St. Nicholas Rink, 1898. Designed by the architectural firm of Flagg and Chambers, the St. Nicholas Rink was an indoor ice rink, one of the first to use a mechanical method to freeze ice. Opened in 1896 (and funded by Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Jacob Astor among others) the venue hosted ice sports exclusively until 1906. Later presented boxing and wrestling matches. When it ceased operation in 1962, it was reported that more than 30,000 bouts had taken place at St. Nicks. Closed in the 60s, the large industrial neo-Classical building was not demolished until the 1980s, replaced by ABC television offices.

In the first half of the 20th century, Jewish boxers were some of the most famous and feared athletes in the country.

St. Nicholas Rink was an indoor ice-rink that was of the first to use mechanically frozen ice in North America. However, seasonal affairs like skating and hockey proved to be less popular than sports like boxing and wrestling. By the 1920s, St. Nicholas was exclusively a venue for fighting.