9. The Channel Gardens were named after the English Channel
Rockefeller Center’s Channel Gardens, otherwise known as the Promenade at Rockefeller Center, are arguably one of the most recognizable aspects of John D. Rockefeller’s “grandest plaza in all of New York.” Stretching from Fifth Avenue to 30 Rock, the gardens have hosted a slew of themed installations, from a Victory Garden during World War II to a warm-weather spectacle filled with tropical plants. Today, the Channel Gardens host a children-centric installation filled with Derrick Adam’s Funtime Unicorns. His installation includes a herd of ridable unicorns mounted on springs that children can admire and mount.
Although thousands enjoy the Channel Gardens’ installations each year, few know the origins of the promenade’s name. Since the Channel Gardens separate the British Empire Building and the Maison Française, it acts similarly to the English Channel. It is from its function that the Channel Gardens gets its name.