Northeast Philadelphia Man's Backyard Ice Rink Is A Labor Of Love Maintained Over "A Lot Of Sleepless Nights"

CBS Philadelphia

January 29, 2025

A family in Philadelphia's Fox Chase neighborhood is making the most of the chilly weather. They've converted their backyard into an ice skating rink, and it's now in its 10th year running.

"I originally started 10 years ago. I had one of those blow-up pools," said David Bara, the builder of the rink and a father of three. "I was cutting it to throw it out in the trash. I got to the bottom, I realized it was a bowl that I could fill with water and freeze, and with a house full of kids who play hockey, I said, 'Why not? Why not give it a shot?' And now it's kind of expanded into this thing we have here today, which is pretty special."

Bara's backyard rink has come a long way since its days as a cut-up plastic pool. Today, it measures 20 feet by 48 feet, and it sits on a custom liner surrounded by plastic boards covered with actual advertisements.

David Bara, a homeowner in the Fox Chase section of Northeast Philadelphia, built this 20 feet by 48 feet backyard ice rink/David Bara courtesy to CBS News Philadelphia

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