Spotlight - NYC - The Rockefeller Center

Spotlight: The Rockefeller Center is one of the most iconic landmarks in New York City. The Center is made up of 19 buildings, covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st Streets. It was named after John D. Rockefeller Jr., who leased the land from Columbia University and began developing it in 1930. Rockefeller personally financed the construction of 14 buildings in the Center, using the Art Deco style, providing employment for over 40,000 individuals during the decade of the 1930's, at the height of the Great Depression. International Building North was originally slated to house German commercial interests in the U.S., but Rockefeller nixed the idea in response to the Nazi's aggressive movements leading up to WWII. Instead, it became the headquarters of British Intelligence during the War, with Room 3603 becoming the principal operations center of Allied Intelligence. Additions to the Center include the Lehman Brothers Building, and four International style towers built during the 1960's & 1970's.

looking up

     The Rockefeller Center is one of the last public building projects to focus on the artistic design of its buildings. A huge statue of Atlas faces 5th Avenue, creating a symbol for the Center itself. Other works of art are found throughout the complex including friezes on the buildings themselves.

Hanging art display

Location: The Rockefeller Center is located just east of Times Square, in between 48th & 51st Streets, and between 5th & 6th Avenues. The centerpiece of the Center is the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza,

Cost: Free to walk around; tours and other activities cost extra.
"Top of the Rock" Observation Deck - $30/adult; $28/senior; $24/child (6-12)

Time: Open from 8:00 am - midnight. Plan on 1-2 hours for the Top of the Rock Tour.

Description: The Rockefeller Center is a collection of 19 buildings. Most of these buildings are office buildings of internationally recognized companies such as Time-Life, NBC, and McGraw-Hill. One of the more famous buildings is Radio City Music Hall, which became the premiere showcase for films from the RKO-Radio Studio. The format for these shows included both a feature film with an accompanying stage show. These popular performances helped Radio City become the most popular attraction in NYC for many years until changes in film distribution made it difficult for Radio City to obtain exclusive bookings. The Music Hall has presented performances of many top rock and pop performers over the past 30 years, and has hosted celebrated TV events such as the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, and the NFL Draft.

     The centerpiece of the Center is the Comcast Building (AKA - 30 Rock) - currently the home of NBC studios. This 70-floor, 872-foot tall skyscraper is the setting for one of the most famous photos of all time - Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper taken by Charles C. Ebbets. The Observation Deck on top of the skyscraper is known as Top of the Rock, and offers visitors a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. The famous Rainbow Room club restaurant is located on the 65th floor.

View of the Empire State Building

View of Central Park

     In front of 30 Rock is the Lower Plaza, which is reached from 5th Avenue via the Channel Gardens and Promenade. The Gardens change from season to season, with a different theme each time. Each winter, the Lower Plaza hosts the famous Rockefeller Ice Skating Rink and the iconic Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
     A series of underground shops and restaurants are located underneath the Plaza and can be accessed from stairways located in the lobbies of the six landmark buildings.
     About 200 flagpoles line the Plaza at street level. The flags often display the member nations of the United Nations. Occasionally, they display various holiday motifs, and on U.S. holidays they each display a U.S. flag.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5); 5 stars during the Christmas season

Things You Should Know: - The Top of the Rock tour is included with the New York Pass.
- The last elevator to the observation deck leaves at 11:00 pm.
- The public entrance for the Top of the Rock Tour is on 50th Street.
- The Rock Pass is good for the Rockefeller Center Tour and the Observation Deck.
- Various other tours are available at the official Rockefeller website.
- There is a subway station entrance below 6th Avenue for Trains B, D, F & M.

Nearby: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, MoMA, Central Park