Empire State Building or Top of the Rock?

When you visit New York City you obviously have a list of things you need to check off - Statue of Liberty - Check! Times Square - Check! Wall Street - Check! Central Park - Check! Empire State Building - Che.....or wait? Do you really want to visit the Empire State Building's observation deck? It kind of seems a given that the Empire State Building (or 'Empie' as Ted Mosby affectionately calls her) would be on your list. But if you're after the best views of NYC is Empie really the one for you?

View from Empire State Building looking south (2012) For my two cents, the answer is no. While undoubtedly the most famous building in all of New York, the Empire State Building does not offer the best view of New York City. And why is that? Because you can't see the beautiful Empire State Building itself, when you're standing on it! So what building offers the best views in New York? That's easy, it's Top of the Rock. Located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza - home of SNL, Jimmy Fallon and the Today show, Top of the Rock has incredible head on views of midtown, all the way downtown to the new World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty. On the other side, you have an incredible, aerial view of all of Central Park and uptown.

Looking uptown - Central Park from Top of the Rock

Looking south from Top of the Rock - Empire State Building front and center. Keep in mind, all the photos from Top of the Rock were just taken with phone cameras. Photos from Empire State Building were taken with DSLR.

Not only are the views amazing, but the experience is also much nicer than the Empire State Building. Top of the Rock spans 3 levels of observation decks, indoors and outdoors. Of course, the top level is the best - in large part due to the fact that there is no glass or barbed wire (looking at you, Empie) behind you, just a hip-waist height railing....which makes your pictures totally Facebook Profile worthy. Exhibit A:

My current Facebook profile pic, taken from Top of the Rock by my dear and talented friend, Fa on an iPhone.

NOT Facebook profile pic worthy, despite being taken with the DSLR - from Empire State Building in 2012. I may be wrong, but I think it was cold up there!

In addition to the unobstructed views, you are able to buy timed tickets for Top of the Rock (sunset = AMAZING), which eliminates time waiting around in long queues, like at the Empire State Building. Furthermore, Rockefeller Plaza itself is a destination to visit without even venturing to the top. Like I mentioned, it's the home of SNL and Jimmy Fallon (to which you can get FREE tickets....read about my experience HERE), has a great NBC store with loads of merchandise from your favourite NBC shows (I really want the 'Needs More Cowbell' tee), it's a great spot for celeb sightings, during the winter the plaza out the front turns into an ice skating rink (which you can combine with your top of the rock tickets for a very reasonably priced deal) and at Christmas it's home to the giant beautifully lit Christmas Tree (which I do not recommend watching being lit, unless you dream of frostbitten ears...maybe I'll do a throwback post about that adventure closer to Christmas). My recommendation? Skip the queues and the barbed wire look of the Empire State Building observation deck, and instead, just visit the lobby while you're in the area (maybe after checking out Macy's or Madison Square Park?). To get your 'On Top of the World' feeling, visit Top of the Rock.

Empire State Building Lobby