When we started planning our trip to New York we made a list of places we wanted to go to, some of the first things on the list was seeing the Christmas tree and going to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. We knew that we wanted to see the sights of NYC from above. The view that some argue as being the best in all of New York City. PS… you better believe I cried when I saw the Christmas tree. That was something I got to cross off my bucket list!
TICKETS TO THE TOP OF THE ROCK
I strongly recommend that you be much wiser than us and get your tickets for the Top of the Rock early. You can purchase tickets online before going and this will really save you some time. We decided the night before what day we were going to go. We knew we wanted to be there before opening and arrived an hour before. The photo above is the long line ahead of us for going in!
Once inside when the doors finally opened an hour later, we had to stand in another line to get our tickets for going up. This was where we really learned our mistake, the tickets are done on a time operating system. You are given a time frame for when you can go up. Many were being given return times for later in the day! We ended up chatting with the employee about why we were in New York, we said we were celebrating Jason being cancer free. She immediately handed us two VIP tickets, refused to let us pay, and escorted us to the elevator to go right up to the viewing deck.
Needless to say, I was in tears at the employee’s kindness and my husband and I were both so thankful for the opportunity to have VIP tickets that let us skip any other lines. What’s included exactly with VIP tickets? Immediate entry upon arrival, priority elevator access (a huge help when there is a large line to go back down), expedited security screening, and 20% off and retail merchandise. Would we say that $85 per VIP ticket is worth it? Yes, if this is something you really want to do with as few people in photos as possible. If you are wanting your “Instagram worthy” photo opportunities, this is the way to go. We were so thankful to be given the opportunity to do so thanks to the employee. We were going to purchase a basic ticket.
TAKE IN THE SIGHTS
You’re going to want to take in all of the sights. I am thankful that we went to the Top of the Rock so that we could see the Empire State Building and have it in our skyline photos. You can go to the top of the Empire State Building, which is taller and has a different vantage point. This one though met the criteria of what we wanted to see. While we were at the Top of the Rock we were able to spot so many different places around the city. A highlight for us was seeing the New Years Eve ball that was in Times Square.
Be sure to have 50¢ in your pocket so that you can use the viewers. It’s worth it, you’ll probably spend more than 50¢ seeing everything brought in to a closer range for viewing. They’re not just a photo opportunity they actually work! Here’s a tip, if you use one you can also line up the lens on your phone with the viewer for some unique photos.
I made the mistake of not bringing a windbreaker with me for this adventure. It is incredibly windy at the top when out on the viewing platforms. You’ll feel like Beyoncé with her windblown hair almost immediately. It can get chilly up there when the sun goes behind a cloud. Learn from me, and make sure you have some layers to wear. If you get too cold, just pop back inside the building and warm up for a bit.
Going to the Top of the Rock is something I am going to remember for a long time. It is a major highlight from our trip to New York City. It was well worth the super early wake-up, subway ride, and walk to get to Rockefeller Center.
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