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The Hilton Garden Inn
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Stepping out onto this rooftop terrace surrounded by looming, white-washed candelabras and spiraled topiary, you may think you’ve just walked through a portal to Miami Beach. Sixteen floors above Midtown, XVI buzzes (and occasionally shrieks) with the after-work set actively cutting loose. A glass-paneled pergola shelters the lengthy bar—and patrons from the elements—but most of the action takes place alfresco on the patio among a mash-up of neo-rococo furniture. Self-styled as a “Versailles in the sky,” the aesthetic here hits decidedly closer to a Louis the XVI theme-night on a Carnival Cruise line. And while no doubt a strong S&P rally will be toasted here, this is the same crowd, after all, forced to settle for a Manhattan rooftop rather than a summer rental in the Hamptons. Nonetheless, all the accoutrements of banker bling are in place: bottle service, bathroom porters, attractive, American Apparel-ish-clad cocktail waitresses scampering to and fro with trays of paninis and cheese plates. With a DJ spinning after dark and projection screens at the ready, this isn’t the place to go for peace and quiet; but given the size of the roof and the clientele’s tendency to huddle, private nooks can still be found to have a conversation and take in the view.
Best of New York: Fun & Nightlife
Cocktails at the movies, a Monday-night bacchanal, and a great rookie-rap show.