Late night skating is a Toronto tradition, whether it be in the form of an energetic game of shiny or a romantic twirl on an abandoned rink. While the majority of Toronto's outdoor rinks are locked down after 9 p.m. or so, there are a host of exceptions spread across the city.

Here are my picks for the top rinks for late night skating in Toronto.

Nathan Phillips Square

The most obvious rink for late night skating in Toronto is still its best. The backdrop of city hall and the Financial District make up for the snowy ice and the likelihood that you'll be accompanied by other people with the same romantic idea as you.

Ryerson Community Park

The outdoor rink found on Gould St. is not gated and is unsupervised. While the maintenance of the rink may not be the best, it's a great place for impromptu games of shiny after midnight.

Mel Lastman Square

One of the best bets for those who live north of the 401, the centrally located Mel Lastman Square often plays host to a small contingent of post-midnight skaters, despite the rink only technically being open until 10pm.

If you head there late enough (say after 2 a.m.), you might just get the entire pad to yourself.

Alexandra Park

Like a number of other rinks on this list, the hockey side of the double pad at Bathurst and Dundas is protected by a fence and not easily accessible after hours. The pleasure skating side is, however, one of the nicer sheets of ice to hit at night thanks to then end of day Zamboni.

Ledbury Park

Here's another quiet rink, though you might occasionally find a few North Toronto kids out for game of shiny in the wee hours. The rink is, however, long enough to accommodate hockey players at one end pleasure skaters at the other.

Wallace Emerson Park

The hockey rink side of Wallace Emerson is fenced-in (though sometimes you might get lucky and find it unlocked), but the pleasure skating pad is accessible at all hours, which attracts both late night pleasure skaters and shiny types.

Sherbourne Common

You will be cold at this outdoor rink, but the view of the skyline to the west and the near guarantee that the rink will be abandoned should prove a draw for those after some quiet one on one time.

Colonel Sam Smith Park

This Toronto skating trail is unsurprisingly accessible at all hours of the day. The lighting is a bit low late at night and the snow buildup can be a bit annoying, but it's still one of the prettier places to skate in the dark.

Rennie Park

Rennie is another double pad rink in which the hockey area is protected by a fence, and thus typically inaccessible after hours. The pleasure skating pad is, however, unique for its central tree, which serves as a natural focal point for folks to skate around.

Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Park

This North York park is home to a great playground and, more importantly, an un-gated skating oval. The park is not well lit at night, so you'll want to remember your flashlight for the next late night skating sesh.