Sad. They should use trees that are in forested areas, not somebody's front lawn. That home and its neighbors are scarred forever.

Who pays for the stump removal?

So sad that someone would have a beautiful tree cut down just for a short display. You would think with the thousands of trees that fell that a downed tree could have been used! The folks at Rockafeller center should consider planting a tree and re-using rather than cutting down mature trees. And to think the US is always complaining about the rainforest and how many trees are cut down there! We cut a beautiful tree so tourists can take pictures! Disgusting!

Have you ever been to Rockefeller Center at Christmas Time. Have you ever watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the sidewalks of New York (not on television) with your children at your side. Have you ever knelt in St. Patricks Cathedral and prayed for mankind.. Have you ever walked up 5th Avenue and looked in store windows in December. Gone even further to Central Park and skated at Wollman Rink and sipped hot chocolate while sitting on a bench there. No the value not the cost.

What incredibly poor timing. A public relations failure.

Oh please, you ignorant tree huggers need to get a grip on your diapers. The spruce was nearing the end of its life. According to the Canadian Forest Service a Norway spruce in a suburban landscape setting has a lifespan of about 75 years.

In addition, people have the right to do what they want with their property - at least until you tree fascists take over.

relax people (Tree huggers). Instead of chopping the tree down and cutting it to pieces, its being put on display to make hundreds of thousands of people and little children smile. Get over it. it's what the tree means that matters not where it came from.

Congrats Mr. Balku. I am thankful for your donation and will appreciate your tree when we go see it in person.

I never can get used to the fact that so many people are idiots. What a scar on the neighborhood.... couldn't they have used a fallen tree from the storm......What about the children?.....Geez, get a life.

Gotta love those that resort to name calling. Who is ignorant and an idiot when you call people names? What Balku did was wrong. Donation or not, it is not right to cut a tree to simply put up in Rockefeller center to attract tourist dollars. Just like having the NY marathon was wrong, this is wrong. A tree should be grown and decorated every year rather than sacrificing a tree for people to take pictures. Give me a break.

Did any of you tree huggers ever think that these people donated it because it became a danger to them and the house? Kudos to them a great way to get this tree taken down for free.. Also it will make many people smile before it is mulched.. There is alway a reason behind why these trees are donated..

I'm a liberal, but OMG who cares if the guy allows his one tree to be cut? A tree felled by the strom would be damaged and drying out by now. If you watch the video you might note the care and effort required to lift the tree with a crane in order to avoid breaking banches. Seriously people, spend your time fighting for open space, and land preservation, so LOTS of trees are saved, and don't sweat the one tree cut down that makes lots of people happy.

Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees - ba dum bump!

Their son is going to be rightfully upset at them till the end of their lives... So will be countless other people.

I respect both sides of the issue. On the one hand, the tradition is important with a lot of joy during this time of year and it is only one tree from a private property. On the other hand, this tree is huge and I hate to see such a short time of usefulness after it has been cut down considering how many years of resources to bring it up to this point. The problem can be easily solved with a compromise. The company could have tried to make a good stewardship by donating 100 or 1,000 new trees to the town in which the tree will be taken from. But I don't think the company will seriously consider that. Not that the money is the issue. They do have load of money to hire a lot of workers with heavy equipment to take it nicely. But as the way it has been, the focus is more about extravaganza than anything else.

I am sure it's a great honor and source of pride for the people that donate their tree.

slow news day on Patch, everyone has an opinion about someone else's property (the tree) and what they are allowed to do with it, Attention !!!!!, trees are not people. they live and die for man's pleasure and use...(thats not to say we should abuse them.)

If this tree could talk, it would probably say that it's honored to be cut down to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

Why cut down a tree when there are thousands of trees that could be used that were blown down. Leave the the thriving ones alone. So what if it is a little shorter this year.

Love the tree lighting and Rockefeller Center at Christmas time.

Seriously. Get a life people. I hope u don't yell at me for throwing toilet paper in the toilet since it once belonged to someone lol n came from a living thing. Hahahaha. That is how ridiculous u people r for whining about an oversized tree.

As the original commenter, let me be clear. I have no objection to the cutting down of trees for use in holiday displays. I was noting the majestic placement of this tree in the middle of a residential yard. It seems like it would be missed. If the tree was indeed so old that it needed to come down soon anyway, ok. Otherwise, I'm suggesting they take the trees from more discreet places, not a yard where a stump is left behind. That's all.

Tree huggers please lighten up.....I think everyone deserves a little happiness right now and the sight of this tree in NYC brings so much joy to so many people. Just relax.....

To XJS and others,
Please use your fake tree for as long as possible. Fake trees don't disintegrate and are bad for the environment. After my fake tree is completely worn out I plan on using real trees again.

One day the earth will rid itself of the infection that inhabits it. The "idiocracy" of humanity is clearly demonstrated by the comments on this and many other articles. If you don't like something, change it, otherwise shut up.

Well put Anna..

I sure do hope that EVERYBODY is giving the same amount of time to help those in need this Christmas season as they are commenting the tree.

Give me a break people. They cut down ONE tree per YEAR. People talking about "deforestation" and whatever else are being completely ridiculous. Spruce/pine are about the ugliest species of trees out there. I paid over $1,000 to have them removed from my yard.

I have large spruces bordering my property...they are probably 60+ years old. One broke off (not uprooted) about half way up and the twin trunks came down alongside my house, frighteningly close to it. The size was enough to do serious damage! To all those suggesting that an already-downed tree should have been selected, or one growing in the wild, I have some observations. A downed tree of the necessary size would have been destroyed in the process if it was even appropriately shaped and sized to begin with. A tree in the wild would be mishapen because of competetion from surrounding trees. After watching the process of cutting and removal, can someone tell me how it would be realistic to expect to get the necessary equipment into the middle of a woods to effect the removal?

I would have loved to donate one of my large trees rather than have them fall on 3 of my cars, totalling 2 of them, or another uprooting and thankfully missing my house but taking out the power to all my neighbors, and still another distroying our garden fence and one of our boats.

This has to be the most asinine thread in the history of the Patch.

I think the tree lighting in the city is spectacular it brings families close together with holiday cheer. I think everyone needs some cheering up after the storm I know my family does especially after two trees fell on my house and riped part of my roof off and families like myself who had no lights, heat or water for weeks. And families who don't have anywhere to go home to. That tree is no ordinary tree for me its holiday spirit its seeing so many families come closer together for the holiday's. If I had the chance to donate one of my trees I would in a heartbeat cause I see how my kids faces light up when they see that tree and it never gets old.
I hope all of you's posting and ur families have a great thanksgiving and Christmas

WOW!!!! Really people :( Good for you Mr. Balku! I personally would consider it a joy and an honor to donate a tree that's near the end of it's life span to be seen by a lot of people in Rockefeller Center! It's a sad world we live in where some people are actually arguing and saying nasty things about a man donating a Spruce tree to be decorated for Christmas. What ever happened to the good old saying of "if you don't have anything nice to say..." Happy Holidays Everyone :)

Congratulations, Mr. Balku! What a generous donation for such a wonderful event! Many thousands of people will be filled with joy at the tree-lighting and weeks after. (I'm sure it will be much happier at Rock Center than perhaps lying on your house in the near future.)

Yes JAFO it is the most asinine thread. But what's even more asinine is that I read it!! Bah! Humbug! to all you tree nuts. I love going every year to Rock Center to see that tree. Can't wait to go this year. It's a great tradition, along with the Saks windows.

I read many of the comments left here and it would be nice to use an artificial tree, but I doubt they make them as large as the natural ones that are cut down each year (besides the cost of storing the darn thing, right?). Is it only me or don't they look much larger on television than they do in real life (MY BF at the time brought me to see one over 30 years ago and I was disappointed because I always thought it would be the size of a California Redwood!)? It would have been nice to have used one that had fallen during the storm, but I doubt anyone could find one that was undamaged due to the hurricane which would also be of the same type, size, etc. I also think I disagree (with someone's previous comment) that the tradition of "Christmas Trees" go back "thousands" of years (I read it's been almost 1,000 years because of its' association with St. Boniface) But it is nice to see that not even a hurricane or northeaster can stop a tradition that makes soo many people happy even in the time of calamity. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, .HAPPY KWANZAA, FELIZ NAVIDAD and whatever else I may have missed....so Happy Everything!!! :)

The Norway Spruce is a tree with a definitive life span. The Rockefeller folks cut the ones at the end of theirs. Read The Christmas Tree by Julie Salmon. You'll realize its soon-to-be-demise was inevitable and probably salvaged from Sandy by its wrapping. At least more people then just Mt. Olive visitors can enjoy its beauty and enjoy it as a symbolic reference to faith. Something we can all use today.

I like trees. But trees get cut all the time. This one is just another log, really, possibly, even, a liability in it's original location. BUT, I think the emotional aspect of this event is more a matter of THIS tree being a survivor of such an horrendous national catastrophe. It goes against the grain to see something akin to "the last man standing" getting whacked after having stood the 'test of storm'...........pretty ironic. Wow! It made it! "Timber"!...Doh! On one hand I LOL at the absurdity. On the other I appreciate what it does for the owner and the people who will enjoy it. The tree will build a house and give an old guy a moment of excitement and feeling of contributing to a bit of happiness for who knows how many people. Not a bad way to top off your golden years..........if it really bothers you, go out and plant some trees.........

I like trees. But trees get cut all the time. This one is just another log, really, possibly, even, a liability in it's original location. BUT, I think the emotional aspect of this event is more a matter of THIS tree being a survivor of such an horrendous national catastrophe. It goes against the grain to see something akin to "the last man standing" getting whacked after having stood the 'test of storm'...........pretty ironic. Wow! It made it! "Timber"!...Doh! On one hand I LOL at the absurdity. On the other I appreciate what it does for the owner and the people who will enjoy it. The tree will build a house and give an old guy a moment of excitement and feeling of contributing to a bit of happiness for who knows how many people. Not a bad way to top off your golden years..........if it really bothers you, go out and plant some trees.........