30 Rock

Back when I was in the ninth grade, I went with my class on a field trip to New York City. When you live in D.C., like we did, it’s not all that far. And our guides showed us the whole city—not just the good stuff. Back then we saw staggering homeless folks in the Bowery and rows of high-rises in Harlem with boarded-up windows.

One thing I especially remember from that trip—as I stood atop the NBC building, I looked down on the streets of Manhattan and exclaimed, “These New Yorkers sure must like the color yellow. Look at all the yellow cars!”

As soon as I said it, I realized they were cabs. But I couldn’t stuff the words back into my face. And my classmates didn’t let me forget it. I’m still scarred from the experience.

This time when I got to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, I had another “duh” moment. It dawned on me (okay, Amanda had to tell me) why the hit TV show is called “30 Rock.” It’s set at 30 Rock… See? And I thought it was, like, third rock from the sun times ten.

In the decades since my sophomore year, Harlem has improved a lot. (The red carpet was out at the Apollo for the big awards night this week.) And the observation experience at 30 Rock, now called "Top of the Rock," has improved, too. At the entrance on West 50th Street, we saw "Joie," a crystal waterfall chandelier in the shape of the building hung upside-down.

Then we ascended 850 feet in a glass-topped elevator. That in itself was a stunning experience. On the 67th floor we got off and viewed a Swarovski crystal geode wall that shimmered with six hundred custom glass-and-crystal panels. I confess I’d never heard of Swarovski crystal (I need to get out more), so Amanda told us about it and how she bought herself a Swarovski necklace for her thirtieth.

From the decks, we got a great view of New York City, even on a drizzly night. The three-tiered observation platforms granted us vistas from the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors. And while we couldn’t see Lady Liberty, we got a great view of the Empire State building lit in colors that doubtless had something to do with the World Cup. And we felt the mist on our faces. And we saw Times Square lit up like a flare.

You can click on the picture to get a better look.