Feed Living Happy: NYC Bucket: #15 Top of the Rock

15. ~~TOP OF THE ROCK~~

Original Bucket List: HERE

Okay, this was seriously cool. I made it to the top! Seventy floors upward. I kept hearing more and more good things about Top of the Rock (aka the top of Rockefeller Center), so I was so excited to finally take on this experience. There's an observation deck at the top which overlooks Central Park as well as a pretty unbelievable 360 degree view of the city and all its surroundings.

I asked a girlfriend of mine if she wanted to come with me, and it turned out that she had a friend who worked there. So, not only did I get to check this one off my bucket list -- I was able to do it for FREE. :)

We arrived at 5pm on a Thursday, and the weather couldn't be more fitting for this adventure. The skies were blue and clear as can be. I really had no major expectations going into this other than just hoping for some cool views of the city. But! Let me tell you. This was an experience from the moment we arrived.

Everyone who worked at Top of the Rock was so nice! Like, extra nice. I don't know if they just took a liking to us, but we were escorted down a red carpet and through two doors before picking up our tickets at Will Call. We were waved off with smiles and told, "have a great time! Stay up there as long as you like! I hope you enjoy!" I thought, wow... great people here. This is going to be awesome.

We were then led to the elevators. And OH, THE ELEVATORS. A woman dressed in uniform tells us before the doors close, "You are about to enjoy a forty-three second ride to the top. Enjoy!" The doors shut and dance music instantly started playing. I looked up and could see almost all the way to the top through the transparent glass ceiling that was lined with TV screens. Blue and red lights were lined within and without. It was an instant elevator party. By the time our forty-three seconds were up, we were SUPER hyped. Ready for the top of the rock!

These photos don't really do the experience justice, but just so you have an idea:

View from the bottom looking up.

When the doors opened, we were welcomed into a museum-like area. There were walls with cool photos and information about Top of the Rock. We did a little looksy and then took these photos before heading up to the main event.

We were three New Yorkers masquerading as tourists. It feels so good to be a tourist in your own city sometimes. It's fun to re-appreciate why you moved there in the first place, ya know? At the Top of the Rock, there are three levels of observation decks, so of course we went to the TOP top. The only word I can think of to describe what I saw once I got up there: breathtaking.

And it was. It really was...