Lights, Skating, Shopping, and a Heck of a Tree – It’s Christmas at Rockefeller Center! CheapOair Staff December 13, 2013 Holiday Travel, Interests, New York, Top US Destinations, Travel Tips For some people, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to Rockefeller Center. This mini-city, built by the Rockefeller family in the middle of the Great Depression, is now central to New York City’s Holiday celebrations and a sentimental site for visitors coming from near and far. Immortalized in countless films, the Christmas tree, skating rink, and surrounding environs are veritable American classics. The greatest thing about Rockefeller Center is that it’s open to the public. It’s free to behold the splendor of the tree, to window shop at the stores in the extended mall area and Fifth Avenue, and to watch the skaters at the world-famous ice skating rink. Of course, if you actually want to skate or shop, it might require a bit of a cash outlay. But many people are satisfied to just people watch and gaze in wonder at one of the world’s largest and most famous Christmas trees. Here’s our mini guide to some of the funs things you can enjoy with your family at Rockefeller Center during the winter holidays. The Tree The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza is a tradition dating back to 1933. The tree itself is usually more than 80 feet high, 50 feet wide, and typically weighs in at about 14 tons. The tree is usually decorated with more than 50,000 lightbulbs and topped by a Swarovski crystal star over 9 feet wide, with 70 spikes and covered in 3 million crystals. The lighting ceremony usually takes place in late November, right after Thanksgiving, and features a host of celebrity appearances and performances. The Plaza is typically open from 6 A.M. to 12 A.M., so you’ll have plenty of chances to fit a visit into your schedule, no matter what else you’re doing in the city to celebrate your holidays. The Skating Rink One of the most popular features of Rockefeller Center is the iconic skating rink. The rick has been featured in countless movies. You may recall Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel sharing a sweet kiss there in the 2003 movie Elf. Or Jeremy Renner slinging his bow and arrow across the ice in Hawkeye. There are plenty of reasons that movies choose to set scenes at the rink, but part of the rink’s charm comes form the golden statue of the Greek Titan Prometheus overlooking all proceedings, representing the pursuit of human knowledge. The charm doesn’t necessarily come cheap: tickets to skate on the rink could set you back between $11 and $54, depending on the day and time of year, and it’s another $11 to rent your skates. That may be why many people are content to merely watch and take in the holiday atmosphere. Radio City Music Hall The famed and fabulous Radio City Music Hall opened in December of 1932. The 5,960-seat venue was intended as a concert hall, but within a year of opening quickly switched its format to movie palace. During the holidays, the main attraction here is the annual Christmas Spectacular, featuring the world-famous Rockettes. Aside from a half dozen precision dance numbers from the Rockettes, the Spectacular also features a mini Nutcracker ballet, a 3-D ride on Santa’s sleigh over a digital New York City, and the famed “Living Nativity,” complete with live sheep, a donkey, and an actual camel. At other times of the year, the Music Hall features live concerts, awards shows, and even the NFL draft. But it’s the Christmas Spectacular and the Rockettes that people remember and return to year after year as part of a beloved holiday tradition. NBC Studios Rockefeller Center is also famously the headquarters of NBC and home to NBC Studios. The “30 Rock” building itself is famous, of course for the hit eponymous TV series set in the building. But there’s a lot more going on at 30 Rock than the adventures of one Liz Lemon. Other shows that are filmed at this famed location include Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Rockefeller Center is also home to The Today Show, which frequently features live performances on the Plaza outside the studio’s first-floor window. (Be sure to bring your own placard for saying “Hi” to grandma.) If you’re not lucky enough to get a ticket to one of the tapings, there are daily one-hour tours of the studios and an observation deck 70 floors above the city. You Might Also Enjoy: Christmas Town, USA! Magical Places to Visit for the Holidays The Shops You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy Rockefeller Center this December. But if you are in a spending mood, there’s lots to choose from. Fashion mavens will adore the selection of fine clothing shops, including Aritzia, Cole Haan, Kate Spade, and Michael Kors. If you’re in the market for some jewelry, you’ll find a wide selection of styles and price points at such stores as Eva Fehren, Ian Charms, Swarovski, and the iconic Tiffany & Co. For the kids, you’ll find the wildly popular Lego Store, Nintendo NY, and a newly resurrected FAO Schwarz, as well as several sports-themed outlets, including those for the MLB in general and the New York Yankees in particular. While shopping, you can check out the famous window displays lining Fifth Avenue in some of New York’s finest department stores. Do you have any fond memories of Christmas at Rockefeller Center? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
