We all know that getting a bird’s eye view of a city from an airplane is a breathtaking experience. Whether it’s flying in over the twinkling skyline of Chicago at night or glimpsing the first signs of land as you approach Hawaii, views from planes can be transformative. Views from airports? Not so much. I mean, sure, you get to see planes landing and taking off and there’s a certain thrill in that, but most airports are located far from the epicenters of cities and don’t give us much of a chance to see anything of note. At JFK, however, that’s not the case at all.

JetBlue turned T5 at JFK into a traveler’s dream with high-end restaurants, fun shopping choices (what’s up, Dylan’s Candy Bar), and a sleek design that alleviates some of the normal drudgery associated with domestic travel. Now, they’ve made T5 into one of the world’s best airport terminals with the opening of The T5 Rooftop, an outdoor space open all summer from 6am to 10pm. While having any outdoor space to enjoy is rare in an airport terminal, the real highlights of this new rooftop are the views. For the aviation nerds, there’s a full view of the iconic Eero Saarinen TWA Terminal. For the city-lovers, a view of the Manhattan skyline. There’s also a specific space for kids to play and JFK’s first post-security dog walk.

While this may just be a rooftop, it feels like a park based on the design and amenities they’ve announced. We’re talking wooden roof deck with aluminum outdoor furniture planters; native plants like oak-leaved hydrangeas, lilyturf and sweetsphire; and carts and kiosks serving New York street food like Hebrew National hot dogs and Blue Marble ice cream (from Brooklyn). To top it all off, there’s free Wi-Fi.

I love the idea that you can have a long layover at JFK and actually sit outside in the sun while waiting for your connection. Who said air travel had to be stuffy? JetBlue just gave us all a free pass* to summertime.

 

*It’s obviously not free considering you have to buy a plane ticket to get inside, but come on. There’s no admission price to the rooftop or anything…