Rockefeller Center - New York City

A Streamline Moderne masterpiece, Rockefeller Center is one of New York's central gathering spots for visitors and New Yorkers alike. A prime example of the city's skyscraper spirit and historic sense of optimism, it was erected mainly in the 1930s, when the city was deep in the Depression as well as its most passionate Art Deco phase. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, it's now the world's largest privately owned business-and-entertainment center, with 18 buildings on 21 acres.

For a dramatic approach to the entire complex, start at Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets. The builders purposely created the gentle slope of the Promenade, known here as the Channel Gardens because it's flanked to the south by La Maison Française and to the north by the British Building (the Channel, get it?). You'll also find a number of attractive shops along here, including a big branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, a good stop for elegant gifts. The Promenade leads to the Lower Plaza, home to the famous ice-skating rink in winter and alfresco dining in summer in the shadow of Paul Manship's freshly gilded bronze statue Prometheus. All around, the flags of the United Nations' member countries flap in the breeze. Just behind Prometheus, in December and early January, towers the city's official and majestic Christmas tree.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center (tel. 212/332-7654; www.rockefellercenter.com) is tiny but positively romantic, especially during the holidays, when the giant Christmas tree's multicolored lights twinkle from above. The rink is open from mid-October to mid-March, and you'll skate under the magnificent tree for the month of December. The focal point of this "city within a city" is the building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, a 70-story showpiece towering over the plaza. It's still one of the city's most impressive buildings; walk through for a look at the granite-and-marble lobby, lined with monumental sepia-toned murals by José Maria Sert. You can pick up a walking-tour brochure on the center's art and architecture at the main information desk in this building. On the 65th floor, the legendary Rainbow Room is once again open to the public on a limited basis.

NBC television maintains studios throughout the complex. Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien originate at 30 Rock. NBC's Today show is broadcast live on weekdays from 7 to 10am from the glass-enclosed studio on the southwest corner of 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza; come early if you want a visible spot, and bring your HI MOM! sign.

The 70-minute NBC Studio Tour (tel. 212/664-3700; www.shopnbc.com) will take you behind the scenes at the Peacock network. The tour changes daily but might include the Today show, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and/or Saturday Night Live sets. Who knows? You may even run into Brian Williams or Meredith Viera in the hall. Tours run every 15-30 minutes Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday from 9:30am to 4:30pm (later on certain summer days); of course, you'll have a better chance of encountering some real live action on a weekday. Tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for seniors and children 6 to 12. You can reserve your tickets for either tour in advance (reservations are recommended) or buy them right up to tour time at the NBC Experience store, on Rockefeller Plaza at 49th Street. They also offer a 75-minute Rockefeller Center Tour hourly every day between 10am and 4pm. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and children 6 to 12; two-tour combination packages are available for $23.

Other notable buildings throughout the complex include the International Building, on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets, worth a look for its Atlas statue out front; and the McGraw-Hill Building, on Sixth Avenue between 48th and 49th streets, with its 50-foot sun triangle on the plaza.

The restored Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave., at 50th Street (tel. 212/247-4777; www.radiocity.com), is perhaps the most impressive architectural feat of the complex. Designed by Donald Deskey and opened in 1932, it's one of the largest indoor theaters, with 6,200 seats. But its true grandeur derives from its magnificent Art Deco appointments. The crowning touch is the stage's great proscenium arch, which from the distant seats evokes a faraway sun setting on the horizon of the sea. The men's and women's lounges are also splendid. The theater hosts the annual Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes. The illuminating 1-hour Stage Door Tour is offered Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 11am to 5pm; tickets are $17 for adults, $10 for children under 12.

Heading for the Top of the Rock -- Giving the Empire State Building some friendly competition when it comes to spectacular views, is the observation deck of 30 Rockefeller Plaza known as the Top of the Rock. The deck, which comprises floors 67 to 70, which had been closed since 1986, reopened in late 2005. The stately deck was constructed in 1933 to resemble the grandeur of a luxury ocean liner, and unlike the Empire State Building, the observation deck here is more spacious and the views, though not quite as high, just as stunning. You might have just as much fun getting up there as you will on the deck itself; the sky-shuttle elevators with glass ceilings project images from the 1930s through the present day as it zooms its way up. Reserved-time tickets help minimize the lines and are available online at www.topoftherocknyc.com. The observation deck is open daily from 8:30am to midnight; admission rates are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $11 for ages 6 to 11, and free for children under 6. For more information, call tel. 877/NYC-ROCK (877/692-7625) or 212/698-2000 or visit www.topoftherocknyc.com.