Rockefeller Center

Coming to the Rockefeller Center is like entering in another dimension of the great galaxy of Manhattan. The journey starts on Fifth Avenue whose structures reach up to the sky as though they are on a mission to reach the sky. It would almost be impossible to avoid feeling that you are being pulled towards this iconic New York attraction by a kind of magnetic energy.

The colourful flags in the neighbourhood of the famous Rockefeller Plaza are dancing like a choreography – that is the first indication that you are entering into one of the real symbols of the city. Just outside the plaza you have the golden statue of Prometheus, and it is as though it were lit up inside, a gentle gold in the water and on the surfaces round it.

It is a confluence of the bustle of the city and a shot of serenity. During the winter months the most popular, just in front of the statu, is the so called ice rink of Rockefeller center a real touch of cinema that makes the entire picture come alive. All the memories are movie scenes that will remain in the heart and the mind.

You are closer to the core of the complex, but the architecture becomes the true star the main building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and it becomes imposing and elegant. It is one of the best replicas of Art Deco in New York in which the vertical lines of the structure naturally attract your attention towards the sky. It reminds of the period when the city was constructing its contemporary identity merging both ambition and beauty in one architectural act.

Entering the lobby is the entrance of a temple in the city. Large ceiling, sparkling surfaces, old time murals – a room between the old and the new. It only intensifies as you continue to go to Top of the Rock, the legendary observation deck of Rockefeller center: the path will take you through somber lit rooms, historical pictures and exhibits that narrate the history of Rockefeller center and its contribution to the culture of America.

It is complete indulgence into the city and its history to the point of engaging with it on a personal level even before you get up to the top. The lift is a slight preheal to the happenings: it is a fast but gentle rise, and the glass ceiling makes it feel like it is set in a light game, which the ride plays.

Upon opening the doors, the air gets a different feel: it gets windier, it gets lighter and the place becomes larger. The Top of the Rock view can hardly be described since it is so beautiful. On the one hand, there is the enormity of Central Park, the green square that is practically inaccessible in the midst of the skyscrapers. Across the street the Empire State Building towers, like a living monument, against the sky.

Manhattan is a living creature all around and criss-crossing the streets, taxis running like the glowing veins, thousands of windows blinking like stars in broad daylight. Being a visitor you are part of the panorama, it is a picture of poetry, the city appears to embrace you against its chest.

The vibrant life of Rockefeller center is something that appears to be beckoning all travellers. Both shops, restaurants, galleries and the constant stream of people make this place an ideal mix of ordinary life and pure exceptionality.

It is a visit that is mostly concluded on a bench watching people passing by. That is precisely where the actual meaning of the Rockefeller Center is: a complex of structures, however, a beacon of aspiration, history, imagination and reality. It doesn’t even require a story about New York.

After you get out of the plaza, you get the impression that you are taking a small part of the city with you. Maybe it is the reason why Rockefeller Center remains in the memories of people who visit it: it is a place where even a simple walk is a bright memory.

Between sky and earth in the heart of New York – that is what Rockefeller Center is actually: a one of a kind place and one of the most enchanted spots in the world.