Back in 1931 NYC construction workers lined up for their pay checks standing next to the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree went on to become an icon and an annual tradition and a New York landmark.
This afternoon, four blocks around Rockefeller Center will be closed to cars and filled with barricades.
As Fifth and Sixth Avenues shut down, traffic will be pushed from avenue to avenue.
With 48th to 52nd Streets closed, the 40s and 50s will be virtually full of folks and impassable.
TODAY - Wednesday, December 4 is a Holiday Gridlock Alert Day, one of the heaviest vehicular traffic days of the holiday season. Residents, commuters and visitors are strongly advised to use mass transit.
The remaining gridlock alert days for this Christmas season are as follows:
Friday, December 6
Thursday, December 12
Friday, December 13
Wednesday, December 18
Thursday, December 19
Friday, December 20