They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway — but they’re going down at Rockefeller Center.
30 Rock is ditching its iconic neon signs prominently plastered across Saturday Night Live’s opening credits in favor of their eco-friendly LED cousins — a move that some are mourning as the “death of neon.”
The bright, red strips that have adorned two of the media giant’s marquees since 1935 will be removed sometime in the coming year and replaced with similar-looking bulbs that will burn less brightly.
The storied building is also swapping out its blue neon “Observation Deck” lettering in favor of LED “Top of the Rock,” and will add the building’s address in LEDs to the front-facing side.
The move was OK’ed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in a 7-1 vote Tuesday after representatives for the building — where countless shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “NBC Nightly News” are taped — argued that the change is part of an ongoing effort to make 30 Rock more energy efficient, a spokesperson told The Post.
Although the reasoning for the replacements appears sound, the incoming changes caused some uproar — with Curbed claiming 30 Rock’s switch is indicative of the “slow death of neon” that could put dazzling giants like Radio City Music Hall in jeopardy of ditching its bright, glowing history.
Times Square made significant moves away from neon over the last two decades, and Manhattan lost major neon relics earlier this month when the iconic Smith’s Bar in Hell’s Kitchen and the Subway Inn in Midtown East turned off their lights for good.
New Yorkers took to social media to mourn the impending neon loss — with some raising concerns that the change will alter the character of 30 Rock.
“@NYCLandmarks voted 7 to 1 to replace Rockefeller Center’s historic neon signs with LED fakes. I vote we replace NYC’s phony Landmarks Commissioners and Chair with real preservationists,” one outraged New Yorker wrote on X.
“Probably energy and cost effective, but led light is harsher and not as old time or art decco feeling as neon,” wrote another.
“Nothing can rly replace the glow of neon, its warm and elegant but leds are cost effective…,” one person wrote on Reddit.
Rockefeller Center has already made swaps to LEDs on its 6th Avenue-facing marquee, as well as the brilliant Comcast sign atop the building. The Rockefeller Christmas Tree lights are also all energy-efficient LEDs.
Plus, the old neon lights routinely malfunction when it rains — including earlier this week when buckets of rain dropped down on the Big Apple, as tourist flocked to Rock Center to see the Rockettes and the tree.
A representative for the company noted that the 89-year-old signs won’t be replaced, only the neon tubes inside — except for the “Observation Deck” signage above the side entrances, which will be replaced with “Top of the Rock.”
Manhattan’s Community Board 5 found the exchange reasonable earlier this month considering the “Observation Deck” lettering was only added to the marquees in the 1980s when the Art Deco building was granted landmark status.
Where that old signage will ultimately end up is still up in the air, a spokesperson who asked not to be quoted, said.
