Sunday, July 10, 2016

Top of the Rock in NYC



The "Top of the Rock" is the observation deck of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York!

(All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)


When my husband and I were in NYC in June, we passed by Rockefeller Center on our way to our hotel and realized we never made a visit to the Top of the Rock when we lived in NYC. We had been to the Empire State Building numerous times and both the old and new World Trade Center Observations Decks.  We also once brought our children to a tour of the NBC studios, and dined at the Rainbow Room, both located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and on many occasions saw the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, but we never ventured up to the observation deck because it was closed for twenty years, between 1986 and 2005, due to a expansion project for the Rainbow Room on the 65th floor.  We decided now was the time to finally go to the top and proceeded to the entrance on 50th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue.


After we paid our entrance fee, we entered the hallway leading to the elevator that would take us up to the 70th floor.  At 850 feet (260 m) high, this is the 14th tallest building in New York City.


There were many interesting historical placards to read along the way, and a short movie on John D Rockefeller Jr,  who was the developer and sole financier of Rockefeller Center, which opened in 1933 during the Great Depression.


The elevator takes you to the 67th floor, where you step out into a room with floor to ceiling windows and this magnificent view!


You then can walk up to the 69th floor, which is outside, but also enclosed with glass windows which helps the squeamish feel safer.


We headed up to the final 70th floor observation deck, which has no glass ...


...but still feels very secure, as you are behind a high wall....


...with a full open air 360 degree view of Manhattan!


This iconic view of the Empire State Building at 34th Street, and the new World Trade Center building in the distance in Lower Manhattan, is fabulous to see.


As a native New Yorker, I could easily identify most of the sights I was seeing.  Here, to the left was the East River and a few of the bridges in the distance that span it, connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan.


A close up view of the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridges.


Here, to the right, is the Hudson River with New Jersey in the background.


Looking towards New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan, one can see Ellis Island and Liberty Island in the harbor.


A closer view, and you can see the Statue of Liberty....


...and even closer view.


A view uptown and of Central Park.


Closer view...


...and closer....


...and looking further north  up towards the George Washington Bridge. that connects the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan with Fort Lee, New Jersey.


Looking towards Park Avenue you can see the tall skinny residential building at 432 Park Ave.  It is the second highest building in Manhattan, at 1,396 feet (426 m), after the World Trade Center, and the highest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.


432 Park Avenue was developed by the CIM group and built between 2012 and 2015, and features 104 condominium apartments.


It is said that the top penthouse condominium sold for $95 million dollars!  I find it hard to imagine living someplace so expensive, and so high in the air!


The Chrysler building is somewhat hiding behind the Met Life building


A close up of the Chrysler Building tower and the east side of Manhattan 


 Elegant buildings on the west side of Manhattan...


...and more here.


Back around towards the Empire State Building, and to the left at the horizon I noticed the Verrazano Bridge that connects Brooklyn to Staten Island.


A close up of the Verrazano Bridge and in the forefront the tops of new high rise condominiums being constructed in Brooklyn.


A good view of the borough of Brooklyn--my former hometown. Some of the Jersey shore beaches can be seen in the far distance across the water.


My husband and I really enjoyed the views from the Top of the Rock and we were happy we finally had the opportunity to visit it.  It is a different overlook perspective and on a clear day the views are magnificent!


Before we departed Rockefeller Center we went to see the iconic statue of Atlas holding the Heavens....




...and we also visited the Channel Gardens in the Rockefeller Center Plaza, as we knew they are an ever changing display and always beautiful.  For the month of June they were filled with desert cactus plants.


The array of cacti, succulents and canopy trees in the Rockefeller Center Channel Gardens were amazing!


In summer, the recessed ice skating rink becomes a Summer Garden and Bar, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.  It was well shaded from the sun on the day of our visit.  There is also a Rockefeller Cafelocated inside at the concourse level, at 20 West 50th Street, that is open year round, and looks at the Rink and Summer Garden and Bar.


The Prometheus statue is said to be the best known sculpture in Rockefeller Center and the most photographed monumental sculpture in all of New York City!


We spent quite a bit of time in Midtown, Manhattan, on our trip, so I'll save some of those experiences for my next post. One thing about NYC-- there is always something new to see and do!

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39 comments:

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

We did that on our visit to NYC - the one we were trying to meet each other at but couldn't :-(. You got some wonderful pictures!

Sarah said...

Pat, thanks for sharing. The views are incredible. Haven't been to the Top of the Rock. Need to put that on my list.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Pat, the Rockefeller Center is a gorgeous building. When I've visited NYC I'm always amazed at the host of things to do. The views and photos you've shared are incredible. Thank you for sharing them. I would never be able to go to the top as I discovered I'm very afraid of heights. It gives me a feeling of falling....not pleasant. I do love seeing your views! ♥

Linda W. said...

I enjoyed all your photos from high on the "Rock."

The Furry Gnome said...

What a skyline to be familiar with!

Tony McGurk said...

What amazing views from the top. 432 Park Avenue is certainly tall & skinny. I wonder if they feel any movement at the top in strong winds.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I most definitely want to see this place someday!! My honey is visiting NYC next week. Maybe she can visit the top of the rock!

I wish you a wonderful start to the week :)

Gemma Wiseman said...

What a wonderful range of spectacular views from The Rock. For those of us who have never seen New York, it gives us a greater perspective of the urban landscape and beyond. And love the cactus garden too.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Pat! Wonderful views of NYC! I like the garden tour too. I would like to visit the Top of the Rock. Wonderful collection of photos. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

Jeanne said...

Good morning Pat, I am so thankful Mr. Linky decided to behave. Beverly helped me figure our what I was doing wrong. I can't post earlier than 12:00 midnight because that coincides with my setup on Mr. Linky. I got this...NOW! Finally.

Your NYC photos are wonderful and the bridges which caused us so much confusion when we visited MANHATTAN look easy to figure out. HA! When our daughter and her family were in NYC for a week last summer, guess what building impressed them the most. The Flat Iron. Funny huh? Thank you for your detailed post about the buildings in Manhattan. I loved this interesting post very much. I too cannot imaging paying so much money to live so high up. Yikes.
Happy Blue Monday.
Hugs,
Jeanne

podso said...

Wonderful photos, Pat. I'm so glad you got to go up to the top of the Rockefeller building this visit. It certainly was a clear day. It was fun to see where my old dorm was (now torn down) right at the edge of the GW bridge. Looking forward to seeing more!

Anonymous said...

Superb views, Pat! I love all of them, but think I would choose top of the Rock as my favorite! Never realized that Rockefeller developed greatly during the great Depression -what a feat!
Like the high transparent wall on the highest floor (would be hard to jump off of that one - as a therapist that's what I think of:)
Many thanks for sharing these with SEASONS -hope you're having lovely times and enjoying big city amenities there!

Fun60 said...

You had a clear day for such fantastic views. Loved trying to work otu the buildings.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos of the great views you had at the top! You really are a great ambassador for New York!

carol l mckenna said...

Beautiful photography ~ the first photo is my favorite!

Happy Week to you ~ ^_^

Al said...

What a great place. I walked around it last time I was in NYC but didn't go up as it was sold out; since I'm there for business it's hard to make plans to go on a particular evening. But I did go up One WTC!

VioletSky said...

One of the first things I did on my first visit to NYC was to go to the Top of the Rock. I think that was a bit of a mistake - I should have waited until I was more familiar with the (less famous) buildings so I could appreciate what I was looking at. Still, it was - and is - a magnificent view. And your photos are remarkable (I remember the wind!)

CountryMouse said...

So many iconic structures that I have seen in movies and never in real life. It was great to see where everything sits. What a great view from up there and you have taken some amazing shots of the skyline. Thanks for the tour!

Rajesh said...

Wow! amazing aerial views of the city.

csuhpat1 said...

Stunning a beautiful shots. Just postcard perfect.

diane b said...

That would have been a great experience. The views of that fabulous city are wonderful. Your commentary is good too.

handmade by amalia said...

Gorgeous views of the city.
Amalia
xo

Rhonda Albom said...

Fantastic! And so cool that you could see the Statue of Liberty from the top?

Ruth said...

I love this post! I wasn't aware of this observation deck. I have been to the one in the Empire State Building but you know how much you have to wait to get up. Plus, it is crowded at the top. I making note of this place since I would love to visit in during my next visit of New York.

Jim said...

Amazing shots. It's been a long time since I've been to NYC.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Amazing views from someone who really knows what she is seeing! I would want a knowledgeable guide like you if I were there. The garden surprised me!

Sharon Wagner said...

What a perspective! You've shown us every angle. I almost feel like I'm there. Except I can't go out for some classic NY pizza.

Jocelyn said...

Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of NYC. I was born there, but have not been back in 40 years. My dad lived at 715 Park Avenue, but of course that was many years ago. It was fun to see all the main sights, but my favorite was and always will be central park. I spent many hours there as a child.

Jocelyn @ http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

Judy said...

We are still hoping to visit NYC one day...but if I never get there, I feel like you have given a very good tour right here (and many time in the past)! I see that I am not alone in feeling that way. Thanks for another wonderful tour of 'your city'! :)

Unknown said...

I'd certainly like to visit NYC one day but there's no way I could live there. So many people and so much noise. I would feel totally overwhelmed by all this. The views from above are absolutely amazing though!

Mary K. said...

Pat, it is so nice to find your blog. I am also a New Yorker who has been living in Greece for a while now. But New York is still my first love. I went back recently for a visit and while on the Triboro bridge stared in awe at that tall skinny residential building. It was new to me and I could not for the life of me imagine anyone fitting in there. lol Of course when I got to Manhattan I tracked it right down and stared up at the endless height of it. Thanks for the great photos.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Absolutely incredible views!! All are wonderful, by my favorites are the shots of the Central Park area. Thanks for sharing these!!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

What fun to be tourists again in your old home town!

The Gathering Place said...

Beautiful city!

Jemma@athomewithjemma said...

Thank you ever so much for sharing this inspirational post with us!
What great views, it was thrilling to see Central Park from this perspective!
We thank you for sharing this with us at TOHOT!
jemma

Betty said...

What a wonderful view! I don't think I'd want one of those condos even if they gave it to me. I prefer to be closer to the ground. I finally went up in the Empire State Building about ten years ago. I'm not crazy about heights.

Stacey said...

This is definitely on my bucket list! Don't know that I could get my scared of heights husband to the top of the rock but it would be fun to try. I'd love to visit NYC in the fall, I think.

Happy Thoughts of Home Pat!

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness, all the NYC posts are really making me want to go visit. I think it will be a while, but you are making me excited.

Lisa @ Life Thru the Lens

Indah Nuria Savitri said...

Spectacular views! I enjoy the visit here as well :). Great photos..