Rainbow Room Preps For Return

Two years after going dark, the iconic Rainbow Room is preparing for a comeback. The Post reports that permits have been issued for wall and ceiling demolitions, electrical and plumbing work and the installation of new floor-to-ceiling windows that will usher in a new era of panoramic views at the famed restaurant-nightclub atop Rockefeller Center. The two-year hiatus at the 1934 icon stemmed from the financial troubles of then-owners the Cipriani family (which has developed an unrivaled reputation for running the most overpriced and underwhelming eateries in town). The exterior of the 65th-floor space is a landmark, and an application to landmark the interior is pending. Given its lofty status, the goal of the touch-up is to restore rather than redo. Peg Breen of the New York Landmarks Conservancy said, “”People are going to walk back in expecting to be in the Rainbow Room. The closer it is to the original, the better.” [NY Post]