Hudson Terrace Rooftop Bar / Rooftop Lounge

Hell's Kitchen, New York –

Hidden behind an austere façade by the West Side docks is Hudson Terrace, one of the most sought-after hotspots in the city for twenty-somethings with money to burn.

Unless they have a table reservation, hopeful guests can expect to wait in line before being escorted up a long flight of stairs into one of three destinations.

The large, dimly-lit Salon on the lower level, which features Swarovski crystal beaded chandeliers, tufted red leather couches, and a white marble bar, is usually packed to the rafters with swarms of highly styled young urbanites who gather for cocktails by candlelight or spontaneous dancing.

The Garden Terrace, a long and narrow patio on the same level, provides some outdoor seating and another small bar, but the real scene takes place at the Rooftop Garden and Lounge on the third floor, an open-air venue where bottle service is a status symbol and groups of outgoing young professionals jealously guard their tables and beige banquettes.

Floor to ceiling windows offer views of the USS Intrepid and sunsets on the Hudson River, though most patrons don’t notice, since they are too busy making their way to the sunken center of the space to mingle by the ivy-covered trellises and rough limestone bar, dance to the pumping pop of the DJ, or drift off to a cozy nook to stretch out on lounge chairs or swing in the hammock.

Although the classic patio furnishings and open sky create a pool-deck ambiance, Hudson Terrace is anything but relaxing, and guests should be ready for incredibly loud music and a wall-to-wall crowd that never stops moving.