30 Rock

One of the things we did while in New York City was go to what they call Top of the Rock. It's actually the observation deck at 30 Rockefeller Center and offers you an eagle eye view of Manhattan from 70 stories up. We tried to get up there at sunset but didn't make it. It was just as beautiful a few hours later with the city laid out at your feet. It was like a carpet of sparkling jewels.

I'm directionally challenged so I can't tell you what direction I was facing but the pointed rooftop is the art deco Chrysler Building.
Kevin talked me into going up to the higher deck where there is no plexiglass in front of you. I guess they figure if someone is going to jump they'll just land a few floors below to the lower deck. While on the lower deck the glass goes right to the floor so it was somewhat freaky looking down. On the other side of the glass is a 3 foot ledge all around it.

A view of the most famous building in the city; the Empire State Building. Most of the time it's lit up with white light but for holidays, events or tributes it can be different colors. We were there the weekend of Paul Newman's death. The lights on Broadway were dimmed for one minute on Friday at 8 pm and the Empire State Building was lit in blue for his very blue eyes.

The next day we went on the NBC studio tour at 30 Rock. We went into Conan O'Brian's studio (it's surprisingly small), the MSNBC studio, NBC Nightly News where Brian Williams reports from and saw the Saturday Night Live studio. The stage hands were finishing up the sets for that evening and the band was practicing. Strangely enough the funniest show on TV; 30 Rock with Tina Fey isn't filmed at 30 Rock but in a studio in Long Island City in Queens near my son's place.