The title 30 Rock refers to what New York skyscraper?

The title 30 Rock refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Manhattan skyscraper that houses NBC Studios. The building’s address became a shorthand name for the network’s New York television operation.

30 Rockefeller Plaza is part of Rockefeller Center, the large commercial and cultural complex developed by the Rockefeller family in Midtown Manhattan. NBC’s studios are located there, and Saturday Night Live is written, produced and performed in the building. Tina Fey’s experience as SNL’s head writer helped inspire 30 Rock, so the title connects the fictional workplace to the real setting behind it.

The sitcom’s fictional program, TGS with Tracy Jordan, is presented as an NBC sketch show produced inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza. That premise lets the series satirize television production, network executives and corporate culture while drawing on a recognizable address.

The title is often mistaken for a reference to the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building, two other famous New York skyscrapers. “30 Rock” is specifically the nickname associated with 30 Rockefeller Plaza, not a generic name for Rockefeller Center.