近い vs. 近く

I was looking for an ice rink near my house. At first, I used 近いアイスリンク, but then 近くのアイスリンク also came to mind, so I decided to look up the difference.

近い

focuses on the distance: something “is close”

近い is especially useful when we mention what it is close to or when we compare distances:

家から近いアイスリンク
an ice rink close to my house

一番近い店
the closest shop

something is located nearby or in the surrounding area

When we simply mean “something nearby,” 近くの is probably more common and natural.

家の近くのアイスリンク
an ice rink near my house