REVIEW: Top of The Rock in NYC
Located on the 67-70th floor of Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock gives you stunning views right from Midtown NYC. This means, that you will have a good view of Central Park and Upper East and West side to the north. To the south, you will mainly see other skyscrapers, such as Empire State Building. It will be hard to spot the Statue of Liberty, but you will see lower Manhattan and the new One World Trade Center Building in the far distance. This view is probably the most popular and photogenic one in NYC, and I’ve seen it on plenty of photos before seeing it in real life.
The Experience
Preparations
Rockefeller Center is conveniently located right off 5th Avenue in Midtown NYC. The Top of the Rock entrance is, however on the northern side of the building, which may be a bit hard to find, as you rarely naturally approach Rockefeller Center from this side. We got our tickets by showing our pre-paid NYC Sightseeing Pass at the ticketing office on the ground floor. You get a designated slot time when you which you may choose, but the time is also subject to availability, and sunset is $ 10 extra. In our case, we wanted to go as soon as possible, which was around two hours later (3PM). This slot time system is to reduce lines, and plan the amount of people visiting the observatory each hour. It’s a really smart concept, as it enables you to get to the top of the observatory a lot faster.
Everyone who has been to an observatory in NYC knows that it’s not a quick experience. You can’t expect to enter, use the elevator and then you’re there. There is security, and several rooms that you may have to wait in line in, and usually a movie about the attraction, before you actually get to the elevator and can enjoy the view.
On the way to the top
About two hours later, around 3 PM, we entered the building, waited in line for around 10 minutes before security, and around 20 minutes after security, watched a movie and some exhibits about Rockefeller Center, and then got into the elevator. If you’re interested in the exhibits, make sure to look at them before you go further, because you won’t be able to see them again on the way out.
Once we were at the Observatory, we got to enjoy both the interior and exterior of it. The place is very spacious when comparing to the Empire State Building observator, and I liked that it is spread across three different floors. It never really felt crowded, and it was easy to enjoy the experience. On the way down, there was around a 10-15 minute line to the elevators, so make sure to account for that as well.
Overall, I had a pretty good experience visiting the Top of the Rock. The wait time wasn’t too long, it wasn’t too crowded and the weather was perfect for the activity as well. I would give the observatory a 4 out of 5 rating.
Quick facts:
- Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City
- Price: General Admission $ 36 USD. Less with a City Pass, which I’ve reviewed here.
- Wait time: Depends, but usually less than an hour. Definitely the shortest wait time when comparing to other observatories in the city.
- When to go: The earlier you go during the day, the shorter the lines will be. Sunset is especially crowded (and also more expensive), and weekends are more crowded as well.
For more information, have a look at their website.
Have you been to the Top of the Rock in NYC, or any other famous viewpoints? Please let me know in the comments!
