Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Oohs, Aahs and Ehs at this Season's Rockefeller Center Tree
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 4, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 4, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
amNewYork is reporting that some non-"green" grinches are boo-hooing the LED lights on Rockefeller Center's tree this year. Powered by solar panels and lit up with 30,000 energy-efficient LEDs for the first time in history, the environmentally friendly decor just isn't doing it for some holiday revelers. Guess it's not the 1930s anymore.
A tourist from California told Newsday there was a "warmer glow" from the old lights, "The bright whites look better than the colors they have this year." And when amNY compared this year's tree to one from years past, it does seem dimmer, but "Rockefeller Center officials say the brightness is the same," emphasizing that the new bulbs give off the same amount of light.
Still, one nearby street vendor said he'd heard grumbling this season from tourists about the dimly lit tree. Meanwhile, the tall piece of timber, in one final act of being "green," will be turned into mulch after it's taken down on January 8th.
Have your own tree you're ready to send to the chipper? Mulchfest is running Saturday and Sunday this weekend, more details here.
Photo via KarenKripp's Flickr.
Tagged
california
flickr
LED
led lights
rockefeller center
tree
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .