Amid the metro mayhem of New York City’s Rockefeller Center, CJ — Correll Jones — has become as sturdy a presence as the iconic plaza he’s welcomed guests to for the last 23 years.
That’s why his business card reads: “Mayor of Rockefeller Center.”
And just like his title requires, CJ spends his days making sure things are running smoothly and people are happy running around the complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan.
He spends his days roaming around Rockefeller Center with his hundred-watt smile in his gray suit and doorman’s top hat, greeting those who work in the area, helping tourists get where they’re going and making sure that everyone in the crowd is safe and satisfied.
A New York icon
Jones, who was born and bred in Brooklyn, where he still resides, began his career as a greeter at the University Club in 1983.
That’s where Rob Speyer, the chief executive of the Tishman Speyer real estate firm, which owns Rockefeller Center, met Jones and offered him the job down the street in 2002.
“He saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. And he stole me away from the club. And then he brought me here to Rockefeller Center,” Jones told The Post.
“I want you to know I think it was one of the best moves I could ever make in my entire life.”
Ever since, he has spent his days roaming the center, making sure everyone is getting where they need to go with a smile on their face. Monday through Friday, he arrives on the subway at 8:30 a.m. and heads home to the missus at 5:45 p.m. — during the holiday season, he also works some weekends.
“This is the center of the world,” Jones claims. “It’s a one-of-a-kind place.”
I <3 NY
Of course, Rockefeller Center is home to shows like “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and the “Today Show.”
But when asked about the celebrities he clearly must see daily, he casually confirms Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker as good friends — but leaves it at that.
He even deemed Roker the deputy mayor of Rockefeller Center in 2021 when the journalist shadowed him for a segment.
“I think he got a kick out of that,” Jones said.
He’s been featured on the “Today Show,” “The Tonight Show” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” — the latter of which provided him and about 200 other NYC doormen five days and four nights in St. Lucia.
“Oh, you know I went,” he confirmed. “That was one of the nicest things I’ve gotten working here.”
He admitted that he’s received countless invites from his high-profile profession, but they don’t usually strike a sparkly chord.
“I ain’t sticking my neck nowhere unless there is a free ticket,” he quipped.
Jones doesn’t really get starstruck and breezes past most questions about A-listers. He’s just as happy to chat with a tourist and help them find the subway as he is to step onto a sound stage.
“The best thing about this job is when you help somebody and you give them good directions, or you take their picture and then they come back a year or two years or three years later, and they say, ‘You know, I remember you.’ Stuff like that, it’s a treat,” Jones said.
However, he was proud to show off a photo of former President Bill Clinton clapping him on the back.
Jones recalled that he’d met the former commander in chief several times but was taken aback when he asked for him by name.
“He came out of the building and asked, ‘Where is CJ?’ and stopped and took a picture with me and put his hand on my shoulder,” he shared. He was honored that the “charismatic” public figure stopped to chat with him for about 15 minutes and waved off his guards who tried to keep him moving.
“And then he walked down Fifth Avenue, and I had to be like, ‘C’mon that’s the president walking down Fifth Avenue.’ Unbelievable. That was special,” Jones said, smiling and shaking his head.
Toast of the town
Most New Yorkers huff and puff about avoiding the popular tourist attraction — especially during the holidays — but recent years have seen it transform and the mayor loves to see it.
Above all, Jones appreciates seeing the awe it brings to those seeing it for the first time up close.
“There’s so much excitement here that I don’t think there’s another place like it. I tell people here that sometimes we take it for granted, but to see the faces of people who have never been to New York and never been in Rock Center when they look up and say, ‘Wow,’ that’s the thrill for me,” he explained.
“What’s unique about this job is that you see a new tourist every day, and then you see the glitter in their eyes because of how unique this building is or how neat this city is.”
And to the disapproval of most New Yorkers — and many of his co-workers — he thinks it only gets more magical once the Christmas tree goes up.
He’s the face everyone knows — just stand by him for five minutes and be wowed at the number of people who stop to say hi. Everyone seems to light up brighter than the Christmas tree when they see Jones.
To honor his legacy, he’s just had a drink named after him at the newly opened Pebble Bar at The Rink, the outdoor bar that’s opened next to the Prometheus statue — Jones’s favorite piece of art in the area.
The delicious drink — an $80 shareable pitcher of margarita for four — will be served at the seasonal bar all summer long.
“It’s really crazy,” Jones said. “To sit there and have a drink and take a picture with Prometheus, you can’t go wrong.”
“I am going to bring the missus to come in and try the drink. I’m also telling all of my tenants and my tourists and everybody that I know at Rock Center about it.”
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