Manhattan has one of the most photographed skylines in the world but the catch
is that you can't actually see the Empire State Building, the
Chrysler Building, et al. when you're in them.
We've compiled a list of the best places to see New York on high - from uptown
and downtown, from the ones available to any traveller to those reserved for
deep pockets or members of the club. For more information about visiting New
York, go to www.nycvisit.com
1. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons, 57 East 57th Street (001 212 758
5700) - The lobby at the Four Seasons epitomises Gotham chic, with soaring
flower arrangements, sleek surfaces and people who spend more on shoelaces
than you earn all year. You may be unlikely to book into the mind-boggling
$30,000-a-night penthouse suite designed by IM Pei, Peter Marino and owner
Ty Warner. So we had a look around for you: there's a library with piano, a
Zen room for private treatments, a personal waterfall, and four balconies
cantilevered 800 feet up over nothing by air. www.fourseasons.com/newyorkfs
See
a video tour of the penthouse
2. Rise Bar, Ritz Carlton Battery Park, Two West Street (001 212 344
0800) – The Rise Bar is tailormade for those proper social engagements that
require highly glossed tables, starched service and cocktails at grown-up
prices. From the 14th floor bar, named as one of the best in the city by
Zagat, you can cast your eyes over the bustle of New York Harbour and New
Jersey, with martini and a mini-burger in hand. www.ritzcarlton.com
Watch
the Rise Bar video
3. The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street (001 212 535 7710) - Drink in culture while
tossing back cocktails or nibbling a sandwich on the roof deck of the
Metropolitan museum and you'll also be treating yourself to the perhaps the
best view of Central Park, sculpture installations included. www.metmuseum.org
Watch
the Metropolitan Museum roof garden video
4. Top of the Rock, 30 Rockefeller Plaza (001 212 698 2000) – The
experience at Top of the Rock encompasses a walk-through history lesson,
with tales from old New York, vintage postcards and pictures, a scale model
of the building and a “Beam Walk” where visitors can take a simulated walk
across a girder beam against a backdrop of the skyline. Upstairs, light and
sound follows visitors’ movements around the room in the “Target Breezeway”,
and indoor and outdoor terraces provide views in good weather and bad. http://www.topoftherocknyc.com
Watch
the Top of the Rock video
5. Brooklyn Bridge - Stroll across the pedestrian walkway on the bridge
to see views up and down the East River, over the South Street Seaport and
out to the boats and ships coming and going.
Watch
the Brooklyn Bridge video
6. Helicopter tours – Every oligarch and his brother owns a jet these
days. Ho-hum. Jump a helicopter instead for a swing round the end of
Manhattan. Trips are quick – the shortest just 5 minutes, the longest, 17.
The flights are run like a well-oiled machine with security screenings,
safety briefings, picture taking, take offs and landings and a photo to buy
as a souvenir. You’ll be back on the ground in time for happy hour. To book
visit www.dosomethingdifferent.com
or call 020 8090 3790.
Watch
the helicopter tour video
7. Asiate, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 80 Columbus Circle (001 212 805
8881) - Every seat in the house at this Asian-inspired restaurant has a view
over the high-rises surrounding Central Park. Step up to the window to see
the park and the traffic coursing around Columbus Circle. The views from the
Lobby Lounge next door are practically the same, except for the two
exposures, the cosy booths and the wall of wine to choose from. www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork/dining/asiate/
Watch
the Asiate video
8. Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Avenue (001 212 920 3300) - This
chic hotel by Ian Schrager and Julian Schnabel has Andy Warhol artwork in
every room, toiletries curated by the editor of Allure magazine and an
enclosed penthouse club where the people watching outweighs the scenes of
the genteel buildings that snuggle up to this exclusive private square. www.gramercyparkhotel.com
Watch
the Gramercy Park Hotel video
9. Hotel on Rivington, 107 Rivington Street (001 212 475 2600) - You'll
hop over crumbling sidewalks and walk past graffiti to get to this hotel in
downtown hipster central, the Lower East Side. Book into the split-level
penthouse for double-height windows, a bathtub with a view, and a rooftop
hot tub that lets you listen to the bustle of cool kids far below. For
something more modestly priced, reserve one of the other rooms - all of them
have floor-to-ceiling windows, even in the bathrooms. www.hotelonrivington.com
Watch
the Hotel on Rivington video
10. Hotel Gansevoort, 18th Ninth Avenue (001 212 206 6700) – The
meatpacking district on the west side of Manhattan has become a hip enclave
for trendy restaurants, hot bars and this hotel. It has a heated
pool-with-a-view and a retractable roof for open-air cocktails overlooking
the Hudson River. www.hotelgansevoort.com
Watch
the Hotel Gansevoort video
PLUS, a few newcomers:
* Six Columbus - The newest addition to Thompson Hotels recently opened
on Columbus Circle, with a Sixties modernist-inspired vibe and a rooftop
members bar, accessed with a card. 6 Columbus Circle (001 212 204 3000) www.sixcolumbus.com
* Salon de Ning, Peninsula Hotel - This newly opened bar and lounge
draws its inspiration from 1930s Shanghai. it has views over Fifth Avenue as
well as Chinese-style day beds and Asian-inspired light fare. 700 Fifth
Avenue (001 212 956 2888) www.salondening.com
* Rare View, Rare Bar & Grill - Popular Murray Hill eatery Rare Bar &
Grill, inside the Shelburne hotel, re-opens its 16th floor rooftop bar this
summer. It has view of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, along with
lights strung overhead, food and beds to relax on. Shelburne Murray Hill,
303 Lexington Avenue (001 212 481 1999). www.rarebarandgrill.com
What is this insatiable love affair with New York all about? How do I say this without it sounding envious as the attempt is really sincere? There are vistas in Chicago that offer knee-bending skyline views like you can't imagine. Come over and see for yourself.
Steven, Chicago, USA
Brooklyn Heights, heading towards DUMBO/Brooklyn Bridge. Leafy and pretty and a direct view over to the end of Manhatten.
Rob, Oxford,