They’re raising the roof!
While the weather is nice, you want to get up and out! So we looked at three recently opened rooftop drinkeries to see what’s up.
One of a kind
The latest addition to Brooklyn’s drinking skyline is 1 Rooftop, the bar and restaurant atop the 1 Hotel in Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1.
The view here is spectacular — the rooftop looks across the water to the towers of downtown Manhattan, and ferries and tugboats fill the river below.
Getting in: The elevators to One Rooftop are located on the Fulton Ferry side of the hotel. You definitely want a reservation, which allows you to skip the line downstairs, and gives access to a fairy tale–like rooftop space facing the water, dotted with chairs and low tables arranged in groups, as well as a shallow pool (swimming reserved for hotel guests, except for Saturdays and Sunday, 1–6 pm).
Those who just walk in must stay on the only slightly-less glamorous side facing the Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo, with a handful of seats and a cash bar.
1 Rooftop [60 Furman St. at Doughty Street in Dumbo, (347) 696–2505, www.1hote
Go West!
The Westlight bar, on the 22nd floor of the William Vale Hotel, towers above the surrounding Williamsburg buildings, and the glass walls of its patio let you look down on hipsters even more than usual!
Getting in: Everyone waits for the elevator. The line starts as soon as the bar opens at 4 pm, so allow some extra time to waiting in the lobby.
Without a reservation, you will have to fight your way to a $16 cocktail from the crowded bar, but then you are free to step outside to the patio, peep through a set of binoculars, and watch young people point out their distant homes to visiting parents.
For small plates and sit-down service, call ahead for a table — the glass walls inside and out will give you a view no matter where you settle.
Fun fact: the “Reservations” button on most pages of the Westlight website is purely decorative! Go to www.opent
Westlight [111 N. 12th St. at Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, (718) 307–7100, www.westl
Surf’s up
The rooftop wine bar Boardwalk and Vine, atop Kitchen 21 in Coney Island, is the most relaxed of our options — its view of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean is a truly calming scene. The bar offers a half-dozen wines on tap, beer, and a solid menu of bar food. And if you want more options, you can always step downstairs to the Parachute Bar.
Getting in: No reservations needed — just take the elevator to the second floor.
The vibe: It’s a party! When the deejays are spinning, people are dancing. At other times, it is a friendly spot to gawk down at the Boardwalk.
Boardwalk and Vine at Kitchen 21 [3052 W. 21st St. at the Boardwalk in Coney Island, (718) 954–9801, www.kitch
