Rockefeller Center

About Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a cluster of commercial buildings in Midtown Manhattan, built by the Rockefeller family during the 1930s at the height of the Great Depression. The complex runs across several blocks between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and its Art Deco towers, sunken plaza, and gilded statue of Prometheus make it one of the most recognizable corners of New York City. At the center stands 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the main skyscraper most people simply call 30 Rock, home to television studios and, at the top, the Top of the Rock observation deck.

The observation deck spreads across three levels at the summit of 30 Rock and gives you an open-air view in most directions. Its big advantage over other high points in the city is the sightline itself: looking south you get the Empire State Building framed against Lower Manhattan, and looking north you see almost the whole rectangle of Central Park, a view you cannot get from the Empire State Building because you would be standing on it. Timed-entry tickets are the norm, and booking a slot in advance is the easiest way to avoid waiting around at the elevators.

Street level is worth time on its own, even without going up. The lower plaza holds the ice rink in winter and open-air dining the rest of the year, the Channel Gardens lead in from Fifth Avenue, and the Radio City Music Hall sits just off the northwest edge. In December the giant Christmas tree draws large crowds, so if you are visiting then, come early in the day or late in the evening. The site is easy to reach by subway and pairs naturally with a wider walk around Midtown.