Rockefeller Center

Home of Radio City Music Hall and a spectacular art deco landmark in the heart of Manhattan.

Taking up an impressively large space, the Rockefeller Centre is famous for several reasons: the attractive front concourse area, bordered by flags; the lower plaza containing a restaurant in summer and an ice-rink in winter; an extremely golden statue of Prometheus; a giant, celebrated Christmas tree during the festive season; and finally the GE Building, the chief skyscraper in the plaza, housing the NBC studios among its myriad offices and the Top of the Rock, an observation area providing stunning views of Manhattan. Perhaps less well known to visitors is the large dining concourse lying discretely beneath the whole area, catering for all tastes and budgets.

The GE Building was completed in 1933 to the same art-deco tune as the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, with its marbled interior and ceiling murals depicting toil, building and aviation. Swathed in black and cream marble with gold accents, the lobby is a glamorous affair and apt to house its famous broadcast studios.

However, unlike its brothers, it has no spire. Its summit was originally formed instead to mimic an ocean liner. The observation deck closed for a number of years, re opening to the public in 2005, after undergoing a $75 million renovation to become Top of the Rock.

Like the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller observation deck allows for views behind glass for those uncomfortable with stepping up to the edge. However, unlike Empire, Top of the Rock has some very attractive interior displays based around light. This begins with the glittering Swarovski waterfall in the entrance and continues with the lift's clear ceiling across which images flash.

This affords an exciting, if disconcerting view, of the illuminated lift shaft interior on the way up. Swarovski makes another appearance around the summit entrance with glowing crystal 'geodes' and, finally, an amusing light and sound room which changes colour with movement.

All of the views available to the Empire State Building are present here. The additional benefit being that the prettier Empire State Building can be seen from this vantage point, whereas Rockefeller, although tall and internally impressive, is less pleasing the other way around.

Access is available all day and late into the night. The dawn and dusk views are a feature of this attraction, however, the sparkling lights of Manhattan at night are simply amazing.

The Rockefeller Centre was envisioned and financed by John D. Rockefeller, an American industrialist and philanthropist, to be a grand plaza for the people wherein business and community would meet. Today, his vision is manifest with Rockefeller now New York's greatest crossroad, filled with boutiques, eateries and famous icons - a joy to behold.