Back in 1858, when Central Park first opened, ice skating on the ponds was one of its first major attractions. In fact, skating was so encouraged that Central Park’s lake was called the “skating pond” in the original plans.
That was possible, however, because the late 1800s were an especially cold time in New York City. In 1888, it was cold enough for the East River to freeze solid. Ferries could not run, and people literally walked across an ice bridge to get to work.
Even though those coldest days are behind us, the arrival of the ladders each year is still a reminder that winter is back, even if we are not allowed out on the ice.