Radio City Music Hall was a collaborative venture of John D. Rockefeller, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and theatrical mogul S.L. "Roxy" Rothafel. Together they created a "palace for the people," in the hopes of brightening the spirits of New Yorkers after the stock market crash of 1929. Radio City opened in 1933 and continues its entertainment legacy today with films, theatrical and music performances and of course, the famous Rockettes. Plenty of other New York attractions are nearby to fill time before or after a show.
The 15-foot tall art deco sculpture of Atlas that graces the main entrance of Rockefeller Center is so famous it was featured on U.S. postage stamps. But tourists don't come to the center just to check out the statuary. Tourists come to take a trip to the "Top of the Rock" and check out a 360-degree view of the city from the Observation Deck 70 floors up or witness a behind-the-scenes tour of the NBC studios, Rockefeller Center or Radio City Music Hall itself, located just around the corner. In the winter, the plaza turns into celebrated ice skating rink underneath the glow of the towering tree whose lighting ceremony starts the beginning of the winter holiday season.
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
212-351-5098
rockefellercenter.com
Founded in 1929, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) has dedicated its efforts in its mission statement, "To create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present." The permanent collection includes more than 150,000 works of architecture and design, prints, media and performance art, painting, sculpture photography and film in 630,000 square footage of space. MOMA is located about three blocks from Radio City Music Hall and includes two cafes and a fine dining restaurant. The museum is open daily with the exception of Tuesdays and holds evening hours on Fridays year-round and Thursdays in July and August.
Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St.
New York, NY 10019
212-708-9400
moma.org
The park encompasses 843-acres of land and includes a host of activities from boating on the lake and fishing at Harlem Meer to giving the kids room to holler at one of the 21 playgrounds. Other sites inside Central Park include the outdoor Delacorte Theater, offering free performances during the summer, the Conservatory Garden, the Hayden Planetarium and the Marionette Theatre. If none of these interest your party, the park is surrounded by attractions such as the Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum or the Central Park Zoo. The park's south entrance is eight-blocks from Radio City.
Central Park
59th St.& Central Park S.
New York, NY 10019
212-310-6600
centralparknyc.org
