The unseasonably warm weather this past week is an early reminder that summer is finally on its way. For those planning outings in the coming months, here's a look at three of the latest open-air terraces to become available for events.
1. Shang is the bar and restaurant in the new Thompson Lower East Side. Tucked away on the second floor of the boutique hotel, it has its own terrace overlooking the busy streets below. Comfy couches offer seating for 69, and the outdoor site can also be booked for parties of as many as 90. Up on the seventh floor, Above Allen is the members-only bar, which is also available for private events. The lounge has a retractable roof—so it can be used year round—and holds 150 for receptions.
2. There are also outdoor spaces at another new downtown property. The Cooper Square Hotel, which had its soft opening late last year and will host press preview dinners at its in-house restaurant, Table 8, this evening, offers up its unfurnished penthouse for events. The 3,000-square-foot spot atop the gleaming glass tower has an expansive, 1,400-square-foot deck with a clear view of Midtown and the East River; in its entirety, the rooftop perch holds 175. Later this spring, around the end of May, the hotel will open is street-level garden.
3. Metropolitan Club, the grand, century-old private club at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 60th Street recently made its penthouse dining room and terrace available for weekend events. Attached to the spacious interior is a wraparound terrace overlooking Central Park, with dedicated gas lines that can be used for barbecues. Indoors and out, this area holds approximately 300 for cocktails. As with the other spaces inside the club, any events in the penthouse dining room and terrace must be sponsored by a member.
