New York City's Best Year-Round Rooftop Bars and Terraces

You may be able to trust people over 30, but you won't find them at this buzzy spot (180 Orchard St.). Expect to rub elbows instead with finance bros and trendy twentysomethings who lend the place a sense of well-heeled exuberance. But even if that’s not your crowd, you’re likely to swoon over the views from the two outdoor terraces, one facing uptown and the Hudson River, the other overlooking downtown and the East River. Sandwiched between is a clubby bar filled with old-timey knickknacks—paperweights from the ‘50s, Edison-bulb lamps, reclaimed wooden stools and tables—that the bargoers here would likely only recognize from TV. But, hey: That's part of the fun. Tip: Mr. Purple turns people away once it reaches its capacity of 300, so get here early in the evening to avoid waiting out on the sidewalk.

The McKittrick Hotel (530 W. 27th St.) in Chelsea actually isn’t a hotel at all. It’s an old factory repurposed as a performance venue for the long-running immersive production Sleep No More, a noirish adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Head to the rooftop bar in spring and summer and you’ll find a lovely garden overflowing with flowers, trellises, and enough greenery to fill the Scottish Play's dreaded Birnam Wood (in keeping with the Bard’s macabre themes, Gallow Green is named after a field in Scotland where witches were executed in the 17th century). In fall and winter, you can huddle around the fire pit or pop into an impossibly cozy seasonal lodge made to look like a secluded mountain retreat, with books, bunkbeds, pinecones, and plaids. 

Williamsburg’s hipper-than-thou reputation feels well earned at this sleek establishment atop the Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Ave.): When you’re perched six stories above street level, gazing at the Manhattan skyline from across the river in Brooklyn, you can be excused for thinking you’re the coolest individual on the planet. That impression may be enhanced by the bar’s nicely balanced cocktails, many of which incorporate sparkling wine for toasting the view (you can also get snacks from Reynard on the first floor). We like sitting out on the spacious terrace, but you can also snag one of the handsome red leather booths inside.

Another attractive Brooklyn option is Kimoto, located at the top of the Aloft hotel (216 Duffield St.). The design is Asian-inspired, incorporating pale woods, a rock garden, and scores of plants from jade to bonsai. Those zenlike touches can become overshadowed by lively crowds on Fridays and Saturdays, so show up during the week for a chance to sample the Asian-fusion menu and extensive craft beer selection in relative peace. 

Manhattan is an out-and-out stunner—and the Queensboro Bridge doesn't look too shabby either—from Penthouse 808's vantage point above the Ravel Hotel (8-08 Queens Plaza South) in Long Island City, a waterfront area in Queens. The terrace is covered and climate-controlled, so you can savor the view from cushioned rattan furniture all year long. Go further into the space to station yourself along a wall of swanky button-tufted leather booths. Asian-inspired menu items on offer include colorful sushi creations and an angry lobster that arrives at your table inside a birdcage.

What to drink: fruity rum punch served in a tiki head