New York City's Top Rooftop Restaurants

New York City has long been dubbed the concrete jungle, its tall skyscrapers and flashy lights around every corner. Though in high pockets of these streets, there are rooftop gardens that the urban habitants can escape to, all while enjoying the view below them.

This is the largest outdoor rooftop garden in New York, offering an indoor penthouse and an outdoor roof-deck. Enormous yellow umbrellas are available over the tables in the summer, and in the colder months, heated lamps and plastic domes cover the tables and offer partial warmth. 230 Fifth offers classic American food and their specialty cocktails uses in season fruits and vegetables.

Located at 230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001

@Jackiedoback

Located above Pod 39 Hotel, stare out between the terra-cotta columns and this rooftop’s view line covers the south to lower Manhattan skyline. Strings of light cover the expansive space above the rooftop and patches of greenery line the brick walls, giving off a feeling of an Italian garden. Tapas and cocktails are their specialty.

Located at 145 E 39th St, New York, NY 10016

@Trepetno

Just south of Hell’s Kitchen is Gallow Green, a lusciously memorizing space atop Chelsea’s McKittrick Hotel. The greenery is lined with twinkling lights and the herbs they grow are used in dishes from the meals. Gallow Green offers an abundance of seafood in their appetizers and mains and flavourful pizza, such as their Kale and Anchovy pizza.

Located at 542 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001

@MotherofMimosas

Refinery Rooftop is located atop Refinery Hotel which used to be an industry factory. The restaurant is divided in by brick arches, where one side is an indoor, wood roof while the other has glass walls and a glass sunroof that can open or close, depending on the occasion. The rooftop also has a lounge, completely under open skies and stringed lights that stretch across. Refinery Rooftop offers brunch, lunch and dinner, and a selection of their signature cocktails.

Located at 63 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018

Refinery Rooftop, Oleg 

Atop the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel is Rock & Reilly’s, an Irish rock gastro pub offering American favorites and rock inspired cocktails such as Free Falling or When Doves Cry. The restaurant has a retractable roof on its 10,000 square foot space and a simply, but elegant, outdoor terrace.

Located at 218 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001

@RockandReileysNYC

ALCHEMIQ: NYC's Best Mixology Experience

By Peter Minkoff

ALCHEMIQ is quickly becoming the finest of what NYC has to offer. Since its inception, this unique catering service has grown into a household name in the industry and has managed to change the landscape of it. The brand has been getting stellar reviews since its first event and has gained the trust of many reputable customers. Google, Jo Malone, Cosmopolitan and Chivas are just some of the brand’s loyal customers.

This NYC-based catering service is best known for its unique offer. Unlike most catering or mixology services, ALCHEMIQ offers it all to their customers. They specialize in mixing quality cocktails as well as serving amazing food. The founder, Igor Zukowiec has dedicated his life to exploring the world of flavor pairings. His passion led him to a career in catering and cocktail mixing which ultimately resulted in the founding of ALCHEMIQ catering - a business dedicated to serving the best quality hors d’oeuvres, finger food and cocktail catering on the market. The brand is also dedicated to helping the community by contributing to various charity events.

Trendy food

ALCHEMIQ catering has an artistic approach to food preparation. Its chefs believe that there is no better way of expressing creativity than through food. The result of that way of thinking is something truly special. You can be certain that there will be plenty of delicious food at every event they host.

Everything is prepared with an exceptional attention to detail. Every season you can expect a new menu consisting of dishes prepared with seasonal and fresh, locally grown ingredients. The starting point for their menu was the American cuisine which they later expanded with the best and trendiest additions from cuisines around the world. They can also create a bespoke menu for your event. The team always has a lot of new ideas and will listen to the suggestions of their customers to create the best menu to satisfy their needs.

High-end cocktails

Their amazing food menu is always topped off with high-end cocktails. The two are perfectly paired. There was a gap between the market demand and offer when it came to event mixology that ALCHEMIQ filled. You can finally have a great cocktail menu at your private party. The brand is offering craft cocktails served at the pace that will make sure no guest is empty handed. Creating an artisanal cocktail takes time, but with the right people behind the bar, ALCHEMIQ made sure to serve the best drinks in the time it takes to fill up a mug with beer.

Seasonal menus also include different cocktails for every season. When creating the cocktail menus, the team considers the food they will serve and make the selection of the best complementary drinks to serve together. But these cocktails are hardly just great companions of the food they offer. They stand independently when it comes to quality and creativity. Made of rare ingredients, freshly squeezed juices, and homemade syrups these cocktails are treats to the senses on their own.

The “wow” factor

Trendy food and high-end cocktails are what ALCHEMIQ has to offer, but what sets this catering service apart is the “wow” factor. Every dish and every cocktail is served in a unique way. The food is served on beautifully designed plates and stations, and cocktails are given a new look with dry ice and stencil-sprayed logos. The biggest value ALCHEMIQ adds to an event is its team of experienced and dedicated artists.

In conclusion

If you want to host an event that will leave a lasting impression, hire ALCHEMIQ. Their mix of creativity, professionalism, and dedication to the customer satisfaction will ensure the success of your event. Whether you are organizing a wedding, corporate event or a birthday party, the ALCHEMIQ team will have a unique idea and execute it to perfection.

What To Do If Your Moving To Ditmas Park

via @Circahouses

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan streets and in between the chill, urban setting that is Brooklyn is Ditmas Park, a neighborhood in Brooklyn striking with small town appeal. Victorian houses line the streets on each side, each shaded by a tree reaching above the roofs remind the inhabitants and visitors of suburban America. That small town appeal continues in the main public streets with edge to edge restaurants of different cuisines and shopping stores of different cultures. Because there’s so many, visitors are often compelled to return.

            One of the best places to hang out near Ditmas Park is actually Lakeside in Prospect Park. Besides the regular picnic in the park adventure, Lakeside offers activities that residents can engage in during each season. In the spring and summer time, residents can boating on the lake in one of the paddleboats, biking around the trails, and kids can hang out in the splash pad. There’s also a skating rink where every Friday the rink is open, Ditmas Park resident Lola Star hosts a roller skating party. During the wintertime, residents can go ice skating, go curling or practice their figure skating.

If you're looking to move to Ditmas Park you may want to check out 416 Marlborough Road. This large, 2,500 sq.ft., legal 2 family Ditmas Park, Victorian house, contains 3 floors, plus a full basement of original details including hardwood floors, stained glass windows, pocket doors, fireplaces, and 4 separate outdoor porches.  Sitting on a tree lined block, this home offers both historical charm, plus all the modern and trendy accessibility of Cortelyou Road.  This 100 year old, 2 family house, has 7 bedrooms, 3 baths and has been lovingly cared for by the same family for over 25 years.  It preserves an abundance of original details and is in strong mechanical condition.  

The home rests on 4,000 sq.ft. of land with a beautiful backyard highlighted by a free-standing meticulously built gazebo that easily seats more than a dozen guests.  In addition, for many options to personalize this beautiful house, there is also room to add a driveway for private parking.  Priced to sell, with low annual taxes and with two legal apartments that can be rented, this house would yield a highly desirable cap rate return in excess of 4.5%.  

The Brooklyn Center for Performing Art in Brooklyn College is an art place for music and theatre performance. They deliver performances with reflection to Brooklyn’s communities as well as encourage creativity with exposure to different cultures. The building hosts four different spaces for performances and practices, though the Walt Whitman theatre is closed for repairs until June 2018.

            With so many restaurant favorites from the residents as well as visitors that stop by Ditmas Park, it’s hard to mention just one, so here’s a few. Grab a slice of tres leches cake at the La Nueva Union bakery or head for brunch at Hunger Pang serving dishes like Shrimp Po’ Bao or Okonomiyaki. For curry and roti with Caribbean influences, head to Shayna’s where most of her food is super affordable. Lastly, check out Cafe Tibet for favourites like dumplings and thenthuk, a Tibetan soup. These are just a few restaurants to check out at Ditmas Park. You should head there yourself to see what you can find!