There’s something about sipping a cocktail as you look out over the NYC skyline that can nearly make a grown man or woman cry. Rooftop bars allow New Yorkers and visitors alike to feel like they’re at the top of the world. You may share a rambling tenement apartment with 6 other folks in Williamsburg, but when you sip cocktails on the top of a NYC building, you’re King or Queen of New York.

Rooftop Bars NYC

The Roof at The Viceroy

Somewhat new to the midtown hotel and rooftop scene, “The Roof” at the Viceroy on 57th street offers an incredible view of central park and the upper west side. The Roof is a great spot for any day of the week. What I love about The Roof is that you get the vibe of an upscale Rooftop bar minus the extremely strict dress code. The dress code at The Roof is more business/smart casual. So no need to worry about having to wear a 3 piece suit in the middle of summer just to get in. It features an incredible inside lounge along with an outdoor terrace for you to gaze into the views of central park. The inside lounge resembles the aesthetics of a yacht with brass details, walnut leather sofas, pipe floors, and if you feel confined just stare at the pictures on the walls of dreamy sky’s, seas, and clouds. Clearly the designer of this rooftop bar NYC has spent some time on yachts because if it weren’t for the terrace and being 29 floors up, you would swear you where actually on a yacht. As for drinks, The Roof features a collection of small-batch spirits, craft beers, global wine offerings and a rotating selection of modern cocktails.

Side note: If you happen to be staying at the Viceroy, you actually get to avoid the line if there is one and take the elevator inside the lobby straight to the top.

124 West 57th Street, 29th Floor Between 6th + 7th Avenues New York, NY 10019 | 212-707-8008 | Website

Wythe Hotel Rooftop Bar

Williamsburg has the hip bars, the cool restaurants, and the funky shops, and it’s got the Wythe Hotel to rep the area’s growing hotel/hospitality scene. Guests to the hotel can expect to have their minds blown by the guest rooms’ floor-to-ceiling waterfront views of the world-famous NYC skyline. If you already live in the city and have no plans on having a staycation at the hotel, but you also want to get to experience those intoxicating views, you can do so by heading up to the Ides Bar, the hotel’s rooftop bar. Go there one evening after work, step off of the elevator, and prepare to be gobsmacked by startlingly gorgeous views of the sun setting over the city. The intoxicating views are matched by the intoxicating cocktails bearing names like the Hemingway Daiquiri, the perfect blend of rum, grapefruit, lime and maraschino, and the Last Word, a deliciously mind-numbing mix of gin, chartreuse, lime and maraschino. Pair these $12-14 drinks with tasty bar fare. Sit back, take in the view, bop to the music, and be reminded of why you love this city that forces you to willingly fork over 65 percent of your paycheck each month. 80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249 | 718-460-8006 | Website

Empire Hotel Rooftop Bar

Candlelit glasstop tables, lush greenery and a super-crazy, mega-enforced strict dress code greet you when you head to the Empire Hotel’s rooftop bar. Leave those J Brand flares at home and change into those khakis or cocktail dresses because no denim-clad bum-bums are welcome here, but the views and the $6 to $8 per drink happy hour make all the trouble worth it. It’s a great rooftop bar nyc to stop by after work before going home, changing into the denim you really want to wear and bopping out into the night.

44 West 63rd Street, New York, NY 10023 | 212-956-3313 | Website

 Bar 54, Rooftop Bar at the Hyatt Times Square

You may think you will never have any reason to stay at the Hyatt Times Square, but there is a reason that you should make it part of your regular night-out rotation; Bar 54. Considered the highest rooftop bar in the city, it will dazzle you with eye-popping views of the city as you settle back in the space’s cozy, soft pillow-backed armchairs. What’s also eye-popping is the price of the cocktails: a drink each for the two of you will set you back about $50. You could also get a pitcher of one of the house punches for about $115. The Rose’s Turn is a blend of aylesbury duck vodka, creme de cassis, maraschino, champagne, lemon, grapefruit and litllet rose, a concoction that will enhance the surreal experience of the sky-high views. 135 West 45th Street, New York, New York, USA, 10036 | 646 364 1234 | Website

Do you have another favorite Rooftop Bar NYC?  Let us know.