So you think you know New York City— where to find the “best” pizza, coolest dive bars, and remembering to never buy a pretzel or a hot dog from street vendors on the weekends when they raise prices for tourists (if you didn’t know that, you’re welcome, now you do). With an ever-changing atmosphere and endless nooks and crannies, this city is always revealing hidden gems. Here are 3 funky, fun, and less talked about spots set high above NYC on rooftops that might even stump the best of this city’s vets.
230 Fifth
“Igloos and the city do not go hand in hand,” said every New York establishment, but 230 Fifth. This restaurant, bar, and club boasts the largest rooftop garden in NYC, open all year round. When summer winds down, out come the space heaters, blankets, and inflatable igloos equipped with couches, personal robes, flat screen TV’s, and bottles of champagne. Your rooftop happy hour days are officially not over.
Suburban Homes atop NYC Buildings
NYC is made up of sky scrapers and endless rows of brownstones. If you live in the city, the suburban, white-picket fence, wrap around porch home is nothing short of a distant dream, for most. A few New Yorkers decided to make this dream a reality by using NYC rooftops to build full-fledged, suburban style homes. From the Upper West Side to East 1st Street to Williamsburg, there are at least six known and photographed suburban homes built atop apartment buildings in NYC.
Rockefeller Center Rooftop Gardens
While Rockefeller Center is the go-to hotspot for New Yorkers to overload on holiday cheer during the winter, many might not consider what occurs there during the other seasons. For over 75 years, rooftop gardens have flourished atop of the infamous buildings, providing a beautiful open-air space far away from the bustling city streets below. Open all year round, it might be worth checking out to plan your next company event and stump your favorite know-it-all New Yorkers.