Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

An Art Deco city-within-a-city, Rockefeller Center exemplifies the dream of New York as a sleek commercial metropolis. The largest privately owned business-and-entertainment center in the world, this dazzling 19-building complex is a glamorous commercial address, an upscale shopping center, and the sentimental capital of the mostly secular American Christmas, all rolled into one essential destination for visitors of all stripes. The plot of land, which stretches between 48th and 51st Streets, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, was originally secured by oil tycoon-cum-philanthropist John D. Rockefeller in 1928 to become the site of a new and improved Metropolitan Opera House. When the Great Depression struck, interest in such an elitist project fizzled, and the billionaire philanthropist was left with nearly twelve acres of prime midtown real estate to develop at his own will (the development has since grown to nearly 22 acres). Rockefeller conceived the multipurpose complex as an expression of American optimism in the face of historical adversity, a testament to the resilience of the commercial spirit and to the possibility of perpetual human progress. He commissioned work by thirty leading artists of the day on the epic theme, "Man at the Crossroads Looks Uncertainly But Hopefully at the Future." (One contribution, by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, was, famously, deemed subversive and replaced). That artwork still decorates the public lobbies of the spectacular office buildings that surround the central Plaza (a pedestrian-only transverse that connects 48th to 51st street)--each of with are worth visiting for the immaculate marble floors, bold murals, and exquisite Deco ornamentation. The focal point of Rockefeller Center is the world-famous ice-skating rink, one of the city's most romantic spots, surrounded by a lower promenade of shops and restaurants. Back at ground level, elegant boutiques, craft stores, and cafes offer inviting retreats from the certain crowds. The main attraction here, however, is the palpable, childlike glamour of mid-century New York.