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| The vine-draped terrace high atop the Gramercy Park Hotel. |
As summer approaches, life in New York City kicks down a notch, and we Gotham dwellers like to soak up the sun like so many lizards huddled upon a rock. Come the weekends, the power brokers head for the beachside bliss of the Hamptons.
As for me, I retreat to the mountains and my little schoolhouse, Monkey Cottage, in the heart of the Catskills—but more on that in another blog.
But when it’s back to the weekday grind—and back to life in the urban jungle—it’s still all about getting outdoors as often as possible, especially for a balmy meal al fresco.
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| Prometheus soars high above Rockerfeller Center's outdoor Rink Bar. |
For the quintessential outdoor power lunch, angle for the A-List sidewalk seating at the West Village’s Da Silvano. I have seen every celeb imaginable sipping rose wine and chatting with charming—although almost impossible to understand—owner Silvano Marchetto.
The dozen-odd tables at Cipriani Downtown in SoHo attract the Euro-centric set who don’t mind paying top dollar for Italian cooking paired with Bellinis and breadsticks.
For cocktails with a view, settle in at Rockefeller Center’s seasonal Rink Bar (mojitos and martinis under the gilded statue of Prometheus) and rooftop hotspots such as the Mé Bar at the La Quinta Manhattan (yes, the La Quinta) and the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Roof Club.
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| Upstairs will certainly be one of Midtown East's new summertime hotspots. |
The latest outdoor aerie to hit the open-air power scene is Upstairs, the just-opened lounge crafted by cutting-edge design firm De-Spec high atop Midtown’s Kimberly Hotel. Kick back 30 stories above the city and take in stunning views of the Chrysler Building and the boîte’s ivy-covered walls as you seal the deal over a sublime sidecar paired with a fig and Gorgonzola pizza.