(Photos: Daniel Maurer)
Ian Schrager’s Public Hotel opened on Chrystie Street last month with a Patti Smith performance in its basement club, Public Arts. Since then, the venue, which modestly bills itself as “the first new idea since [Schrager’s] Studio 54 forty years ago,” has hosted performers like Slick Rick as well as the “late-night hot, sweaty dancing” it promised on its webpage. But we haven’t heard all that much about the hotel’s rooftop bar.
Yesterday seemed like the night to check it out, since The Misshapes have launched a Thursday weekly. The Roof, as the 18th floor is called, describes itself as a “vibrant and energetic ‘crazy bar’,” no doubt to the chagrin of neighbors who worried Schrager’s 28-story hotel and condo would bring noise and traffic. It takes reservations via its website– but when a friend and I each tried to make one yesterday we got this response:
Ugh, was this going to be a harrowing door experience akin to the early days of Schrager’s Rose Bar, at the Gramercy Park Hotel? Thankfully, no. Around 6:30pm, we had no trouble riding the Insta-friendly escalators up to the elevators and then strolling past The Roof’s hostess onto the sprawling terrace. The 18th floor has two areas, both with their own small bars: First, there’s an indoor lounge with a touch of disco decadence.
From here, you get a nice view of the New Museum.
And, beyond the man bun, a panorama of the good ol’ Lower East Side.
Here’s a look at the drinks list.
But wait: By the time I got done taking these snaps, a velvet rope had appeared at the door to the outdoor terrace, and a hostess told me I’d have to “give it a few minutes” before I could go back outside, even though I had just been out there and my friends were waiting for me there. Ugh. Actually, a couple of people told her they had already been outside and they had friends on the other side of the rope, but we were corralled there nonetheless.
So, yeah, be warned: entry to The Roof gets harder as the night goes on. A security guard told me that after about 8pm, it’s reservations-only and entry is otherwise up to the door minder.
Eventually I was released back onto the terrace. As you can see, the view of the skyline is pretty sweet.
There’s a communal table:
And some low-slung couches that– yesterday, anyway– we were able to sit at for a while without getting hassled.
So, yes, the view is great. But for Scarlett Johanssen’s sake, here’s hoping she didn’t end up taking that $6 million penthouse at 250 Bowery. Now that Ian’s behemoth is rising over the Lower East Side, you can see right in.
