On Top of the Rock in New York City
As I mentioned in my post about Reigniting Travel Enthusiasm during my last visit to New York City, I was determined to get out and take advantage of what the city had to offer. During my last few visits, I hadn’t spent much time getting out and seeing the city. I was a hypocrite; I was NOT making the most of my travel opportunities and was content to lounge at my friend’s apartment instead.
To reignite that enthusiasm, I was determined to have one New York City experience that had been on my list for some time – taking in the view of the New York City skyscrapers from the top of Rockefeller Center – also known as Top of the Rock, and of course I was dragging my local New Yorker friend with me.
While the Empire State Building might be the more popular observation deck to visit, Top of the Rock was not lacking visitors. Without making online reservations, visitors can expect to wait a couple hours before their assigned visitation window. Thankfully, we booked our tickets online ahead of time for a 7:00 window – perfect timing to watch the sun set over the island of Manhattan.
The Experience
When we arrived, we were led into the waiting area in the bottom of Rockefeller Center to board an elevator. The elevator whisked us up a couple floors – to the top of the waiting area. Here we went through security, an obligatory photo booth where we recreated the famous ‘lunchtime atop a skyscraper’ photo, and were once again herded into another waiting area where we were treated to some films on the history of Rockefeller Center.
After waiting our turn, we were guided through a set of hallways to another elevator – this time it was the elevator that would actually take us to the Top of the Rock. It looked like any standard elevator but once we started moving, the lights shut off, the ceiling became transparent and videos of Rockefeller Center were projected as we shot up 70 stories to the roof.
When we arrived at the top, it dawned on me that between the waiting areas, movies, and elevator rides, almost an hour had passed – giving the sun plenty of time to set while we were inside. I dashed to the windows to see the last slivers of a red sun fall below the horizon. When booking my ticket, I had not accounted for the actual time it would take to get to the Top of the Rock – something to take note of if you’re ever planning your own visit someday.
The Views
Though I was a bit disappointed that we’d missed most of the sunset, I was treated to the twilight hour – when the sky darkens and New York’s skyline lights up with a million twinkling lights.
The star of this view is the Empire State Building. When I visited, it was still the tallest building in New York City, however, as of this past Monday, One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan has since taken that title. If you look in the background of the picture above, you can see it under construction.
Top of the Rock provides a 360 view of New York City and the surrounding area: Queens to the East, New Jersey to the West, Central Park and the Bronx to the North. At the southern tip of Manhattan I could make out the Brooklyn Bridge spanning the Hudson into its namesake borough. I felt like I could see forever – and I figured if I squinted, maybe I could see all the way to Philadelphia.
The Feeling
New York City is a BIG place. Walking along the sidewalks through the canyons of skyscrapers, it’s easy to feel insignificant and lost in this megalopolis. But from the Top of the Rock, I had a completely opposite feeling. In one field of view, I could see the East and Hudson Rivers, Central Park, my friend’s apartment building, 5 Pointz, and more. It helped bring the city into perspective.
For a fleeting moment, I saw the city from a new vantage point. And though I soon returned to the streets and sidewalks below, I’ll never forget my new found view of the city.
John’s Note – My visit to Top of the Rock was sponsored in part by Holiday Hypermarket. As always, all opinions are my own.
Similar posts:
- 5 Pointz in New York City – A Warehouse Canvas of Color
- Hats of Epic Proportions at the Easter Parade in New York City
- MoMA PS1 Art Museum in New York City – Unexpected Gallery Surprises
- Springtime in Central Park – A New York City Photo Essay
24 Responses to On Top of the Rock in New York City
Leave a reply
Fields marked with * are required
Wow the skyline looks amazing at night. Beautiful shots !
DebbZ recently posted..Egypt Revisited: Conquering Mount Sinai
Thank you! It’s one of the most spectacular views in NYC in my opinion.
Glad to see you visited Top of The Rock. I often recommend it over the Empire State Building, as Empire often has really long lines (you could spend an entire afternoon seeing the Empire State Building due to lines & waiting). I have been able to get to the top much quicker than 1 hour, but I also skip the movies (seen them) and I guess have been very lucky
Top of the Rock is nice during the holidays too – great views (and literally no lines).
Glad I found this blog….seems awesome!
Adam Sommer recently posted..Louisville, KY: Churchill Downs & Kentucky Derby Museum
Plus you get to see the Empire State Building FROM Rockefeller Center. I’m not sure if they changed the process, but they MADE us watch the movies as a form of crowd control. We weren’t allowed to leave until our section was called.
Wow. Great images. Sharing these…
Lane recently posted..Yuan: Chinese Currency
Thanks Lane! Always appreciated.
I Love Top of the Rock! I’ve only been once, and it was in the middle of the night (it’s open so late!) and I was alone – which was super fun as well (no lines, less bossy security)… Great photos, thanks for sharing!
Dana – Our Wanderlust recently posted..Messing with Texas
I bet it’s incredible in the middle of the night. It was ridiculously cold when we went to I was happy to leave when we did.
What a stunning shot of the Empire State Building! Maybe you should start writing photography tip posts too, I could use some lessons
Annette | Bucket List Journey recently posted..A Spin on the London Eye
Thanks Annette! I actually have written a couple photo tips shots in the past, but its been a LONNNG time. I might have to start posting some more.
You take some amazing photos… And what a clear day for NYC! I love the photo with the Empire State Building. Even though you missed most of the sunset, the photos all turned out great and the sky looks beautiful. Looks like you captured it all at the perfect moment!
Thanks Claire! It really was a beautiful day, just a little crisp.
Such amazing pics! I didn’t even know about this place when I briefly lived in NYC. oh well!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..The best and worst of Chicago according to Quirky Travel Guy
Thanks Scott. I feel like it’s a lesser known viewpoint compared to the empire state building.
oo! I have the lunchtime atop a skyscraper photo hanging in my room. Nice photography!
Kae Lani recently posted..Beercation: Touring the Sam Adams Brewery
Did you know it was from Rockefeller Center? I didn’t until I visited.
Loved your picture of the skyline in this post! I have never been to New York (it’s on my list) but my co-worker is going tomorrow for two weeks and I showed your NYC posts to her, she is going to do the Top of the Rock now! I have instructed her to get a photo of her with the burritos for me at MoMA PS1 even if it means getting in trouble for taking photos, because that is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
EM – Cubicle Throwdown recently posted..Money, where have you been all my life?
Awesome! PLEASE send me the photos of your friend with the burritos! If she’s okay with it, I’d love to post it in my next roundup!
Great photos, John! It looks like the were worth missing a sunset for.
Curt recently posted..How to order coffee at McDonald’s in Phoenix
Thanks Curt! It does give me a good excuse to go back a second time though.
I was lucky enough to take in the view from the top of the Twin Towers back in ’98 and it was such an amazing view of NYC. I will never forget it.
Spencer recently posted..Ten Top Hotels in Reykjavik
I’m sure it was an amazing experience! Hopefully there will be an observation deck on the new world trade center.
Amazing the things we take for granted. We lived in NYC for 5 years and thank god we had a lot of out of towners come to visit otherwise we would have spent it all in our local pub. The Top of the Rock was definitely a highlight.
A Cook Not Mad (Nat) recently posted..On The Road Again…
Totally agree. For a long time the only time I ever went to Red Rocks (in my hometown of Denver) was when people were visiting. I didn’t really appreciate it for what it was until I left Denver for four years.