Drinking up the view

Drinking up the view
The best rooftop bars for your buck
By Daniel Lehman
Special to amNewYork

Want a different summer escape every night of the week? As Manhattan’s rooftop bar season kicks into high gear, there are plenty of places to see a bird’s-eye view of the city.

230 Fifth
230 Fifth Ave, 20th floor, bet. 26th and 27th sts.
212-725-4300

With 22,000 square feet of space and enough wood benches and garden chairs for 500 guests, 230 Fifth, the city’s largest rooftop bar, opened a year ago on top of the New York Market Center. The space is so vast, it’s barely believable it fits in Manhattan. Enjoy the guava-, cactus- and blood-orangeflavored cocktails while you peer at the Empire State Building. Drinks average $12 each, but the 360-degree view of the city offers a rooftop vacation that’s well worth it.

A60
60 Thompson St. bet. Spring and Broome sts.
877-431-0400

Though a members-only bar, there are tricks to cracking open A60. Try reserving a room at the hotel downstairs. Two separate rooftop areas present guests with picturesque midtown and lower Manhattan skyline views. The bar has room for up to 100 people, and offers pricey exotic drinks and Thai hors d’oeuvres.
Bar 13
35 E. 13th St. bet. Broadway and University Place
212-979-6677

Amid a palm tree setting, this Miami-themed rooftop enjoys different themed parties and two-for-one happy hour specials on eeknights. Its proximity to NYU makes this a prime destination for students looking for South Beach flavor.

Cabana at the Maritime Hotel
88 Ninth Ave. bet. 16th and 17th sts.
212-242-4300

This Meatpacking District bar is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best rooftop escapes. In the summer, it feels like a cross between a trendy L.A. nightclub and a retro luxury cruise liner (credit the heat lamps and tropical wallpaper). The locale is a hot place to celebrity watch (Sean Penn and the Hilton sisters are both regulars), while a bottle of sake or a lychee martini are both guaranteed to cool.

The Delancey
168 Delancey St. at Clinton St.
212-254-9920

During the summer, the roof is the main draw at this three-floor Lower East Side rock-androll bar. The all-weather rooftop is palm- ronded, with benches, fountains and a barbeque pit. There’s even a retractable roof that shields partiers from the rain.

Gramercy Park Hotel Private Roof Club and Garden
2 Lexington Ave. at E. 21st St.
212-920-3300

The Gramercy Park Hotel opened its own rooftop bar this spring. Unfortunately, the bar is only available to guests of the hotel and select private members. The unique space houses paintings by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.

Roof Garden Cafe
The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden,
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.
212-535-7710

The diverse crowd at the Roof Garden mixes together, while enjoying views of Central Park from above. The “bar” is really just a concessions cart that serves alcohol and snacks, but in addition to the spectacular view, there are marvelous sculptures by Frank Stella.

Full List @ NY Times