Explore Our Hotel Near Rockefeller Center
World-Class Shopping, Dining and Public Art
Rockefeller Center is one of the great wonders of New York City. It’s most famous for its oversized Christmas tree of course, but the lack of ice-skaters and tree-gazers in the warmer months make summer the perfect season to experience the art deco wonder and TV studio glam of this sprawling complex. From restaurants to observation decks to shopping and more, here’s what to see when you stay at Hotel 48LEX, the best in hotels close to Rockefeller Center.
Top of the Rock
Perched 70 stories high, this 360-degree observation deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza is one of NYC’s most prized vistas. It’s less frenzied than the top of the Empire State, but actually has a better view, complete with all the art deco charm of its more famous counterpart. There are three floors of observation decks, with climate-controlled indoor areas as well as outdoor patios, granting you views north to Central Park and south to downtown Manhattan. Walking around Rockefeller Center, you can’t avoid running into someone hawking tickets to the top, but it’s best to buy ahead and specify a time and date. Tickets go for $34.
TV studios
The runaway success of the TV show 30 Rock gave the American public a tantalizing account of the action behind the camera in the world’s most famous TV studio house. But of course, it’s all fiction, so if you want the real thing, head to 30 Rockefeller Center for yourself. If you don’t want to just wait around hoping to bump into someone famous, you’ll need to sign up for a tour of the premises. There’s an official NBC studio tour available here — including shows like the Tonight Show and SNL — or a more extensive tour of TV and movie studios, Radio City Music Hall, and more, available here.
Radio City Music Hall
Rockefeller Center was built during the Great Depression to replace the city’s gritty and rowdy “speakeasy row.” Decades later, the investment is still paying dividends: As the biggest indoor theatre in the world, it rightly attracts the biggest acts in the world. From the Oscars to Riverdance, from Frank Sinatra to the Rockettes, playing Radio City means hitting it big. Tours give you the chance to see behind the gold curtain (also the biggest in the world), view the art deco masterpieces scattered throughout, and kids can even meet a Rockette. Tours run every day from 9:30 to 5:00, with tickets going for $27.
Dining
The restaurants at Rockefeller Center offer a wide selection: from the Michelin-starred Sea Grille, which boasts fine seafood against a stunning wall of windows, to the inventive, greasy-spoon-deluxe burgers offered at Bill’s Bar & Burger. Occupying the iconic plaza at the Center’s heart during the summer months is the Summer Garden & Bar, which serves up fine dining al fresco. For dessert, head to the Midtown outpost of famed Greenwich village sweet shop Magnolia.
Shopping
While the sites and tours are nice, it wouldn’t be Manhattan if there weren’t some high-end shopping to be done. Of particular note is Christian Louboutin’s largest store, which is housed inside the sprawling, flagship Saks Fifth Avenue, along with plenty of smaller luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Befitting the complex’s emphasis on art, the Met has a gift shop location nearby. And for the kids, there’s the Lego store, which has rare sets and jaw-dropping sculptures.
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