Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <usa><new-york-city><nightlife>
Title: Rooftop bar in Manhattan?
Question: Currently I'm in New York. I'm looking for a rooftop bar that provides a great overview about Manhattan, but is still affordable. (20 dollar for cocktail at maximum.) Additionally, I want to go there wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so nothing too fancy.

Answers:
sents: text: I don't recall any bars in NYC having a dress code, so T-Shirt and Jeans should be fine as long as you don't come in looking like a complete bum.
text: Having said that there are quite a few rooftop bars.
text: Here is the list of some of them that have menus available.
text: 230
text: Fifth
text: The Heights
text: The Local cafe
text: But you can simply look at the top 10 list(?) to pick the one you fancy the most.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1372/Karlson
score: 9
sents: text: The rooftop bar at Hotel Metro in midtown is unpretentious, cheap (by midtown standards), and gives you a pretty spectacular view of the Empire State building, though not a lot more (since you're more or less surrounded by tall buildings).
text: They have no dress code.
text: Top of the Strand (at the Strand Hotel) is similar to Hotel Metro - same neighborhood, same view, same prices.
text: The Brass Monkey in Chelsea is great - laid back, awesome views, very casual, and reasonably priced.
text: Other than that, my advice is to avoid going to any of the "top-rated" places (unless it's a list of the top 10 "unpretentious" rooftop bars like in Karlson's answer ;), as those will tend to be both pricey and snobby.
text: (FYI: $20 for a cocktail is definitely upscale pricing; mid-range bars will be more like $10-13 for a cocktail and $8-10 for beer.)
text: Using review sites like Yelp will give you a good idea of places convenient for you (NYC is very big!) and will almost always give you a heads-up about unspoken dress codes, rooftops closed for renovations or the off-season, etc.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/489/Laura
score: 5
sents: text: Here are two hotel bars where you can find quality cocktails (fresh ingredients, top shelf liquor, skilled bar staff): Soaked at the Mondrian Soho hotel - they have a great punch program Gallow Green is a rooftop bar at the McKittrick Hotel.
text: They have aserious classic cocktail program and occasionally the servers willtake on characters from a bygone era For a more casual atmosphere, try VU rooftop bar in Korea Town.
text: It's located in a random location, La Quinta Hotel, and offers a spectacular view of the Empire State Building.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/13382/Alexa
score: 3
sents: text: The Jimmy at the James Hotel in Soho is a beautiful place to get a drink.
text: So too is Le Bain atop the Standard in the Meatpacking District (probably my favorite rooftop in Manhattan).
text: But I say skip Manhattan and hop on the L to Williamsburg.
text: The Wythe Hotel has one of the best rooftop bars in the 5 boroughs.
text: Anyway, isn't the view of Manhattan better than the view from it?
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1283/samthebrand
score: 2
sents: text: I realise this question is old but if anyone is looking for something a little unusual with great uninterrupted views of the park and midtown then
text: the Met have a roof garden/terrace which is open at certain times of the year (usually the beginning of summer, May/June).
text: For the cost of admission to the Met (suggested donation) there are reasonably priced drinks for Manhattan with great views out over the park from 5th Avenue.
text: No dress code required.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/19694/davidb
score: 2

Summary of the answers:
230, Fifth, The Heights, The Local café, the rooftop bar at Hotel Metro (with a great view of the Empire State Building), Top of the Strand, The Brass Monkey in Chelsea and The Jimmy at James Hotel are all good places to get a drink with a view without being too expensive. Bars in NYC generally don't have a dress code, so T-shirt and jeans should be fine as long as you aren't too scruffy.
New York is full of cocktail bars and many have a great view , including The Heights and The Brass Monkey. Two bars are expecially recommended for quality cocktails and they are Soaked and Gallow Green.