So yesterday started our like any other day. Setting an alarm and wishing it was later. But we couldn't sleep in as we were booked on an NBC studio tour starting at 9:30am. This was a tour around some of the studios in Rockefeller Centre. We saw studios for Saturday Night Live, Late Nights with Jimmy Fallon and also a studio they film some American football show in. They also used to film 30 Rock in here as well. We saw the control room that filters and edits everything that is broadcast by NBC or one of its channels. We learnt some of the history behind NBC and also the Rockefeller Centre itself. It was interesting to see the photos of people that built the studios to what they are today and those who have walked the corridors and been behind or in front of the cameras.
After our tour of NBC we did Top of the Rock. This is going to the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Centre and getting a 360 degree view of Manhattan. It was a little hazy but could still see all the main things that we wanted to see. You get a great view of Central Park and a view of the Empire State Building with the New World Trade Centre building in behind it. It was a different perspective of the buildings than that of the Empire State Building as it is further uptown and you can see things that you don't get to see from the other buildings and vice versa. Getting to the top is much better organised than The Empire State Building shambles although you still get the odd dumb tourist that cant read signs and will try to get a knife through the metal detector and past security. We were waiting in line to go through and get our bags scanned and metal detected. The couple in front of us walked straight past a sign with a picture of a knife with a cross through it (like at every place you go in the US) and both looked really surprised and made out they couldn't understand when the security guy pulled them both aside and told them that they couldn't take their Swiss Army Knives through. Fair enough! He said they could throw them out or return to their hotel to leave them there and come back later. They both still stood there and acted dumb. He told them again, bin or hotel. Still the husband put it back in his pocket and went through the metal detector again. Same conversation had until the security guy starting raising his voice and only then did they realise he was serious. Man some people are dumb.
Once we had got past security and been to the top it was time for us to get some lunch and then do a tour of Broadway. Our tour guide was an actor (of course) and has done some shows Off Broadway. We have learnt the difference between an On Broadway Show, and Off Broadway show and an Off Off Broadway show. Confusing I know. So an On Broadway show is a venue that has 500 seats or more, an Off Broadway show is a venue that holds between 100-499 seats and an Off Off Broadway show is 99 seats or less. If we learnt nothing else this trip we now know this. We also heard some history behind some of the venues and theatre in general in New York. How it all started and some of the behind the stage stories about some of the shows.
After all our excitement on Broadway we headed back to the hotel to get ready before we headed over to Brooklyn. We were going to see an NBA game. We saw a game between the Brooklyn Netts and Boston Celtics. It was an awesome experience and our seats we pretty close. Glad we weren't in the nosebleed section. The place was huge! Part of half time entertainment they send out the Netts girls and their mascot and throw (or shoot in the case of the mascot) Brooklyn Netts t-shits into the crowd, it was kinda cool. Again we got carded when buying a beer and then when Gordo went to go and get the second beer got denied. She was told that they have a rule at the Barclay's Centre (where the game was) that you have to have a US id or your passport. Yeah right, coz carrying your passport around NY is such a great idea and all. So after a few angry words from Gordo telling they guy exactly what she thought of this she headed around the corner to the other place who were quite happy to serve her and accept the South Australian drivers license. The guy who did giver her beer was suitably impressed that the license was all the way from South Australia. Problem solved, Gordo now had her beer. In all the excitement of this beer story let me tell you that Brooklyn won a close game and came out on top by 2 points. We also saw our busking mates the Afrobats from Central Park who are also the half time and any time out break entertainment on court for Brooklyn. It was kind of cool that we had seen them before. As we were about to leave of course two girls in the crowd asked if we could take their photo for them. Of course they were Aussies as well. We obviously looked trustworthy. Haha if only they knew us. Once the game was over it was back on the subway to head back uptown to the hotel and go to bed.
So a little sleep in today as it was a late night last night and had been a busy day. We started off our day by heading to Radio City Music Hall, home to the Rockettes. We met a real live Rockette also. She told us about the requirements to even audition to become a Rockette. You must be proficient in tap, Jazz, classical ballet as well as be within a height range which is between 5 foot 6 and 5 foot ten and a half inches. This is to keep the illusion when on stage that they are all the same height. We did a tour of this amazing old theatre which was opened December 27th 1932. This place is huge and has been restored back to its former glory. Unfortunately due to money shortage in the 1970's it closed its doors and didn't reopen until 1999. This was after a $70 million refurb. Thankfully it has been restored to its former glory and is decorated in the original art deco style that it opened its doors with originally. They are currently putting the stage together for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. When the stage was originally designed it was state of the art. In all the refurb that happened the stage was still considered ahead of its time and that was 60 years later. It has an a amazing hydraulic system that can raise and lower different parts of the stage. The US aircraft carriers from WW2 had their decks designed on the hydraulic system used in Radio City Music Hall. The hydraulics here were monitored by security during the war so that nobody could take photos etc and feed information to the enemy. The original brass panel that runs the hydraulic stage is still in use today. The seating capacity is very close to 6000 and they can add seats for major productions that makes the capacity 6200. We sat in some of the seats up the back and let me tell you that there would not be a bad seat in the house. Everyone gets an unobstructed view and the acoustics are brilliant.
After this amazing tour we headed towards Columbus Circle and Gordo bought some new sneakers. Very nice and feels like walking on pillows. We then did some walking around the Upper West Side and saw a few locations that were used in the filming of You're Got Mail and I am sure a few more things. After all this walking we got some soup for dinner and headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we will walk the other side of Central Park and see the Upper East Side and also hopefully catch up with a girl we met while travelling in India who lives in New York. We will do our last minute souvenir shopping and then the dreaded culling and packing. Til then.......
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