Rockefeller Revelations: From Sky-High Thrills to Late-Night Laughs
A Slow Start in the City That Never Sleeps
About 2am we were both awake – I tossed and turned for a couple of hours while Ros drifted back off, lucky her. Around 4am I finally nodded off again and didn’t properly emerge until about 9am. We shuffled down to breakfast to fuel up for the day.
Ros had a small panic afterwards when she couldn’t find the top she wanted. Cue the frantic bag search. Of course, it turned up in the last place she looked – her carry-on, disguised in a packing cube! Crisis averted. Everything had made it safely to New York, and honestly, even if we had forgotten something, there are enough shops here to replace half a wardrobe.
Suitcases and Skyscrapers
With plenty of time before our afternoon plans, we strolled along Fifth Avenue and stopped at Trump Tower for a quick photo. The real surprise wasn’t the tower itself, but the building right next door – its exterior stacked in layers that look like giant suitcases piled high. It’s one of those quirky New York details you’d almost miss if you weren’t looking up, and it made for a fun contrast to the glossy façade beside it.
Our main stop was Rockefeller Plaza for the VIP Top of the Rock experience. The VIP treatment really lived up to its name. With just the two of us on the scheduled time slot, it felt like a private tour. Our guide gave us a snapshot of the building’s history – the Rockefeller Centre was born out of the Great Depression in the 1930s, a symbol of optimism and ambition. Rising 70 floors above Midtown, it remains one of New York’s most recognisable Art Deco icons.
First stop: The Beam. This is where you can recreate the famous 1932 photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” which captured eleven ironworkers casually eating lunch on a steel beam high above the city streets. Our turn felt a little less daring – safety harnesses firmly clipped in – but still surreal, dangling our legs against a backdrop of Manhattan’s skyline, Ros was a bit uneasy as it swung around to face outwards and felt like it was over the edge.
From there, we were whisked to Sky High, the new rooftop perch added in 2023. Standing 850 feet above the city, we had unobstructed views in every direction. The Empire State Building looked close enough to touch, Central Park stretched out like a green carpet, and the Hudson shimmered in the distance. It was one of those rare moments when the chaos of New York seemed to pause, leaving us on top of the world. Not sure which one Ros was more freaked out on, this or the beam as her grip on the hand rails was so tight her knuckles were white.
Showtime at Studio 8G
By the time we wrapped up, it was nearly 2pm – ticket time for Seth Meyers. Even though we had invitations, the tickets were first-come, first-served, so punctuality mattered. We got there at 1:45pm (15 minutes early) and already the line was snaking up the steps. Nobody knew how many seats there actually were, so we crossed our fingers.
The waiting wasn’t made easier by the fact we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Ros unearthed a roll of Mentos from her bag, but they barely took the edge off. Still, we weren’t about to risk leaving – if you stepped out, you weren’t getting back in.
Finally, the doors opened. Our tickets were stamped with the number 17. Their quirky system went letters first, then double letters, then numbers – a total lottery for where you’d end up. We were shown to the left side of the studio, about two-thirds up. Honestly, it was perfect. A clear view right down to Seth’s desk. The people in the first rows actually had cameras blocking their sightline, so we scored better than front row.
Before the show began, Ryan Reiss, the warm-up comedian, worked the audience. He kept us laughing, explained the do’s and don’ts, and made sure the energy was high before the cameras started rolling. By the time Seth walked out, the crowd was buzzing.
The taping itself was brilliant. Seth was sharp, funny and warm – exactly the kind of host you want on a sleepy afternoon. Catherine Zeta-Jones was first up, chatting about playing Morticia Addams in Wednesday, followed by Julio Torres, a comedian and former Saturday Night Live writer we hadn’t heard of before today. Both kept the laughs flowing, and the whole experience felt electric.
Sweet Ending at Times Square
When the show wrapped at 5:15pm, we spilled back out into the buzz of Rockefeller Plaza and wandered towards the hotel. On the way, temptation called in the form of the M&M’s store – our second one after London. Prices were as steep as the displays, but we couldn’t resist. Dark chocolate and dark chocolate peanut M&Ms made their way into our bag. They tasted even better on the walk back, a sugary full stop to an unforgettable New York afternoon.
Dinner with a View
For dinner we headed up to the top of the Marriott Marquis to The View restaurant. True to its name, the revolving floor slowly turned us through a complete rotation in about ninety minutes, showing off Manhattan from every angle. One moment we were looking straight across to Times Square with its neon glow, the next we were gazing at the twinkling lights of the Hudson. We spotted landmarks all around the city, each view revealing something new as the night went on.
Inside, a pianist played softly in the background, which immediately reminded Ros of her dad. It gave the whole experience a warm, nostalgic note that made the evening even more special.
Ros started with a prawn cocktail while I had oysters, both as fresh as you could hope for. For mains, Ros went for a picanha steak while I tackled an aged bone-in ribeye – a serious cut that lived up to its name. Dessert was indulgent: a slice (slab) of rich chocolate cake and a classic New York cheesecake to share. By the end, we were both absolutely stuffed and more than ready to call it a night. It was the perfect finale to a day that had taken us from dizzying heights to late-night laughs and finally to a skyline dinner we’ll never forget.
