Historic Rainbow Room Reopens Atop NYC Skyline

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An iconic venue is once again open atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza after a five-year absence from the New York City skyline.

The Rainbow Room reopened on Sunday for brunch, offering diners sweeping views of Manhattan and beyond through windows widened during a renovation.

While the windows may have been enlarged and the dance floor restored, the designers made sure to keep some of the original touches of the night club, including the brass railings, WCBS 880's Monica Miller reported.

Cindy Baggette, of Tennessee, ate at the original restaurant in the 1970s, but missed Sunday's relaunch brunch. She wondered if the dress code has been changed.

"You know you had to be dressed appropriately and if they didn't they'd give you a mustard colored jacket. If you were a man and you didn't have appropriate jacket, they would give you one," she said.

The Rainbow Room was forced to close five years ago due to a landlord-tenant dispute, Miller reported. The venue received landmark status from the city two years ago.

The 65th floor room has hosted plenty of celebrities over its 80 years, from numerous movie stars and sports figures to political dignitaries. Customers have included Cole Porter, Elizabeth Taylor, Al Pacino, Barbra Streisand and Muhammad Ali, along with every mayor since its original opening.

While a jazz band played on Sunday, music greats such as Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Louis Armstrong and Tony Bennett have played the iconic room in years past.

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