Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a perfect combination of tourism and shopping. It was originally conceived by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1929 to revitalize the area. It is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st streets and was declared a national landmark in 1987. 

For art viewers, it is a paradise. Enjoy the sculpture artists, including Lee Oscar Lawrie, who contributed 12 pieces, including the famed statue of Atlas facing Fifth Avenue. Isamu Noguchi, whose gleaming stainless steel statue, News, is over the main entrance to 50 Rockefeller Plaza (the Associated Press Building). Other artists include Carl Milles, Hildreth Meiere, Margaret Bourke-White, Dean Cornwell and Leo Friedlander.

The centerpiece of Rockefeller Center is the 70-floor, 872-foot GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza ("30 Rock")— formerly known as the RCA Building—centered behind the sunken plaza. 

Around Christmas time, the area becomes particularly popular for tourists coming to see the annual lighting of the Christmas tree, which typically occurs the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. It comes down January 7th. 

You can basically buy anything you can imagine here. Shops include Brookstone, Esprit, An American Craftsman, Dahlia, Erwin Pearl, Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, NBC Experience Store, Anthropolige, Banana Republic, Aldo Shoes, Ann Taylor, Coach and Cole Haan. 

If you're not the shopping type, travel to the Top of the Observations desk, set 70 floors high, and experience the joy of an unobstructed 360 degree view. There are two kinds of tickets, both $21---you can either buy a ticket on line for a particular date to avoid a line or you can get a voucher that is valid for six months but does not guarantee your admission for a particular date. 

There are many special deals, including the Sunrise Sunset ticket, which offers you the chance to visit the deck twice in one day. Also for just $30 you can go to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the deck in one day. Keep in mind the MoMA is closed on Tuesdays. 

Afterwards, to keep the memory of the day alive, bring home tons of souvenirs, including hats, bags & umbrellas, magnets and key chains.

If that's not enough to keep you busy, check out the extensive indoor mall which comes in particularly handy in bad weather. 

HelloMetro Tip: For $1.99 get an exclusive audio guide that will walk you throught your entire Top of the Rock Experience using your own MP3 Player. Click here for details.

- by Danielle Sonnenberg, New York Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Danielle Sonnenberg

Danielle Sonnenberg is a freelance writer living in New York City. She is passionate about stories and asking questions. She has written for several publications including the New York Post, TheStreet.com, Lifestyles Magazine, and Minyanville.com To view more of her work please go to, Her website is www.daniellesonnenberg.com