New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [57]
At the complex’s center is the sunken Lower Plaza, site of the world’s most famous ice-skating rink October through April (it’s a café in summer). Skaters swoop or stumble across the ice while crowds gather above on the Esplanade to watch the spins and spills.
Hovering above, the gold-leaf statue of the fire-stealing Greek hero Prometheus—Rockefeller Center’s most famous sculpture—forms the backdrop to zillions of photos. Carved into the wall behind it, a quotation from Aeschylus reads “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.”
The Lower Plaza provides access to the marble-lined corridors underneath Rockefeller Center, which house restaurants (everything from the high-end Sea Grill to pizza parlors), a post office, and clean public restrooms—a rarity in Midtown. | Between 5th and 6th Aves. and W. 49th and W. 50th Sts., Midtown West | 10020 | 212/332–7654 for the rink | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center.
Rising up on the Lower Plaza’s west side is the 70-story (850-foot-tall) Art Deco GE Building (212/332–6868), a testament to modern urban development. Here Rockefeller commissioned and then destroyed a mural by Diego Rivera upon learning that it featured Vladimir Lenin. He replaced it with the monumental American Progress by José María Sert, still on view in the lobby, flanked by additional murals by Sert and English artist Frank Brangwyn.
While in the lobby, pick up a free “Rockefeller Center Visitor’s Guide” at the information desk. Up on the 65th floor sits the now shuttered Rainbow Room, a glittering big-band ballroom from 1934 through 2009.
The GE Building also houses NBC Studios, whose news tapings, visible at street level, attract gawking crowds. For ticket information for NBC shows or the 70-minute studio tour, visit the NBC Experience Store at the building’s southeast corner. | 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 5th and 6th Aves. at 49th St., Midtown West | 10020 | 212/664–7174 | www.nbcstudiotour.com | NBC Studio Tour $18.50 | Children under 6 not permitted | Tours depart every 30 mins Mon.–Sat. 8:30–5:30, Sun. 9:30–4:30 | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center.
See also Art in Rockefeller Center.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
This Gothic edifice—the largest Catholic cathedral in the United States, seating approximately 2,400 people—is among the city’s most striking churches, with its double spires topping out at 330 feet. St. Pat’s, as locals call it, holds a special place in the hearts of many New Yorkers and Catholics around the country and indeed the world, receiving more than 3 million visitors annually. Its widely broadcast midnight Mass at Christmas has become somewhat of a social event for politicians and celebrities, yet tickets are always made available to the general public months in advance.
The church dates back to 1858–79. Among the statues in the alcoves around the nave is a modern depiction of the first American-born saint, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, and its pietà is three times larger than the pietà in St. Peter’s in Rome. Its rose window by Charles Connick is considered to be the stained-glass artist’s greatest work. The 5th Avenue steps are a convenient, scenic rendezvous spot. Sunday Masses can overflow with tourists; off-hours are significantly more peaceful. Many of the funerals for fallen New York City police and firefighters after 9/11 were held here. | 5th Ave. between E. 50th and E. 51st Sts., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/753–2261 rectory | www.ny-archdiocese.org | Daily 6:30 am–8 pm | Subway: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.
Times Square.
Hands down, this is the most frenetic part of New York City, a cacophony of flashing lights and