The best rooftop reveries in New York City
Boasting the title of ‘most densely populated city’ in the USA, it’s unsurprising that there’s so much to see. You can attempt to attack the city borough-by-borough, frantically trying to absorb your dynamic surroundings and the deluge of things to experience. The city is helpfully divided up in a grid system, so this will help make your endeavour slightly less manic… But the city is also home to a wealth of rooftop spaces offering astonishing views of the city. So, ditch the map, ensconce yourself in one of these incredible locations and appreciate the city from above.
During the day, make your way up to one of the city’s rooftop farms. In Brooklyn, you’ll find the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, located at number 44 Eagle Street. Covering an impressive 6,000 square feet, all of the farm’s produce is organic and sold at seasonal farmer’s markets hosted on location. So go down, buy some vegetables and take in the sweeping view of the Manhattan skyline.
Another farm not to miss is the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project, which not only boasts stunning views but impressive ethics. Managed and run by volunteers, it is the manifestation of the desire for affordable and accessible fresh produce within the community. Cultivating their produce in a pastiche of a garden, you’ll find vegetables and herbs charmingly growing in repurposed paddling pools.
If during your foray into New York you find yourself searching for a reprieve from the furore of your surroundings, head to the Elevated Acre. As its name suggests, it’s an acre of immaculately landscaped grass hidden away on a lower-Manhattan rooftop. It boasts spectacular views of the river teamed with slick, modern design – it even houses a 50-foot light sculpture. But the real selling point is the element of surprise – bet you didn’t know there was such an oasis buried in the financial district.
A popular place to see the sights is the Top of the Rock. The Rockefeller Center offers panoramic views from the tip of its imposingly large building and it’s pretty easy to get to.
What’s not quite so easy is gaining access to the elaborate rooftop gardens that are also part of the Rockefeller Center. Having been in situ for about 80 years, the gardens are a long-standing feature of the city. Access to them, however, is closely monitored. Reserved usually for employees only, the gardens are rarely open to the public. But the clandestine nature of these gardens only heightens their allure – keep an eye out for the occasional opening to the public while you’re there.
At night, Le Bain, the bar at the top of the Standard Highline is the place to be. Billed as a ‘penthouse discotheque’, the views are dazzling and the entertainment is of a competing standard. Flooded with world-famous DJs, an incredible sound system and a plunge pool in the midst of the dancefloor during the summer, this grass covered haven is the place to have a drink and take in the views by night.
Alternatively, head down to the Gansevoort where their rooftop boasts not only a luxuriously landscaped garden with immense 360-degree views, but an outdoor all-year-round heated pool, complete with underwater music. Finish your day here, watching the sunset over the Hudson River with a drink in hand.
By Emily Gallagher
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