Best Rooftop Bars in New York City

New York City's rooftop bar culture is one of the city's great seasonal pleasures — when the weather warms, hundreds of rooftop terraces open across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, offering views of the skyline, the Hudson and East Rivers, and the extraordinary visual complexity of the world's most famous urban landscape. Competition for the best views is fierce, and reservation books fill weeks in advance.

230 Fifth in Midtown has one of the city's most famous Empire State Building views. The Ides Bar at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg offers the classic Manhattan skyline shot from Brooklyn. The Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Moxy Times Square has a carnival atmosphere that matches its Times Square location. Westlight at the William Vale in Brooklyn and the PHD Terrace at Dream Midtown represent the more sophisticated end of the rooftop cocktail market.