Rockefeller Center tree lighting goes smoothly days after terror scare

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Rockefeller Center on Tuesday night to watch the lighting of the country's most famous Christmas tree, just days after a terror scare at a tree lighting in Oregon.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped turn on the 30,000 energy-efficient lights dressing the Rockefeller Christmas tree following a show featuring performances by Jessica Simpson, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, British singer Katherine Jenkins, and teen pop star Charice.

The 74-foot Norway spruce, donated by Peter and Stephanie Acton of Mahopac, N.Y., will be on view until Jan. 7.

The event took place less than a week after the arrest of a 19-year-old Somali-American man charged in an alleged plot to blow up a car bomb at an Oregon Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland.

"It kind of crossed my mind but not enough to keep me away," said 44-year-old Lisa Kingston, who was visiting from Canada with her friend and had wanted to see the event in person after many years of watching it on TV.

Her sentiments were echoed by 41-year-old Bonnie Hixson of Lubbock, Texas.

"It's a sign of our religious freedoms and a sign of our freedom to celebrate," Hixson said. "It's what gets my Christmas season off to a start."

New York City police prepared for the sizable crowd by blocking off streets and urging people to use mass transit instead of cars to get there.

"Since 9/11, the NYPD has introduced counter-terrorism measures in an abundance of caution at large gatherings in the city year-round," said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. "We're prepared for a large crowd for the Christmas tree lighting."

The annual tree lighting is a highlight of a season of wonderment for sightseers and exasperation for anyone trying to get to work.

For people who work in the area, the walk to the office can turn into an obstacle course, requiring maneuvering strategies.

"It's a matter of bobbing and weaving between them. I've got short legs and I've got to make them move," said Vanessa Ortiz, an administrative employee who was walking through the concourse underneath Rockefeller Center on Monday, the day before the lighting.

Those large crowds will be a common sight for the next month, taking over the sidewalks and walkways and turning a quick jaunt for a coffee break into a drawn-out expenditure of time.

"It's just crazy," said Amanda Grogan, in charge of displays at the Anthropologie store, walking through the already-crowded concourse with a co-worker.

In December, "You can barely move down here," she said. "I just basically try to avoid everybody and stay away from the slow-moving crowds."

Among her tactics: bringing lunch from home, coming to work early and leaving early.

Some took the onslaught of bodies with a certain "What-are-you-gonna-do?" shrug.

"Some people are so uptight, they just need to relax," said another worker, Jim Detmer, as he walked through the complex. "It's the holiday season, it's a good time of year here, it's exciting. It's the center of Christmas."

Not everyone felt that way. Michelle Lino, of Bohemia on Long Island, was bracing for her first Christmas spent working in the Rockefeller Center area.

Even before the holidays, the 39-year-old hated the crowds she walks through to get to work.

"If I could go to Hawaii for three weeks, I would," she said.