If you are planning a trip to New York City from abroad, one thing you may want to seriously consider doing is visiting the rooftop bars and restaurants the Big Apple is famous for. After all, what better way is there to get a rather panoramic view of the most populous city in America? With amazing views of some of the world’s most historic architecture and some of the newer skyscrapers that line the horizon, you can plan your next tours or shopping expeditions while enjoying a cold mug of beer or perhaps the drink New York is famous for, a Long Island Iced Tea.
Before talking about some of the best rooftops in New York City, let’s look at what you should know about traveling to the United States from a foreign country. As a rule, it takes approximately one to two months to get a travel visa, not counting the time it takes you to fill out and submit the form. However, there is a way to expedite the process with the ESTA visa
Contrary to what you might believe, there really are rooftops open in colder months. Not all will be, obviously, but there are more than enough open for you to visit a different one every night even on a two week stay. These often replace iced drinks with hot cocktails and have fireplaces and retractable roofs to keep you warm. It’s lovely to sit sipping a hot toddy while watching snowflakes under that roof. You can still see the skyline and that’s what makes a rooftop perfect, even in colder weather. Some of the best winter rooftops include:
• Ophelia in Midtown East
• Panorama Room on Roosevelt Island (East River)
• Ready Rooftop in East Village
• Dear Irving on Hudson in Hell’s Kitchen
• The Roof at PUBLIC Hotel on the Lower East Side
• Westlight Hotel Bar in Greenpoint
And that’s just six of the most popular rooftops open year-round. You might even want to book a room at one of the above-mentioned hotels sporting a winter rooftop you can enjoy.
Since there are literally dozens of rooftops in New York City, it would take pages and pages to list them all. Consequently, it might be easiest if you simply do a quick Google search if you know what part of the city you will be visiting, and perhaps the time of year you will be here. Remember, the first thing to do is get that travel visa so you are assured your time of arrival before making reservations at hotels or rooftops. With that being said, it is almost assured that your time spent on a roof in New York will be the highlight of your stay.
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