I know it’s been about six months since our trip to New York but there’s still so much that I want to share with you! Today’s post is all about visiting the Top of the Rock!
Visiting the Top of the Rock was at the top of my must-see list when we were planning what we were going to do during our trip to New York but due to a fear of heights, it was actually at the bottom of Miss Frugal’s list and she really, really didn’t want to do it!
The Top of the Rock is the name of the attraction at the top of the 70 floors high Rockerfeller Centre in case you were wondering. 😉
I managed to drag her along early one morning, just after it had opened because the queues can get really busy during the day and I wanted to be able to enjoy the view without too many people about – we arrived about 8.30 I think. We actually had our New York Pass cards which meant that we would have got to skip the main queue anyway but I didn’t want to take any chances.
If you don’t have a New York pass then you can book your visit online or you can just turn up if you want to chance the queue. It’s around $34 for an adult and $28 for a child for the basic tickets but you can pay extra for things like immediate access, return visits at night and if I remember rightly there was a package where you got a photo included. It’s open from 8am until 11pm, or at least it was when we were there in April.
So we arrived and got straight through the very tight security which felt tighter than it had felt at the airport and we had to walk for a couple of minutes along the cordoned off area which we presume was where the queue would go during busier times – seriously, book in advance, don’t waste time in this amazing city standing in a queue!
We then got straight into the lift going up which was brilliant as Miss Frugal was starting to worry! The lift made short work of the 70 floors it travelled up and in about a minute, we were stepping out of the lift on the first of three observation floors.
I’m not exaggerating here when I say that the view literally took my breath away! I knew we were going to be high up and I knew we’d see a lot of New York but I just hadn’t expected to be so wowed by it! Even Miss Frugal instantly went from nervous to excited to be there.
On the first of the observation floors there’s some seating where you can sit and admire the view through the window but we went straight outside and took the most amazing photos of our trip!
For safety’s sake there are clear glass barrier walls up around the edges of the observation deck but they still allow you to take a great photo. Also there are gaps in the glass barriers a couple of inches wide every few metres so you can easily take a photo through there.
It was a bit nippy up there though and very windy, even on such a lovely day so don’t forget your coat. 😉
We didn’t do the Empire State Building as one high building was enough for Miss Frugal but visiting the Top of the Rock is supposed to be better experience as you get a better view thanks to the 360 degree unobstructed viewing platforms. It’s also a great way to get a photo of the New York skyline including the Empire State Building which you wouldn’t get if you were actually at the top of the Empire State Building.
Honestly, visiting the Top of the Rock was one of my favourite New York moments and I would highly recommend going if you’re in New York.
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