I’m always on the look out for a new drink and/or a new place to grab the same. What’s wrong with the old neighborhood standby, you ask? Nothing, except that what if I’m not actually in my neighborhood? What if I’m say - out at a show or meeting out of town friends at their hotel? Then what do I do? I could find myself on a street or in an area where the only thing I know for sure is that the Starbucks on the corner will be like every other Starbucks and therefore a safe if dull as dishwater choice for a sit-down and a chat.

However, they don’t serve cocktails as Starbucks⁽¹⁾ so I like to try new places in different neighborhoods periodically so that when the mood strikes somewhere other than home, I have a plan of action and don’t waste valuable time trying to remember what the name of that place was from 3 years ago. That place that may or may not have been too crowded and may or may not still be open but I seem to recall not getting poisoned, ripped off or kicked out so how bad could it be.

Rooftop bars may be the new black in New York drinking according to NewYorkology but that’s not why I’m checking them out lately. I don’t care about cocktail trends. If I did, I would have spent 6 years ordering cosmos a la Sex in the City only to switch to mojitos in 2004 after the show was canceled and would certainly have tried absinthe a few months back only so I would be able to jadedly declare that I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.⁽²⁾

But I digress. Why am I checking out the rooftop bars? ‘Cause I love a room with a view and I hate crowds. It’s really that simple. Even in a crowded rooftop bar I can find a spot for some air and if the company begins to pale or irritate, I can always look out over the city - something that rarely fails to soothe or improve my mood. Besides, the rooftop bars impress out of town guests.

So where and when to go for your booze with a view?

When is easy. Now. Before winter sets in (Note to self: crowds likely to be even more manageable in Nov/Dec). As for where - well, thanks to a flurry of summer openings, you are spoiled for choice. June 2008 saw the opening of both mad46 at the Roosevelt and the Empire Rooftop at the Empire Hotel. Opening just ahead of them in May 2008 was Salon de Ning @ The Peninsula New York.

Of course, being the newest thing, these might a tad too crowded for you and you might want to try something of a more established vintage. If you don’t mind tourists en masse, you can head over to the Marriott Marquis Times Square hotel - the 360 degree view from the Lounge at The View is pretty darned impressive. While the Rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art isn’t a bar per se and is only open seasonally (you have until late fall), they do have a robust bar cart and can provide you with wine, beer or any number of cocktails as you peruse their latest rooftop installation. If you want something a bit more comfy with you East Side tipple, try The Terrace” at Sutton Place. Like the grande dame of rooftop bars, the Top of the Tower at the Beekman Hotel sits quietly and unchanging. The food isn’t bad either.

These are only a few of the places to that offer a vista or two to go with your vermouth. In a city like New York views not only nice but thick on the ground and lots of places - some maybe not as high as others - have found a way to make the most of them. As a result, the ‘rooftop round’ up is a staple of the New York nightlife media coverage.

• It’s More Fun on a Roof (2008/New York Magazine)
• Roof Bars: Drinking In the Skyline (2006/New York Times) - sure it’s a 2 year old list but you’ll find that a view extends the life span of the average New York bar.
• City Search’s Outdoor Bars List includes some of the most popular roofs in town
• Take In Spring, says the New York Daily News (4/2008) with a selection that includes some options not found elsewhere

So go on, go up and look out over the city. You’ll be glad you did.

⁽¹⁾ Hey, that’s not a bad idea. Irish Coffee might boost late afternoon or evening bottom line.
⁽²⁾ Um, I really don’t, by the way.