New York State of Mind, part 3.75

...and after a few hours of badly needed rest from all of the walking in 80-90 degree heat and humidity, and doing some schoolwork, back out of the hotel I came for more...

>>Top of the Rock

"The Rock", of course, is the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center, and the headquarters of NBC Universal.    It's easy to get to, as the subway will whisk you directly underneath the Center so you don't have to subject yourself to the elements.   Having the City Pass will shorten your time in line considerably, as like the lines at the Empire State Building, they can get looooong.   Once the elevator takes you up to the 80th floor, you can choose between indoor and outdoor for your observation and picture taking pleasure, and like any good tourist trap, there are trinket shops both at the top, and at the bottom, of the attraction.  
 
Vantage points from 80th floors and outdoor decks are actually superior, in my opinion, to those from the Empire State Building, as you can actually get the ESB in your shots.   You're closer to the visuals of Central Park, as well, and less obstructed.  As was the case with the ESB, the visitors were from around the world - I was hearing various accents and languages (I was able to pick up French, Spanish, and a few Far Eastern dialects).   

Again, I highly recommend getting the city pass.   The $106 price gets you into five attractions - MOMA, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, etc.    The cost of admission for Top of the Rock?  $100.  

(The math does itself.  GET THE CITY PASS.)    

>>The Rock's Happy Fellers

The entirety of Rockefeller Center is worth checking out, not only for the tenants that inhabit the Center, but also for the architecture and the art.   Part of it is a pedestrian mall, and even with the crowds a very enjoyable stroll. During the summer months, the central "skating rink" is converted into an outdoor restaurant, and the sculpture of the flying guy is set in colored light, making for interesting photography and viewing. 

The ribbons of water behind the sculpture change color periodically.   Imagine having this as your backdrop as you enjoy dinner at the outdoor restaurant below.  

 In front of 30 Rock, there were a set of sculptures which reminded me a bit of Stonehenge.   Within the same building, of course, is the NBC Experience Store and "box office", which serves as the starting point of the NBC Studios tour.   (BTW, for trivia's sake, 30 Rock actually has three addresses, or at least three different access points from the street level:  30 Rockefeller Center (of course), but also 1250 Avenue of the Americas and 50 W. 50th Street.) 

 Right next to 30 Rock is another iconic structure: Radio City Music Hall.  I didn't go in, but was content to take lots of snaps of the neon signs and the medallions on steroids which decorated the NBC side of the building.

I then headed out to Avenue of the Americas.   This street was once considered (and in many ways, still is) a "broadcast row", as three of the four major broadcast networks (NBC, Fox, CBS) have their headquarters either on, or accessible from, this iconic street.  At one point, ABC famously had their headquarters at the 1330 building, before moving to their current digs near Central Park.

(A warning to you, in case you start to get bored with media industry trivia:  this has been a weakness of mine since childhood.   For example, I can tell you not only where Elektra Records is located now, but where it was located in the 1960s and 1970s, and where it was located before that.    Same with Atlantic Records, ABC, and a bunch of other companies.    It's an Aspergian curse I bear.)

In the stretch I visited, I identified:
    >> CBS Black Rock (which looked like a big shadow in the night)
    >> The McGraw Hill and Time-Life Buildings (check out the sculptures and decor in front of these buildings, BTW)
     >> News Corporation's headquarters, home of all things Fox, including the American Bullshit Factory itself, Foxymoron News.   The electronic ticker which surrounds the building makes for some lightly entertaining reading and guffaws.   
      >>The headquarters of the National Hockey League
      >>1290 Avenue of the Americas, home of the Warner Music Group (and Microsoft, and...)
      >>A lot of different restaurants and food carts.

No, you are probably not going to see anybody you would recognize entering these buildings.  These are mostly administrative complexes, full of suit stuffing and business bluffing.   But if you're a fan of architecture, and have just a bit of curiosity as to where your favorite (or not so favorite) shows and music are created, this stretch of Avenue of the Americas might just be worth a look.