Rockefeller Rooftop Garden: A Model for Urban Green Spaces

The Rockefeller Rooftop Garden is a true gem in the heart of Manhattan. It's a 22,000-square-foot oasis that provides a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Located on the roof of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the garden features a variety of plants and flowers, including over 26,000 plants, 130 species of trees, and 150 species of flowers.

The garden is a model for urban green spaces, demonstrating that even in the densest of cities, nature can thrive.

The Rockefeller Center roof gardens are a remarkable example of innovative urban design. They have been in existence since the mid 1930s and continue to provide beautiful greenspace and visual ammenity for the surrounding skyscrapers.

The gardens were constructed between 1933 and 1936, and are located on the 7th floor of the complex. Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st Streets in New York.

The gardens were designed by two notable horticulturalists: Ralph Hancock, who designed the first two roof gardens, and A. M. Vanden Hock, who designed the elaborate Mediterranean-style gardens on the Palazzo d’Italia and the International Building North in 1936.

These gardens were originally open to the public but operated at an annual loss of $45,000, according to Daniel Okrent’s book, “Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center.”

Rockefeller Center's rooftop gardens have been a hidden gem for 75 years, maintained by the Center but rarely accessible to the public.

The idea of rooftop gardens was actually part of the original design by architect Raymond Hood and developer John R. Todd, who envisioned a network of gardens connected by pedestrian bridges.

These gardens are primarily enjoyed by the building's employees, but for a price, they can be rented for weddings and private events.

The gardens offer a unique view of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan, which I'm sure is a stunning sight to behold.

Only a lucky few get to experience the roof gardens up close, making them a rare treat for those who live and work in the surrounding buildings.

You can catch a glimpse of the gardens through photographs or by perusing Inhabitat's slideshow of the Rockefeller Center's rooftop garden.