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 infinity pool at TWA Hotel's rooftop deck overlooks JFK
The infinity pool at TWA Hotel's rooftop deck overlooks JFK Airport © Courtesy of TWA Hotel

Best for plane watching: TWA Pool Bar

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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The lush labyrinth of greenery at Gallow Green on top of The McKittrick Hotel
The lush labyrinth of greenery at Gallow Green on top of The McKittrick Hotel © Noah Fecks for The McKittrick Hotel

Best for drinking in a garden with a view: Gallow Green

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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Bar Blondeau atop the Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn
Excellent views of the Manhattan skyline from Bar Blondeau atop the Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn © Liz Clayman / Bar Blondeau

Best for gawking at the Manhattan skyline without being in Manhattan: Bar Blondeau 

Bar Blondeau is located on the top floor of the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn and it has a great view of Manhattan. The kitchen at Chez Ma Tante was turned into a Gallic bar in 2021. The food doesn't have to be great but it is here.

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Night of Joy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Night of Joy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn © Courtesy of Night of Joy

Best for drinking inventive cocktails amidst antiques: Night of Joy

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 bar on the roof of ModernHaus SoHo hotel
JIMMY bar on the roof of ModernHaus SoHo hotel © Courtesy of JIMMY

Best for all-year-round rooftop drinking: Jimmy SoHo

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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Views of the East River and Roosevelt Island from Ophelia Lounge
Views of the East River and Roosevelt Island from Ophelia Lounge © Courtesy of Moxy East Village

Best for the Art Deco enthusiast: Ophelia 

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 outdoor terrace at Overstory
The outdoor terrace at Overstory © Courtesy of Overstory

Best for a pre- or post-dinner drink: Overstory

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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The Azul Rooftop in SoHo
The Azul Rooftop in SoHo © Courtesy of Azul

Best for feeling like you’re in Havana: Azul Rooftop 

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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You'll find the RT60 atop the Hard Rock Hotel near Times Square
You'll find the RT60 atop the Hard Rock Hotel near Times Square © Courtesy of RT60

Best for rocking out with the views: RT60

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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The Ready NYC atop the Moxy in the East Village
The Ready NYC atop the Moxy in the East Village © The Ready NYC

Best for feeling like you’re at a backyard party: The Ready

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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Roosevelt Island's Panorama Room on the top of Graduate Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island's Panorama Room on the top of Graduate Roosevelt Island © Noah Fecks / Panorama Room

Best reason to go to Roosevelt Island: Panorama Room

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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360-degree views of midtown NYC: The Skylark rooftop bar
360-degree views of midtown NYC: The Skylark rooftop bar © Courtesy of The Skylark

Best for cocktails that are good enough to rival the view: Skylark

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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Dominick Hotel's Terrace on 7 rooftop in SoHo
Dominick Hotel's Terrace on 7 rooftop in SoHo © Courtesy of Terrace on 7

Best for feeling like you’re at a Mexican luau: Terrace on 7

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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Daintree rooftop bar, just two blocks south of Bryant Park
Daintree rooftop bar, just two blocks south of Bryant Park © Daintree

Best for sipping a martini in the sky: Daintree

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.