"Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends." Aeschylus
When people think of the greatest view in New York City in a post 911 era, they generally think of the observation deck of its greatest building – the Empire State Building. While the view from that deck is incredible, I find the lines are very long, the views are restricted and you have to fight through throngs of tourists to get a glimpse in any direction. My favorite vantage point of the city is from the “Top of the Rock” at Rockefeller Plaza. This observation deck is located on the top of the GE Building which is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza known locally as “30 Rock”. This magnificent 70 floor 872 foot Art Deco style skyscraper was completed in the late 1930s and when it was started along with the other 14 initial buildings of the Rockefeller Center it was the largest construction project taken on by man kind in modern history. The famous “Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper” photo from 1932, by Charles C. Ebbets was taken during the construction on a beam at the 840 foot level. Rockefeller Center now consists of 19 buildings covering 22 acres in-between 6th Avenue on the north and 5th Avenue on the south with 48th Street as the west boundary and 51st Street as the east boundary. When I visited the “Top of the Rock” it was a beautiful sunny day in May. There were virtually no lines at 9am and the elevator which was transparent, allowing us to look all the way up to the top of the shaft through a glass ceiling, zoomed us to the 67th floor in less than a min. It reminded me of a fighter craft taking off from the Battle Star Galactica as the four corners of the elevator shaft were lined from top to bottom with blue lights and it seemed as though you were being shot through a laser to the top. On the 67th floor there are refreshments available and a gift shop. You can climb a series of stairs to the veritable roof of the building which is quite a unique experience as most building observation decks are not on the very top of a building. From the top of the 70th floor you have a 360 degree un obstructed view of the magnificent concrete jungle that is Manhattan. To the west you can see the green oasis of Central Park hemmed in on all sides by sky scrapers with the George Washington Bridge crossing the Hudson River in the distance. To the east uniquely shaped “sawed off” looking Citi Group Tower. To the south east you can see the square shaped Met Life Building with the silvery shining spire of the beautiful Chrysler Building beyond. To the south is the finest view in the City of the Empire State Building singularly piercing the sky above the buildings of midtown with the gigantic new Goldman Sachs tower standing along on the edge of the water in Jersey City south across the Hudson. To the south west is the Conde Nast building and the other strangely shaped skyscrapers rising above the Times Square area. To the west the aircraft carrier “Intrepid” is visible moored along the Hudson. While this view is stunning, you should really plan plenty of time to explore the rest of the Rockefeller Center. 30 Rock is also home to NBC, MSNBC, Saturday Night Live, and WNBC New York. Across 49th Street to the west is the “Late Night with David Letterman” studio. At the corner of 50th Street and 6th Avenue is the “Radio City Music Hall”. Immediately due south and directly below the GE building is the Rockefeller Center “Sunken Ice Rink” with the Golden looking statue of Prometheus by Paul Manship brooding over it. On the corner of 5th Avenue and 50th Street is the Magnificent “St. Patrick’s Cathedral”. This incredible structure is a must see if you are visiting Rockefeller Center. The size and beauty of this building is something that I cannot adequately describe in words. Across the street to the north from the Cathedral is the statue of “Atlas” which is 45 feet tall and weighs 7 tons. If you are visiting New York City make sure that you put the Rockefeller Center on your schedule – “Top of the Rock” in particular, as it is an experience you will never forget. The observation deck is open from 8:30am to Midnight, 365 days per year with the last elevator going up at 11pm. For more information on tickets and directions call 877-NYC-ROCK (877-692-7265 or visit them on the web at info@topoftherocknyc.com
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Tags: 30 rockefeller plaza, Avenue, battle star galactica, building, building the empire state, elevator shaft, lunchtime atop a skyscraper, observation, Rockefeller, street
I loved visiting New York with you and the kids. I agree that “Top of the Rock” was a much better experience than the Empire State Building and the views were amazing!