The Splendid Rooftops Upon Which to Imbibe This Summer

You wake up. You look out the window. It’s New York.

What a gem.

But that’s not all. It gets better. Three-hundred-and-sixty-degrees or so better.

Because these are the rooftop bars where you should see and be seen this summer — some with pools, some with hard-to-get tacos, all with views.

Do look down.

Arlo Hotel’s Good Story
Soho
Surf Shack’s Manhattan pop-up will be serving up tiki drinks among grilling stations and baby pools filled with beer. And, yes, there’s rosé. Just assume there will be rosé damn well everywhere.

St. Cloud Social at the Knickerbocker Hotel
Midtown West
It’s massive, it’s plush and it’s smack dab in the middle of the city. Makes you feel like a summer Friday-takin’ New Yorker every day of the week.

Westlight at the William Vale
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Know what’s better than being in Manhattan? Being across the bridge and ogling it at sunset with a Venetian Spritz in your paw. When it comes to Brooklyn rooftops, it just doesn’t get any better-slash-higher.

The Press Lounge at the Kimpton
Hell’s Kitchen
We’re personally suckers for the Press Lounge. It’s distinguished and airy. It’s always lined with a top-notch lookin’ crowd. And there are jalapeño margaritas. We dig it.

Mr. Purple
Lower East Side
On the 15th floor of Hotel Indigo, Mr. Purple has Meatpacking vibes, but less pretentious. It’s excellent for big groups with plenty of lounge space and small pool. On the menu are citified bar bites like tuna tartar and, not surprisingly, $20 champagne spritzers. 

Salon de Ning at the Peninsula
Midtown
Chic and excellent for private events. Their High-Roller Derby will have you professing your love to the bartender by the end of the night. Dangerous but delicious.

Pod 39 Rooftop
Midtown
April Bloomfield’s tacos on one of the city’s most picturesque rooftops. What more could anyone ask for?

Roof Garden Bar at the Met Fifth Avenue
Upper East Side
Go for culture. Stay for high-brow debauchery.

The Ides at Wythe Hotel
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Before there was the Westlight, there was The Ides. The line to get in can be a bit exhausting, but they keep a good watch on crowd control so you don’t get packed in like sardines. As rooftops go, that’s a real perk.

The Crown at Hotel 50
Chinatown
The 5,000-square-foot new kid on the block. You can see all the major players, from the Empire to the Freedom. And 21 floors up, Dale Talde, David Massoni and John Bush are dishing out some righteous global street food-inspired eats.