Results tagged “rockcenter”

Have you seen the copper-toned glow emanating from Rockefeller Center? It's not The Tree...it's a penny harvest field! The installation is the first phase of Penny Harvest, and the copious coins came from students in NYC who have collected $1 million in change. The pennies will later go to different charities and towards improving the students communities.New York first lady Silda Wall Spitzer joined hundreds of public school children on Monday to unveil a mass...

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting at Edwards Ave. in the Bronx, a disorderly crowd at Bay St. and Richmond Ave. on Staten Island, and a bank robbery near Bowling Green (that's why the 4/5 is passing Bowling Green).
• The New York Sun thinks the Live Earth concerts over the weekend were pompous, middle-aged and lame.
• Real estate group Pinnacle is accused of racketeering for siccing lawyers with eviction notices on thousands of tenants.
• Toys 'R' Us is being sued for $400 million by two women who were asked to show their sales receipts before leaving one of the chain's stores. They allege it is because they are black.
• Tenants sue their landlord for racketeering and corporate slumlording!
• The new bike racks at North 7th and Bedford have been installed by the Department of Transportation...
• ...and bike lanes on Tillary and Henry Sts. in Brooklyn have been painted green by the Dept. of Transportation in an effort to increase driver awareness.
• Getting struck by lightning is bad, but is even worse when one is struck by lightning while listening to an iPod.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center is 70 years old today. The rink, in the heart of Midtown and unrivaled for many years (until the Bryant Park's Pond opened), first opened on Christmas Day in 1936. Being located right by the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and the Today Show studios has helped its popularity. It seems to be open today - here are more details.

Now that the big tree is lit, Rockefeller Center draws tourists like moths to a flame. You may even find yourself under its sway. The tree is pretty impressive after all—more than 65 feet tall and adorned with more than 30,000 lights. But when the crowds swarm and the cold bites, remember relief is not far away. Just duck into La Maison du Chocolat, around the corner on 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, for what might be the best cup of hot cocoa in New York. This outpost of the quintessential French temple of chocolate provides a respite to midtown madness. Despite its location (right next to the NBC studios tour entrance), La Maison always maintains an air of calm. Maybe it’s because as soon as you walk in, the scent of pure, unadulterated chocolate envelops you. Every surface in the shop radiates in shades of auburn and brown, and even the clerks bear beatific smiles that seem cocoa induced. This is the Hermes of chocolate (with a bigger branch on Madison Avenue and 78th Street), and prices reflect the value.

- The sky mirror in Rock Center has begun to unveil itself.

Where is the best place for an unforgettable smooch in the city? The Daily News put together a list (Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Rock Center Skating Rink, The Cloisters, Battery Park Promenade) but we think its a bit Manhattan-centric. What about the Coney Island Boardwalk? The Staten Island ferry? The Brooklyn Heights Promenade? The Botanical Gardens? Not to mention the great Manhattan spots they still managed to miss (top o' a skyscraper anyone?). Those are a few that immediately popped into our head, but what about you? Any suggestions for a romantic and memorable kiss?

The International Olympics Committee eliminated New York as a possible site for the 2012 Olympics in the second (of four) round of voting. Gothamist thought that watching the city selection process (starting at 6AM) was incredibly bizarre: The IOC Chairman comes out, tells how many votes were given, how many people voted, what the majority is, and then matter-of-factly says something like, "New York will not proceed to the next round of voting." When Moscow was voted out in the first round of voting, the split screen coverage showed the IOC on the right and people at Rockefeller Center cheering (so much for ending the Cold War!) on the left. Then a few minutes later, when New York was voted out, people were just quiet, and cameramen raced to find some crying NYC 2012 supporters. Then Madrid was eliminated in the third round, putting the age-old rivalry of England and France in the spotlight once again, with London and Paris in the final two. The 2012 Olympics city will be announced at 7:43AM (EST) - the IOC was running late!

So far, the weather looks promising, but you can check on the day of at Gothamist Weather. And summer movies at Bryant Park start on June 21.

Rockefeller Center got its Christmas tree as Rock Center's garden staff cut down a 79-foot and 9 ton tree from Manchester, Connecticut. Owner Frances Katkauskas told the AP, "My heart is breaking. But it's my Christmas gift to New York. It's sad in a way for us, but we've had her for so many years and it's a pleasure to let everybody else see it and enjoy it." She will be there for the tree lighting on December 3, when the tree will shine in its 26,000 lighted glory.