Autumn has already arrived. We already see the trees getting a little bit more naked,the sunset’s to be more intense and cozy and the perfect oportunity to chill out in outdoors after work. That’s why NY Design Agenda is going to present you the best outdoor spots in our city that you cannot miss this fall. Are you ready?
Our first spot is Berry Park. Located on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, offers a cornucopia of seasonal standards—Bavarian brews, hearty bar snacks, large screens for football fans and a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan’s skyline framed by the fiery reds and golds of fall. It’s easy to stay warm in this breezy outdoor space as Berry Park’s roof has a retractable top.
Another spot that you can’t miss is Brooklyn Bavarian Biergarten. The chandelier-ornamented Grand Prospect Hall is known for its ’80s home-videoesque TV ads, in which owners Michael and Alice Halkias earnestly promise to “make your dreams come true.” Three decades later, the husband-and-wife duo is making a bid to fulfill its promise with this 500-reveler shrine to the space’s Bavarian past and its Brooklyn present. Celebrate Oktoberfest all year long (there’s a glass-encased hall for cold-weather tippling) with German and hyperlocal suds, pulled through 24 rotating draft lines that recently included a boisterous, hops-heavy Junior IPA from Radiant Pig and a bright, floral American-style pilsner from Brooklyn’s War Flag.
Gallow Green, a woodland-inspired rooftop bar perched on top of the McKittrick Hotel, home of the interactive Sleep No More, packs as much whimsy as the play. Grab a seat at one of the wooden tables under the canvas ceiling draped with white bunting and twinkling lights, and sip on signature cocktails inspired by the saucy show or indulge in Bottomless Brunch (not, unfortunately, named Drink Some More).
Our next choice is The Garden at Studio Square NYC. Ditch the crowd at nearby Bohemian Hall for this modernbiergarten open almost the entire year. Picture long communal tables packed with party-happy patrons and pitchers of beers that think outside the Bavarian box, such as Shiner, Goose Island and Strongbow. Live DJs and bands add to the jubilant vibe in this beer hall’s cobblestone courtyard, which is prepped for any kind of weather with heat lamps and waterproof awnings.
And for last, but not least, our TOP 5 could not be finished without Kimoto Rooftop Beer Garden. Perched 24 stories high in Downtown Brooklyn is Gotham’s first Asian rooftop beer garden, a 225-seat indoor-outdoor setup by the team behind Flatiron’s Mira Sushi & Izakaya. More than 300 varieties of Asian flora (wildflowers, bonsai) are potted around the wood-fitted den, which boasts a panoramic lounge with white-oak benches and fully retractable windows to showcase soaring views of the Brooklyn skyline. At the white-stone bar, choose from a 24-bottle microbrew selection highlighting Far East options, including a hoppy Japanese Ginga Kogen Hefeweizen and a chocolate-colored Sri Lankan Lion stout. For the suds averse, barkeep Dave Danger (Jeffrey’s Grocery) stirs underutilized Asian spirits like Vietnamese black pepper–infused gin and a cask-conditioned whiskey from Japan’s Nagano prefecture.