NEW YORK—A splendid panorama of culture, transportation, and architecture is on display at the crest of “Top of the Rock” Observation Deck at Rockefeller Plaza.
The monument is a perfect harmony of urban and traditional elements. This is the beautiful gift left from over 70 years ago by John D. Rockefeller for locals and visitors to wander in the city he loved.
A high-speed shuttle rockets up the sky, sending visitors to 850 feet above sea level. Introductory videos are projected onto the roof of the elevator, modernizing the trip to nearly 70th floors.
The deck is placed on top of an art deco masterpiece, located at the crossroads of culture and commerce on West 50th Street. The platform offers unobstructed view in all directions of the horizon.
“I find it [scenery] very nice; it is quite different from home,” said Dan Stephens, a tourist from Canada. “It is so big and I like the city.”
Excited visitors crowded on the top deck; some took pictures, while others simply enjoyed the view. A few young people even put a big map on the ground to discover every detail of New York from above.
Christian Stoffel, a student from London, toured the Top of the Rock just one day after he arrived in New York. “It’s beautiful! Usually I view the city just 6 feet above the ground. It’s special, because when you are on the ground, you cannot appreciate all this stuff.”
The deck is open to public 365 days a year for everyone to discover the city. During nighttime, New York appears to be filled with colorful lights of buildings, streets, and bridges, as if galaxies of stars are packed together.
New York has continuously been a place with boundless opportunities since Dutch settled the tip of Manhattan in 1623. The development of New York has never stopped, where countless famous monuments and parks gradually took their stand in the city.
At night, the tall Empire State Building is brightened by elegant pale light. It beautifully stands on the south side of the observation platform. View to the North, domed-shaped roof of the Cityspire Center shines brightly, as Central Park rests serenely between the crowded buildings.
The original design of the deck was inspired by great ocean liners of the period. Nowadays, modern add-ons further polish the monument, such as the Swarovski Crystal on the lower deck. An intelligent light display, known as the Target Breezeway is in a studio on upper deck. The colorful lights are activated by human movement in the room, where the arrays of lights illuminate the space and also brighten many people’s hearts.
