Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Center was the first thing I saw in New York City. Keep in mind that it was my first time ever visiting New York City, and even New York State. So, in my opinion, I think the was absolutely the best possible way to start off one of the best weekend trips in my life thus far.

We got to the Rockefeller Plaza when it was dark outside. Mind you, the trip was during the month of October, so the sun was completely down by 7:00PM. The plaza and the building itself were mesmerizing. All the flags from countries around the world, the beautiful skating rink, and the never-ending tall Rockefeller tower itself. That night it was illuminated in pink. I was a bit worried and upset that I would not get to see the New York City skyline during the day. But, my tour-guide told me not to worry, and to not make any judgements or jump to any conclusions until we were at the top. I agreed. Maybe he was right.

I did not travel to New York City by myself, or with my friends. I came to New York City during Canada's Thanksgiving long-weekend. I went with the University of Ottawa's International House that planned this trip. The University of Ottawa's International House planned this trip through the youth-student travel agency Abyond Travel. I strongly recommend using this agency for trips in the Great Lakes Area of Canada.

We got to New York City around 6:00PM. By the time we got settled in and left for the Rockefeller Center, it was around 7:15PM. We got to the Rockefeller Plaza around 8:00PM. Luckily for my tour group and myself, there was literally no line up of any kind to get into the Rockefeller Centre! This is extremely rare for any tourist attraction in New York City.

The tour group also purchased tickets for the Rockefeller Centre beforehand, so this also helped all 56 of us get in much, much quicker. The inside of the Rockefeller Centre is very classy, elegant, and beautiful. It looks very rich, and has quite the art-deco vibe. The crystal chandelier in the main room was mesmerizingly stunning.

Once you come into the Rockefeller Centre, the employees will take a group at a time to sit on this bar with a backdrop of the Rockefeller Centre in progress. This is your chance to take a silly and funny photo with your friends that will be a life-long souvenir and memory of your visit to the Rockefeller Centre! It costs only $10 to get at the end of your visit, but it is worth it, in my opinion.

Then, after your silly group photo is taken, the Rockefeller Centre employees take you up to the elevator, in groups that are around 12 people. The elevator ride is actually very fun! It is a glass elevator with LED lights, that also plays a lightshow and a short video on its ceiling while you're on the way up, with the voices of famous people who have visited the Rockefeller Centre. The elevator goes very fast - it climbs 82 stories in no time. But be warned, your ears will pop!

Getting out of the elevator left me absolutely speechless. I almost could not believe that what I was actually seeing was real. I could not believe that I was actually seeing the famous, world-known New York City skyline from 82 stories high.

The New York City skyline at night is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It is absolutely beautiful. You see all of New York City, from the very top of the city. You see every single corner of it. You also see amazing lights. It is the skyline of New York City at night that truly shows how flashy New York City actually is.

If you are afraid of heights, visiting the Rockefeller Centre will definitely help you conquer this fear. Because it is high. Very high. But, wait! There is more! There is another deck that is even higher than the main one. That one is on the 83 story of the building. The view gets even better from up there. There is another deck on the very top of the Rockefeller Center. However, it was raining that day in New York City, so it was closed for safety reasons.

Believe it or not, it was not at all windy when I was up there, in mid-October. It was absolutely perfect.

On one of the decks, there is a cool room that illuminates in all sorts of colours as you move around, as it mimics and follows human movements. Perfect for a mini disco party with your friends on top of New York City!

Most people do not stay up there for very long, so I would give a maximum of one hour at the Rockefeller Centre.

Here are some tips if you are going to visit the Rockefeller Centre:

• Purchase tickets ahead. This will help you skip ahead so many lines, and it will help maximize your time in New York City, so you can do other activities as well. Tickets are also cheaper if they are bought online and in advance. So save yourself the time and money!
• Go on a weekday, and go at night in order to minimize your waiting time, and to maximize your time at the Center and in New York City. With less people in New York City as tourists during the week, you wont have to squeeze and push and shove just to get your perfect shot of New York City.
• Do not buy anything from the gift shop, unless it is the photo that you took with your friends at the beginning of your visit to the Rockefeller Center. Everything else that is in there is extremely over-priced and can easily be found on the street of New York City for dirt cheap.

I also promise you that the views from the top of the Rockefeller Centre will make you smile wide! Just look at my smile!