Best of 2011: New York's 10 Most Notable New Event Venues

The West Chelsea sibling to Vikram Chatwal's Midtown property, Dream, may not be the biggest venue to open in New York in 2011, but it was certainly one of the most hyped. And since its June opening, the striking, 316-room Dream Downtown has played host to many events, bringing crowds to its two in-house restaurants, pool-side café, penthouse, and street-level event space.

Another big summer opening was the debut of the first U.S. location from the European brand Yotel. With some 669 rooms and an 18,000-square-foot fourth floor dedicated to events, the Times Square site quickly became a popular spot for launch parties, summer receptions, and even meetings. Modish in design, the amenities at Yotel New York include a 110-seat restaurant, a 7,000-square-foot terrace, and a private screening room.

Equally as anticipated as the Dream Downtown and Yotel New York was the Mondrian SoHo, the Morgan Hotel Group's design-minded boutique that opened in March. Chef Sam Talbot's on-site restaurant Imperial No. 9 is still a big draw for diners, while the contemporary penthouse space has become a frequent stop for marketers.

Following nearly three years of renovations, the Museum of the Moving Image finally reopened in mid-January with a completely revamped space and a myriad of areas for event and meeting planners. The main theater is a striking 267-seat space wrapped in 1,136 triangular blue felt panels. It can be used for screenings, panel discussions, and presentations. Elsewhere, the museum houses an amphitheater, classrooms, and a boardroom.

Long before its official opening in the fall, Highline Stages played host to a number of influential events, including a reception for the Range Rover during the Auto Show, the Whitney Museum of American Art's annual Art Party, the Alice & Olivia presentation for September Fashion Week, and festivities for the New York City Wine & Food Festival. The venue's street-level space for events, also known as stage D, is a 6,000-square-foot raw site with high ceilings and drive-in capabilities.

Site-specific theatrical production Sleep No More earned rave reviews when it opened in April, and in October, the producers joined with the Skylight Group to offer the 100,000-square-foot space and its intricately designed rooms for events. Skylight at the McKittrick Hotel can even provide performers for private functions or arrange for group viewings of the play.

As part of Lincoln Center's major redevelopment project, the Film Society of Lincoln Center finally opened its new facility opposite the Walter Reade Theater in June, adding two new theaters to its array of spaces for screenings and film festivals. Designed by the Rockwell Group, the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center also houses a public amphitheater, a café, and a reception space.

Eataly's long-awaited rooftop beer garden opened in June with 8,000 square feet of space and a wide selection of brews. A retractable roof allows La Birreria to be open year-round, and the Flatiron district site can be rented for private functions.

Building on the success of its dedicated conference center in Midtown East, Sentry Centers opened a second one in September. The venue, 810 Seventh Avenue, received a $2 million upgrade, improving the architecture and technology to make it more suitable for meetings and events with 11 private studios across two floors.

After winning the bid for a casino complex at the Aqueduct Racetrack last year, the Genting Group opened the 639,000-square-foot facility in October. In addition to 2,280 video lottery terminals and two fine-dining restaurants, Resorts World Casino New York is home to a 130,000-square-foot event center and an open-air site with room for as many as 10,000 people. The dedicated areas for private functions are slated to open by the end of this month.