Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
years ago. Smack in the middle of Midtown Manhattan, this area around the intersection
of Broadway and Seventh Ave, with its gaudy billboards, glittery marquees and massive
video screens, has become so intertwined with New York City in the minds of non-New
Yorkers that regardless of how Disneyfied it has become, it's still considered quintessen-
tial New York. Once again 'the Crossroads of the World,' and unrecognizable from its
'70s-era seediness of strip clubs, hookers and pickpockets, the square draws 35 million
visitors annually. Massive chain and themed stores pull in folks, and multiplex theaters
draw crowds with large screens and stadium seating. In an effort to make the area more
pedestrian-friendly and diminish the perpetual gridlock, Broadway from 47th to 42nd St
was turned into a vehicle-free zone.
The Times Square area is at least as famous as New York's official
Theater District
,
with dozens of Broadway and off-Broadway theaters located in an area that stretches
from 41st to 54th Sts, between Sixth and Ninth Aves. The Times Square branch of New
York City & Company (
Click here
)
sits smack in the middle of this famous crossroads.
Broadway, the road, once ran all the way to the state capitol in Albany.
Rockefeller Center
NOTABLE BUILDING
(
www.rockefellercenter.com
; Fifth to Sixth Aves & 48th to 51st Sts; 24hr, times vary for individual
businesses; B/D/F/M to 47th-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center)
It was built during the height of
the Great Depression in the 1930s, and construction of the 22-acre Rockefeller Center,
including the landmark art-deco skyscraper gave jobs to 70,000 workers over nine years
and was the first project to combine retail, entertainment and office space in what is often
referred to as a 'city within a city.' The 360-degree views from the tri-level observation
feller Plaza at 49th St, entrance on W 50th St btwn Fifth & Sixth Aves; adult/child $27/17, sunrise &
sunset $40/22; 8:00am-midnight, last elevator at 11pm; B/D/F/M to 47th-50th Sts-Rocke-
feller Center)
are absolutely stunning and should not be missed; on a clear day you can see
quite a distance across the river into New Jersey. In winter the ground floor outdoor
space is abuzz with ice-skaters and Christmas-tree gawkers. Within the complex is the
Sixth Ave at 51st St; tours adult/child $22.50/16; tours 11am-3pm; B/D/F/M to 47th-50th
Sts-Rockefeller Center)
. To get an inside look at this former movie palace and protected
landmark, which has been gorgeously restored in all its art-deco grandeur, join one of the
frequent guided tours that leave the lobby every half-hour. Fans of the NBC TV show
30
Rock
will recognize the 70-story GE Building as the network headquarters. Tours of the
NBC studios
(
reservations 212-664-6298;
www.nbcstudiotour.com
; 30 Rockefeller Plaza at
