Located in Chicago’s Gold Coast, Drumbar takes the ‘speakeasy’ to the next level, 200 feet up to be exact. Perched atop the Raffaello Hotel on Delaware Place, Drumbar is a multi seasonal destination with its speakeasy style inside lounge and outdoor garden terrace. Drumbar is a drinking establishment designed to deliver warmth, style, and an energetic spirit of old meets new. Click here for more information.
Ranked in the Top 3 of Hotel Bar of the Year Awards 2012 by the Nightclub Bar Awards, soaring 26 stories above the city, Vertigo Sky Lounge is on top as Chicago’s premiere party lounge and bar.
The only year-round, indoor/outdoor lounge in Chicago, we feature live DJs nightly, an outdoor fire-pit for added ambiance, and in the colder Chicago winter months – the city’s only OUTDOOR ROOFTOP ICE BAR. Named 2009’s Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List, VSL is the ideal spot for one-of-a-kind special events or to turn it up for a night out with friends. You can start your night at VSL or better yet, make it your night.
Check out vertigoskylounge.com for more information.
The rooftop bar at the Standard Hotel is the ultimate place to be seen in Los Angeles. The “who’s who” of L.A. gather to this swanky bar as often as possible during the summer time to enjoy their time around the pool. The rooftop bar is a place where the drinks are refreshing and the amount of beautiful people is overwhelming.
Those who choose to gather Downtown usually engage in a dip in the pool or lunch by the water. But if you choose to venture out at night, don’t be surprised to witness a “famous” L.A. DJ spinning or a celebrity or two walking by.
Though some may ask why the Rooftop bar is consistently so popular, the reason is a perfect combination between beautiful people and beautiful views. Overlooking Downtown LA, filled with high rises and skyscrapers, views during the days and nights are anything but standard.
As the warmer months are fast approaching, everyone starts talking about Vango and its uber-sexy Skybar roof deck lounge. Vango offers several different atmospheres throughout the club and lounge. If you’re in for a night of high-rolling and sophisticated fun, o
rder the bottle service and receive top-notch attention in the reserved area. Or if you’re looking for an evening filled with house music and calorie-burning grooving, the dance floors inside will not fail you. The DJs always keep the mood going all through the night – be sure to check out the color-coded calendar on the website so you can choose the tunes you’ll be dancing to.
Vango is more than just a club and killer roof deck (although with 8,000 square feet, it’s a whole lot of club), it also offers an enviable menu. The styles of chef Michael Fee (from Nobu) and owner Dia Sawan (from the family who gave us Philadelphia’s Mediterranean gems Byblos and Fez) meld Japanese and Mediterranean classics wonderfully; there aren’t many places you can begin with hummus for an appetizer, eat a main course of yellowtail jalapeño and spider rolls, then finish off with an order of baklava.
When size matters, Club Vinyl delivers. Occupying four stories, the huge, neopsychedelic space rises from a mellow basement bar to a rockin’ rooftop patio lined with sofas and fire pits; in between, of course, are pool tables, VIP areas, and dance floors galore, complete with go-go girls and a line-up of DJs from the world over (including Amsterdam’s Mason and Montreal’s Megasoid), playing everything from reggaeton, hip hop, and Latin house to trance and electronica.
Skewing young (18+) on Saturdays and gay-friendly on Sundays, the crowd is unusually diverse—after all, there’s room for everybody here.
There are many bars and clubs in Meatpacking, but finding one that’s “normal” very hard. Meet Brass Monkey, a classic watch-the-game-on-big-screens-beer-and-shots type of place. 
Since opening in the trendy district in 2004 (a lifetime in Meatpacking years), the bar has become a neighborhood favorite. Its open brick walls and rich wood interior creates a friendly and warm atmosphere to watch sports or just hang out. It has one of the most extensive beer lists in the city, with more than fifteen draught beers on tap and over 75 imported beers, ranging from Chimay to Stella Artois to Hoegaarden.
Despite its laid back vibe, that doesn’t mean Brass Monkey falls through the cracks. It has received rave reviews from the likes of the New York Times and celebrity appearances from A-listers Glenn Close to MTV’s The City cameos. In the summer, make sure to check out the killer rooftop deck with incredible views of the Hudson and the Highline.
An early bloom in the blossoming East Highlands, Vita has endured in the light of its special perks. Funky and arty with the works of local painters, it boasts one of the city’s few rooftop terraces, thronged on warm evenings with couples taking in a stellar view of downtown at sunset; inside, jazz combos keep the mood cool several nights a week.
Despite the Italian name, the menu skews contemporary American, with an emphasis on entree-worthy small plates like seven-hour pork braised with cherry peppers and a mini-osso buco over blue cheese polenta, many of which go for $5 or less during happy hour. Speaking of deals, bargain-bin buffs take note: the entire selection of wines by the bottle is offered at half-price on Tuesdays.
You’ll want that martini shaken, not stirred, at this swanky lounge. In the three-story chic Continental Mid-town (that’s also home to a famous Stephen Starr restaurant), enjoy the velvet booths in the retro lounge, or take in the view from the rooftop patio.
Step up to the unique bar constructed of rubber Pirelli flooring to order a mouth watering Buzz Aldrin that’s tang, peach vodka and triple sec; or perhaps a classic Dean Martini of Ketel One Vodka and an olive (a.k.a. Chelsea Handler’s signature drink).
Hungry? No problem! Munch on a divine bar menu including calamari salad, lobster mashed potatoes, and seared ahi tuna.
Whether you’re in town to see the ball drop or want to relax in luxury in the middle of chaos, Ava Lounge always offers a VIP experience and incredible views of Times Square. Located on the rooftop- penthouse to be exact- of the chic Dream Hotel, the Ava Lounge is a French Riviera, Rome, South Beach, and Hamptons style holiday all in one.
In the summer, there’s no need to race out of town, because the terra
ce allows you to catch some rays in a luxurious setting while sipping a fabulous cocktail. When the weather gets colder there are two options, the heated terrace or the Crystal Room that’s complete with a fireplace, heaters, and winter cocktails.
The main attraction of Ava Lounge is the view. During the summer, an after work crowd comes to catch a beautiful sunset where the skies go from blue to pink to purple and then are lit up by the neon lights of Times Square. In the winter, Times Square is the center of attention and the dj’s give the buzz of the city a beat for you to dance to.
And for New Year’s, when all the world has their eyes on Times Square, partiers can get tickets to be on top of all the action to ring in the New Year. So while the rest of the world is watching TV or freezing cold in the -10 below temperatures, you can be sipping champagne in a tiny party dress and dancing to the DJ’s music with a perfect view of the ball and the fireworks.
On the surface a dive bar may seem an unusual nightlife favorite for television star and stylist/designer Tracy Hutson, but then you wouldn’t understand the charm of neighborhood hotspot Grapevine.
Sure, Grapevine has a killer rooftop with views of the Dallas skyline, but then everything gets curiously odd from there. For starters, it has a basketball court. The clientele is everyone from yuppie lawyers to the local gay and lesbian crowd. It has mismatched glassware that is purchased bi-weekly from the local Goodwill.
And without any mass advertising, except word-of-mouth through the grapevine, this place is packed to the brim every night.
Grapevine says, “Our customers are like our glasses; they’re all different!” And that’s exactly why Tracy Hutson, and nightlife critics from AOL to Dallas.com, loves this bar. Tracy Hutson has a lot in common with Grapevine. She blends her philanthropic nature with eclectic design from her ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” job to her Dallas nightlife spot. And she always has fun doing both!
**Tracy Hutson is a native Texan and style consultant on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, author of Feathering the Nest: Tracy Hutson’s Eco-friendly Guide to Decorating Your Baby’s Room, and founder of Tracy Hutson Designs.
You know what they say, fast cars, hot women, and no place embodies this expression like the Festival of Speed. Dubbed as a luxury lifestyle weekend, the event shows the world’s finest cars, motorcycles, watercraft, and aircraft along side fine jewelry, art, fashion, and real estate. Make sure to check out the opening night reception at the exclusive Viceroy Hotel rooftop.
Only for the month of November, W Atlanta Perimeter is making Tuesday the night to be cozy with the W Atlanta Cabin Fever Movie Series. Offering three patio pit fires, hot chocolate, roasting marshmallows, and a feature film all under the stars and free of charge, this re-launch of Cabin Fever should be the way every hotspot opens.
Every Tuesday at 6:30pm.
As the tallest building in New York City, you can’t help but be entranced by the Empire State Building. Yet waiting in the sometimes hours long line to see its famous view can ruin any source of awe one was expecting to feel.
We’ve got the solution to your tourist problems.
Go at night.
The ESB Observatory has hours fit for the City That Never Sleeps. It’s open until 2am.
Once the sun sets, it’s like a whole new world up there. Instead of families and tourists clamoring to get the best skyline shot (is there even one?), the crowd turns to New Yorkers and couples. The wait to get up to the top is slim to none and it’s quiet and spacious enough to feel like you’re on top of the world- alone.
Yes, the ESB Observatory is as incredible and romantic as it sounds.
There’s only one spot in DC where you can travel to China, Philadelphia and the 19th century all while on a rooftop. This break from city life can be had at the exquisite Enid A. Haupt Garden, filled with brick paths taking you to elaborate flowerbeds and exotic plants. Named after its donor, a noted supporter of horticulture, this garden offers something for everyone, from the avid horticulturist to someone just looking to relax.
With plant-filled urns, water fou
ntains and baskets hanging from reproduction 19th-century lampposts, the four-acre garden is actually located on the roofs of the National Museum of African Art, the Arthur M. Sackley Gallery and S. Dillon Ripley Center. Make sure to visit the Haupt Parterre that’s inspired by the design from the 1876 Centennial Exposition’s Horticultural Hall.
Also, make your way to the Moongate Garden (part of the Haupt Garden), inspired by the gardens and architecture of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. Inside, there is a circular pool made out of granite that’s next to nine-feet tall pink granite moon gates.
Tours are offered every Wednesday during the summer. For those who just want to sit and relax, there are plenty of benches as well as Wi-Fi access throughout the garden.
Cabanas at The Maritime Hotel is the Meatpacking’s rooftop escape from New York City’s summertime swelter. Whimsical patio furniture, amid tropical décor, feels like a Hampton retreat stories above the concrete jungle below. It’s always a better scene mid-week for social cocktails. A good dance floor night at Cabanas is refreshingly playful, unlike its fellow summer see and be seens.
Cabanas is just one of the Maritime Group’s NYC nightlife institutions. Its sister NYU hang Bowery Bar is another summer air favorite, and The Maritime Hotel’s Matsuri and nightclub Hiro offer a swankier scene just downstairs. A massive white wall with marine windows, the Maritime Hotel is impossible to miss. Its meatpacking/Chelsea location makes the Cabanas perfect for jumping off or capping a crisp summer night out.