St. Cloud

There are few better ways to enjoy New York than from above, cocktail in hand, gazing across the lights and landmarks that define the city. One such landmark is the historic Knickerbocker Hotel — onetime haunt of American elites like F. Scott Fitzgerald and John D. Rockefeller —which serves as base of this 7,800-square-foot rooftop bar and terrace. Named for the late-19th-century hotel that originally occupied the Knickerbocker space, the luxury patio is outfitted with plush "sky pods" (VIP lounges built into corners of the roof), metallic-finished wood floors and a cigar lounge from celebrated tobacconist Nat Sherman. At a black Corian-topped bar, find classic cocktails like 1920s-style gin martinis, offset with small plates (Wagyu hot dogs with house relish, tuna tacos with wasabi aioli) from chef Charlie Palmer, whose fine-dining restaurant Charlie Palmer at the Knick occupies the hotel's fourth floor.