Last Thursday evening I was with my coworkers dining at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and before we proceeded to dinner, we had cocktails at the lounge adjacent to the reception on the 35th floor of the hotel. What I really enjoyed about the lounging area was the great view overlooking Columbus Circle and of Central Park south. The wall of windows stretched from the floor to the high ceilings and as I looked out over Central Park, I was reminded of how views are scarce in this city. Most of us probably live in a condo, coop or apt that overlooks a street or another building wall. I once had the luxury of overlooking Madison Park from the 21st floor, with a not to distant view of the everchanging colors of the Empire State Building. Anyway, if you're willing to spend $15 on the house specialty drinks or sip Pinot Noir, the view is well worth it. You can either drink in the lounging area or go into MObar. Just ignore the people, enjoy the view and enjoy the company. Make sure you get front row seats to Central Park South.