The View from Above: The Sky View Observatory in the Columbia Tower

The natural beauty of the Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains is undeniable. It's part of what makes Seattle, Seattle and there are some things that just never get old, like seeing Mt. Rainier in the morning light. We are also a hilly city, which means that there are many vantage points where you can see the city and the surrounding landscape. Kerry Park (below) is home to one of the most iconic images of Seattle, as one example.

More recently, man made vantage points have given a new look at the region. The most well known is, obviously, the Space Needle and the views from there are, indeed, spectacular. However, there are other options like the Smith Tower and, in particular, the newly remodeled Sky View Observatory in the Columbia Center to consider.

This observation deck provides the highest public observation deck on the west coast (and west of the Mississippi) and the new enhancements make it a much more tourist friendly visit than before. It now offers a full 360 degree view around Seattle and there is more information for people who want to know what they are seeing. The down side is that prices went up: Regular tickets are now $12.50 a person ($9 for students, military, and seniors).

Not feeling like spending the money, but you are in the area anyways? The Columbia Tower also has what is known as "skybucks": A Starbucks located on the skylobby level of the building (floor 40). The view is not the same, but it is the cheapest way to enjoy a view from above inside of the downtown core of buildings.

At the Top: Gigapan from the Top of the Hub

Click here for a 80MP Panorama!

In Boston, the main skybar for the city is called the Top of the Hub, which is located at the top of the Prudential Tower near the back bay. The view above is from the bar, which overlooks the city. My visit was during the winter, which leaves something to be desired, but during the summer this would be a wonderful view of the lush Boston Commons and historic core.

Prices for lunch are not that bad. $13 will get you a BLT, which is well above a deli counter but only slightly above a regular range for upscale restaurants. Drinks are also expensive, but not extreme. I actually didn't try any of the food this time around. The skybar isn't too bad of a deal if you are already planning on visiting the SkyWalk. $16 for admission or $16 for a glass of wine and about the same view. You decide.

At the Top: Top of the Mark, San Francisco

Another check off my skybar list: Top of the Mark, San Francisco! I ended up here just after the sunset at grandview park. Although this is "only" on the 19th floor, it commands a great view over the city due to being perched on top of Nob Hill. This space was once a penthouse suite, but it was converted in 1939 into a cocktail lounge. The drink prices aren't amazingly out of line with what you would expect ($13-15/drink), but if you get a seat by the window it does give you sense of being above the city.

At the Top: Two Skybars in New York

Skybars are kind of my thing. I love the perspective that they bring and "collecting" them, along with transit passes, is a pretty cheap hobby to have if you are already visiting a place. New York has a number of skybars to choose and a long history of providing cloud top places to wine and dine. One of the first was The Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of 30 Rock. It opened in 1934 and closed in 2009, but recently,  the space was approved as a landmark and will be reopening at some point.

For my trip, I decided to try The View and then happened to stumble across a second skybar at the Standard Hotel. The View is in the Marriott Marquis Hotel right on Times Square. It opens up at 5:30pm on most days, except for Tuesday at 5:00pm and for brunch from 10:00am to 1:30pm.

 

Overall, the views were nice but I was not expecting it to be a rotating skybar. The plus side is that the views change. The downside is that you are moving and unless you are looking out the window, you may feel a little queasy. Up next: Top of the Standard by the Highline.

See that up there? That looks interesting. After a bit of poking around, I found my way upstairs to the Top of the Standard. This is the type of skybar that I really like: Great views (better than The View, since you can look at the city instead of being surrounded by it), very cool design, and decent drinks. The downsides? Price and seating. I do believe that this is the most I've ever paid for a drink (although it was a St. Germain Gin & Tonic). It was even more than a mixed drink in the UAE or Sweden.

Of the two, I would recommend checking out the Top of the Standard over The View. It is only on the 18th floor, but because of the slender building and location in the Meatpacking district it actually offers a better view. It is also right above (literally) the Highline which is widely acclaimed.

If those two don't sound interesting, here is my New York Skybar list sorted by height:

The View: Marriott Marquis Hotel, 43rd floor 

Asiate: Mandarin Oriental, 35th floor

Skyroom Times Square: Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Times Square, 34th floor

Salon de Ning: The Peninsula Hotel, 23rd floor

Top of the Strand: The Strand, 21st floor

Top of the Standard: The Standard, 18th floor

The Press Lounge: Kimpton, 16th floor

Above 6: Thompson Hotel (6 Columbus Circle), ~14th floor

Ava Lounge: Dream Hotel, 14th floor

A60: Thompson Hotel (60 Thompson), 13th floor

Skybars in LA: Skybars and Rooftop Lounges in Los Angeles (At the Top)

I enjoy visiting skybars. Being able to look at the city below is a great feeling and lately I've been "collecting" that experience when I visit a city. My goal is to go to the highest skybar in the city and enjoy a happy hour with a frend. This time in LA, I tried three of them: The member only City Club on Bunker Hill, Rooftop Bar at The Standard, and WP24.

The City Club at Bunker Hill is a member's only club at the top of the Wells Fargo Tower. It's on the 54th floor and it's the highest skybar in the city. I managed to get in on a fluke. I'm not a member, but the person I was staying with happened to know someone who was. Lucky us.

From the bar, you can see the entire city. The prices weren't as bad as I thought they would be, but it is more expensive than other places. Then again, if you can afford the monthly membership, you can afford these prices.

The Rooftop Bar at The Standard doesn't have the same view, not by a long shot, but it is open to the public and when we visited cover free. The rooftop is separated into two areas. The first is a super-trendy lounge and the other is a faux-German beer garden. While there was no cover, a beer was $8. It's built in to the prices in any case. Overall the building is a relic that's been updated as much as they can. I don't think that I would stay here for the hotel, but I would definitely come back.

Finally, we have WP24, which is located on the 24th floor of the Marriott in the LA Live development. I have mixed feelings about the bar. The menu looked pretty good, but it's pricey as you would expect for a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. On the other hand, it's in the LA Live development which is all expensive and among the options in the area this is actually a good choice for a pre-game drink or anything in conjunction with a convention or other event in the area. The view is nice and the windows offer an unobstructed view, but it doesn't have the same feel of being embedded in the city as other skybars do. City Club is distinctly above the city and The Standard, although only on the 16th floor, is still distinctly in the city. From WP24, you get a view of the city from a couple blocks away.

Los Angeles actually has quite a number of skybars. I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list, but here is my shortlist of skybars in LA which is part of my big list of skybars worldwide. When I go back, I am definitely looking forward to trying Perch, which I didn't get around to this time. If you have any suggestions of places to add to this list, please let me know!

City Club on Bunker Hill: Wells Fargo Building, 54th floor

BonaVista: Bonaventure, 34th floor

WP24: The JW Marriot at LA Live, 24th floor

Elevate Lounge/Takami: 21st floor
Perch: Pershing Square Building, 16th floor
Rooftop Bar at The Standard: The Standard Hotel, 15th floor

At the Top: Portland (Portland City Grill)

Over the weekend, some friends and I headed down to Portland, Oregon and while there we took the opportunity to indulge in one of my hobbies: Enjoying a view of the city over a drink. In every city I visit, I try and make it a point to get to a point where I can look over the city and get a feel for the place and in Portland, that spot is the Portland City Grill. It's located on the 30th floor, right downtown at the edge of the Pearl District and Old Chinatown and give some great views of the city, bridges, and Mt. Hood. 

We made it there for the late night happy hour, but I was shocked to see how popular this place is. It makes sense, in retrospect, because of it's proximity to the night life in the Pearl District but I was expecting a bit of an older, half-forgotten place full of guys in suits. Instead, it was packed with folks in their mid-20s to early 40s and there was impossible competition for the tables along the window. This is a place to come early for happy hour (4-7pm and 9pm-close) if you want a table. Overall, the food on the happy hour menu was pretty good, but our happy hour drink wasn't really worth the price. Then again, you're here mostly for the view.

We arrived late, which meant that the late night happy hour was our only option, but if we had arrived earlier another great way to enjoy this view is with their lunch menu. The lunch menu is reasonably priced ($10-15/plate, with some $7.50 salads) and will get you into the actual dining room which should be a better bet for securing a window seat. On a clear day, the view of Mt. Hood must be amazing from this vantage point.

It's up there.