Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Many Midtown streets already closed for Wednesday's Rockefeller tree lighting
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Dec 2, 2024
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 .
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Dec 2, 2024
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
There's no missing it: Christmas season has come to New York. And to make it official, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting this week will bring merriment, tourists and street closings.
The tree lighting is on Wednesday night, but several streets are already closed for preparations on Monday and Tuesday, according to the city Department of Transportation:
- 46th-52nd streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues
- Rockefeller Plaza between 48th-51st streets
- Fifth and Sixth avenues between 46th-52nd streets
Then, on Wednesday, more street closures are planned for the big event:
- Madison Avenue between 42nd-57th streets
- Fifth and Sixth avenues between 42-57th streets.
The closures coincide with some of this season's official "gridlock alert days" when transportation officials anticipate the worst traffic of the year. There are city gridlock warnings this month on Dec. 3-6, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-19.
More traffic alerts and advisories from the department can be found here.
The Rockefeller Center tree will be lit during the two-hour "Christmas at Rockefeller Center" broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday on NBC and Peacock.
This year's tree, a 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce, comes from the Albert family’s property in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It's the first time since 1959 that the Rockefeller Center tree has come from the Bay State.
The tree weighs about 11 tons and and spans 43 feet in diameter. It will remain on display through mid-January and will be lit from 5 a.m. to midnight most days, but will be lit for 24 hours on Christmas Eve.
According to Rockefeller Center, the tree will be milled into lumber for the charity group Habitat for Humanity after the season ends.
Tagged
Rockfeller Center
new york city
manhattan
holidays
transportation
Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
The company blamed ‘macro-economic headwinds.’ The co-founder is suing over compensation.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 11:29 a.m. ET
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
The Justice Department sued demonstrators who protested at a synagogue, under a law aimed at shielding abortion clinics.
By
Willow Higgins
News
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
The Justice Department sued demonstrators who protested at a synagogue, under a law aimed at shielding abortion clinics.
By
Willow Higgins
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
By
Rosemary Misdary
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
By
Liam Quigley
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
By
Ryan Kost
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 .