Empire Hotel Rooftop

This rooftop lounge, backed by restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, features 3,000 square feet of outdoor space and private chaise longue-equipped cabanas. Three separate terraces offer views of Lincoln Center and Central Park, and an appropriately sleek bar—constructed of stacked metal pipes—dispenses specialty cocktails like the Oran’gin the Mood (orange juice, Bombay Sapphire, Patrón Citrónge and club soda). There’s also a swimming pool on the upper level, but locals shouldn’t bother with the SPF: It’s open to hotel guests only.