The skyline of New York is famous for its tall towers. It wasn't until recently that some of the sky high rooftops were converted into bars.
At the moment, the rooftop bar scene in New York City is better than ever, with high-quality cocktails being shaken and stirred up to go along with awe-inducing views of this eight million person metropolis.
With the warm weather comes cool, refreshing cocktails, and why stay on the street to serve them? If you reach for the rooftops, you'll get a better view.
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The bar at the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport is open to the public. While sipping on aviation-themed cocktails, like Jet Fuel, Vodka is My Co-Pilot, and Control Tour, try to guess where in the world the destination is. You may need a real-life floatation device after drinking too many rum-based Floatation Devices.
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There is an array of classic cocktails to go along with the views over the rooftops and the interactive performance "Sleep No More" that can be found at Gallow Green.
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What it lacks in altitude it makes up for in its charm. Take a seat on the rooftop deck and sip on one of the many inventive cocktails they make here, for example, or a bison grass vodka- infused drink with apple juice.
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Jimmy is located on the 18th floor of the ModernHaus SoHo hotel and he provides a great view of the cast- iron-clad buildings that flank the cobblestone streets off SoHo. While lounging on the outdoor terrace you can sip a refreshing mango slush or Moscow mule. Leather furniture, a fireplace and cocktail list get warmer when it's cold outside.
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It was once a women's-only hotel and now is a classic of New York City. The Art Nouveau stylings, tall ornate cathedral windows and views of the east side Manhattan skyline make for an ideal venue for drinking a dirty martini, a Manhattan or one of the 14 signature cocktails that are shaken up here nightly. Frank Sinatra used to hang out here, if all that doesn't make you feel like you're king off the hill, then there's this little fact.
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The elegant restaurant on the ground floor of the Downtown Manhattan skyscraper was given to us by the people who built Overstory. If you want to watch the verve and the sparkle of the city below, sip a classic libation or a signature cocktail. 220 members of the 50 Best Bars Academy voted for Overstory to win the Art of Hospitality Award.
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The ideal place to eat pastrami-stuffed steamed buns and veggie spring rolls is on the roof deck of this 21st-floor bar, which has a stunning view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.
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It is like Havana-on-the- Hudson at Azul, a 200 seat, 20-story-high SoHo rooftop bar that is bedecked with palm trees, reclaimed wood tables and teal accents.
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The server's name tags include their favorite bad or musical artists. It can become a conversation starter if you see a band like Led Zeppelin. The Hard Rock Hotel is close to Times Square. There aren't any rock star souvenirs on the outdoor terrace, just views of the surrounding towers, plates of snacks, and nicely made cocktails. When the stomach starts to rumble again, the NYY Steak is a great place to retreat to.
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Located atop the Moxy in the East Village, the rooftop bar has a rowdy vibe like you just arrived, mid-party, at a friend's backyard beer-laden bash. Happy hour is on Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm. Cathedrale is an in-house restaurant that you can go to if you want something bigger.
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There is a cable car that goes between Second Avenue and E. 59th Street. Many people get off the cable car and go to see a neighborhood that is not very nice. The southern tip of the island is where the ruined hospital was once located. The Panorama Room, located on the 18th floor of the Graduate hotel, has a panoramic view of Manhattan, Queens, and parts of Brooklyn. There are excellent food offerings that are low and highbrow.
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With a view of surrounding skyscrapers and a riot of dazzling colors across the Hudson River at sunset, Skylark provides visual fireworks to go with a seasonal cocktail menu. The drinks here are good enough to make you think the person handing it to you should be a person with a beard. The bi-level rooftop bar in Midtown has Art Deco touches and is an ideal location for a date.
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Each year, the seventh floor terrace bar at the Dominick Hotel changes. For the past two years, El Ta'koy, a restaurant and lounge that has other outlets in Chicago and London, has fused ingredients from Mexico and Hawaii to create appetizing pork-and-pineapple taco and ahi poke tuna nachos, as well as lots of fruit.
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The Daintree lounge is located on the 30th floor of Midtown, just two blocks south of Bryant Park, and is known for its martinis. You can either choose between five options or go to the "everything else" part of the menu, where you can get one of a few strong mezcal- and rum-based drinks.
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The article was first published in July of 2019.