This summer, we’re spending as much time doing as many activities as possible on a rooftop. Rooftop drinking. Rooftop movie-watching. Even …rooftop working. Yes, that’s right. You can now hold your startup’s brainstorming sessions — or write your long-gestating screenplay or just work “from home” — while soaking up the sun on a deckchair on top of a midtown highrise. Indeed, more and more coworking spaces are offering sky-high outdoor “offices” for us Vitamin D-deprived city-dwellers. It’s not a bad idea: After all, numerous studies have shown that natural light and greenery help boost productivity. And, with amenities such as free Wifi, coffee and access to printers and fax machines (which, yes, some companies still actually use), working on a roof sure beats lugging your laptop over to the nearest Starbucks. “Working from an outdoor office can give you a jolt of creative energy,” says Mark Gilbreath, founder of LiquidSpace, an online marketplace that connects freelancers, startups and independent contractors with places to do their work all over the world. “With so many flexible workspaces available by the hour, day or longer, there’s no reason to be stuck in a soul-sucking cube all day.” We asked LiquidSpace to highlight five of the best outdoor New York City offices available on its site. Check them out below — and book one for your next out-of-office meeting or work-from-home-sick-but-not-really-sick-day (we won’t tell anyone). Jay Suites 34th Street
Twenty-five dollars for a day pass here gives you access to the terrace, a shared kitchen area and a view of the Empire State Building. You’ll never have — or want — to leave.
(31 West 34th Street, $25. Booking info here.)
Flatiron Penthouse
Reserve the lounge, library or spacious living room of this private two-story loft, and get free access to the outdoor balcony, terrace and rooftop.
(18 W 23rd Street, prices start at $80 per hour for a space for eight. Booking info here.)
TechSpace Flatiron IDIO Gallery Follow Raquel on Twitter @RaquelLaneri.
This cheery coworking space, with brightly colored lounge chairs, boasts a spectacular view of the Empire State Building.
(18 W. 18th Street, $35 for a day pass. Booking info here.)
This hip coworking space includes communal farmhouse tables, rotating art exhibitions and free coffee and tea. Did we mention it’s in Brooklyn? (Duh!)
(976 Grand Street, Studio D, Brooklyn, $20 for a day pass. Booking info here.)
