Rockefeller Centre is a highly controversial mural

The GE building (General Electric) houses the famous Rainbow Room, formerly a supper-club and now an up-scale restaurant. For diners wishing to have a glimpse of the Rainbow Room but not pay the upmarket prices, the Rainbow Grill is a great alternative and is on the same floor of the building. The GE building also boasts one of the best bird's eye views of the city from its observation deck nicknamed the "Top of the Rock". The skyscraper also serves as the headquarters of NBC who produce Saturday Night Live and other popular shows. Visitors to New York often go to see live recordings of shows for television as they are free but show-goers must take into account the long waiting list, and put their names down well before their visit.

AdChoices In and around the centre are many famous sculptures and artwork, the most well recognised is likely to be the gold centrepiece statue of Prometheus by Paul Manship, although the most well known piece of art history about Rockefeller Centre is a highly controversial mural by Diego Rivera that was destroyed.

AdChoices Abby Aldrich Rockefeller convinced her husband John D. Rockefeller in 1932 to commission a art mural by Mexican artist Rivera. The painting entitled "Man at the Crossroads" was begun in 1933 but never saw completion. The controversy surrounding the mural came about when Rockefeller identified Russian Revolutionary Vladimir Lenin depicted participating in a May Day parade. At the time, the portrayal of the communist leader was considered propaganda and anti-capitalist and the action considered extremely controversial and was written about scathingly in newspapers.

AdChoices Rivera offered to paint American president Abraham Lincoln in the wallpaper murals on the opposing side but this offer did not assuage Rockefeller who ordered Rivera to remove the mural, to which he refused. Rivera was subsequently banned from the building leading to demonstrations by his supporters. Rockefeller's workmen demolished the mural, despite negotiations to transfer the work to the Museum of Modern Art. Rivera never worked in the United States again, but determined to finish the mural, he recreated the frescoes in the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico

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