Rockefeller Center | Manhattan, NY

With 19 high-rises built on 22 acres of prime Manhattan real estate, it’s easy to take this National Landmark for granted. Yet when business tycoon John D. Rockefeller broke ground on the massive complex in 1930, it helped the city weather the Great Depression by employing an estimated 40,000 with construction work. It’s even said that the first Christmas tree at the center was erected by the workers several years before the giant evergreen would become a tradition. These days, thousands are employed within the buildings and tourists come from all over to admire the original Art Deco structures and shops surrounding Rockefeller Plaza.  
 
Even without the beloved sitcom that shares its name and location, 30 Rockefeller Plaza is by far the most famous of the buildings—and that’s by design. As the tallest of the lot, 30 Rock was always meant to be the centerpiece, and it shows, from the murals in the lobby to the 70th-floor observation deck with views of Central Park and the Empire State Building, this place is far from subtle. It also happens to be home of NBC. If you’re lucky, you might get tickets to see a live recording of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Seth Meyers or even Saturday Night Live.