Gothamist: Rockefeller Christmas Tree Arrives

Barbj8

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:51:47 -0500

All of these little traditions at Christmas seem to depress an awful lot of people. When does the happy stuff begin?

kbair

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:34:03 -0500

I live in Hamilton and have always known the tree. I must say that it is an honor to see a one of our trees make it to Rockefeller center. I'm sure that many that live here would agree. It will be sad not to see it when I drive by anymore, but you can't say that's a bad way to go out... In the middle of Rockefeller center covered with lights, after the tree lighting ceremony, with so many people coming to see it.

NannyState

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:44:01 -0500

They kill a beautiful tree every year just so Matt Lauer doesn't look ridiculous in a reindeer sweater? How festive.

HUGO_MEGO

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:42:14 -0500

#14 Future Taliban I would rather see your tubby bloated corpse floating down the east river nude. Now THAT would make a happy Kawanza!

Future Taliban

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:07:11 -0500

I'd rather see GW Bush's stinking dead carcass dressed-up in tinfoil & electric bulbs and erected at Rockefeller Plaza instead. Now THAT would constitue a Merry Christmas!

cobalt420

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:14:50 -0500

Its good to see i'm not the only one who dislikes this tradition. I'd rather see the tree alive. I'm all for planting/transplanting one there.. or perhaps in central park. Not going to happen though.

WorksInDUMBO

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:20:38 -0500

Great, now the bluebird is going to be dead too. Like their mother. and the tree. Christmas at Rockefeller Center = DEATH

starrygordon

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:48:56 -0500

Besides, it is necessary to worship Wotan once a year. Or else.

Billiamsburg

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:28:57 -0500

and now its dead

TKaisen

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:16:19 -0500

Yeah, but there's one upside--the tree is so old (and heavy) and the owners were worried whether it would survive the storms. Hm... good point, Jen. Didn't think of it that way. Better they take it from someplace where they were going to cut it down anyway then pull it out of the forest.

dbc

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:04:06 -0500

Also, the brothers claim that a bluebird that visited the tree was their mother guarding it: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around_town/the_scene/Rockefeller-Center-Christmas-Tree.html

WorksInDUMBO

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:55:37 -0500

I must admit, I have to agree with #1. The tree always makes me a bit sad.

jackdonaghy

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:27:02 -0500

If anything, the Rockefeller Center tradition give people an appreciation of the beauty of trees. Suburban development (i.e. tracks of cookie cutter homes) that destroyed acres of trees is the evil that needs attention.

joeb

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:24:12 -0500

Could they not just plant a tree in Rockafeller Center? Maybe there's no space below the plaza for roots, but man. This always depresses me each Christmas. Let's find the biggest, most majestic tree in all of the northeast, cut it down, and stare at it for a few weeks.

Colochita

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:14:19 -0500

A tree like that in a suburban backyard would have had to be cut down eventually anyway... better this than the chipper. I do think it's a shame to cut these trees from the actual forest.

Papercutninja

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:13:55 -0500

There will always be 80 year old trees. They're trees! I'm not all about clear cutting old-growth in Vermont, but a tree every once in a while to brighten up Manhattan isn't a bad thing.

Jen Chung

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:58:08 -0500

Yeah, but there's one upside--the tree is so old (and heavy) and the owners were worried whether it would survive the storms.

TKaisen

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:52:52 -0500

On a scale of 1-10, how tree-huggerish is it to think that cutting down an 80 year old tree to put on display for four weeks is kind of sad? it's got to be at least an 8, right?