Rooftop reprieves: Why the terrace up top is growing swankier

From the August issue: The streets of New York City can feel like an oven during the summer. For many, relief is found on the rooftops. Today’s rooftop terraces, particularly those in new development buildings, are growing increasingly bigger and swankier, sporting everything from designer furniture to commissioned artwork to pools to spas — adding a coveted amenity for tenants and further padding developers’ pockets. But New Yorkers have been taking to their roofs for respite since at least the days when Teddy Roosevelt headed the NYPD. (A bit of rooftop trivia: Roosevelt controversially opened Central Park to the public at night, after a number of people fell from tenement rooftops while sleeping during a brutal heat wave.) [more]