Rockefeller Center: The city within a city that defied the Great Depression
In 1931, construction workers pooled their money to buy a twenty-foot tree, planting it on a vacant Midtown lot. This gesture of hope during a severe economic crisis evolved into one of the most famous traditions in New York.
The complex that grew around it spans three blocks between 5th Avenue and the Avenue of the Americas. With nineteen Art Deco buildings, one hundred pieces of public art, and an observatory at 850 feet, this is not just a monument. It is a neighborhood.
Why visit Rockefeller Center?
John D. Rockefeller Jr. single-handedly financed this project on a 99-year lease from Columbia University to create a city within a city that blended offices, retail space, and art. The construction, launched during the heart of the Great Depression, employed 75,000 people annually. Thirty-nine international artists created roughly one hundred works for the site. The complex has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 1987.
An open-air Art Deco museum
Indiana limestone covers every facade. The setbacks of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, a 70-story tower, amplify the impression of height. Its flat roof mimics the deck of an ocean liner. Key works to spot include:
- Wisdom, with Sound and Light by Lee Lawrie above the entrance to 30 Rock, painted and gilded by Léon-Victor Solon
- Prometheus, the gilded sculpture by Paul Manship overlooking the skating rink, the most photographed statue in New York
- Atlas by Lee Lawrie on 5th Avenue, holding the celestial vault on his shoulders
- The Intelligence Awakening Mankind mosaic, featuring one million glass tiles in 250 colors
The lobby of 30 Rock houses American Progress by José María Sert. This mural replaced the one by Diego Rivera, which was destroyed in 1934 after the artist added a portrait of Lenin that was not in the contract. Rivera later recreated it at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, where it remains on display.
Top of the Rock and high-altitude experiences
The observatory opened in 1933, closed in 1986, and reopened in 2005. Three levels of terraces offer 360-degree views. Unlike the Empire State Building, the glass barriers allow for photos without chain-link fencing, featuring Central Park to the north and One World Trade Center to the south. The Beam replicates the famous 1932 photo of eleven workers eating lunch on a girder on the 69th floor. Skylift, a rotating glass platform, rises to 900 feet.
Local tip: The least crowded times are at opening or after 8 p.m. Sunset remains the most popular time, with higher ticket prices and frequent lines.
Life in the complex across the seasons
From October to April, The Rink transforms the Lower Plaza into an ice skating rink under the watchful gaze of Prometheus, a tradition dating back to 1936. In summer, the plaza hosts outdoor patios and free events. The Channel Gardens change their floral displays every season. The complex also houses the NBC studios and Radio City Music Hall, whose Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes remains the marquee event of the holiday season.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
Rockefeller Center is a complex of buildings near Fifth Avenue. In the winter, you will find an ice rink and beautiful light displays there. It is also where you will see the famous toy store, FAO Schwarz, from the movie Big with Tom Hanks.
Aside from the shopping, you will surely go to Rockefeller Center to climb to the top of the Top of the Rock tower, one of the most exhilarating observation decks in New York, with a crazy view of the Empire State Building in particular.