Hudson VU Rooftop to a Dollar-Slice Counter
A Hell’s Kitchen night built on one sharp price swing, from a polished Ink48 rooftop bar with skyline views and a per-person deposit to a bright counter slinging dollar slices ten minutes east, splurge then reset.
🗺️ One avenue, two price realities
🌇 Start above the Hudson
Hudson VU starts the route above the Ink48 Hotel, where indoor and open air seating face the Hudson and Midtown towers. The room leans polished, with a reflective pool, fire pits, and family-style plates from Chef Carlos Letona. Sunset is the practical target because the skyline does the visual work while you settle in. Reservations are recommended and the deposit runs 75 dollars per person, applied to the final bill. Treat this as the planned splurge, not a drop-in drink.
🍕 Reset at the late counter
Walk roughly ten minutes east to the counter at 617 9th Avenue. The space is tight and brightly lit, with fast service and hand tossed pies that carry you from a late lunch through the small hours. Specialty slices include buffalo chicken, while warm cookies give the stop a little extra pull. Cheese slices start at 1.99 dollars, and no reservation is required. This is the route’s working class reset when the first stop feels too formal.
🧭 Let the price swing do the work
The point is the swing, not a forced food crawl. Start at Hudson VU after its 4 PM opening, leave time for a reservation led drink or shared plates, then head east while the avenue is still busy. The transfer is about ten minutes on foot, and both stops operate daily, with the pizza counter staying open much later. Book the rooftop first, and keep the counter as your flexible landing spot, especially on Friday or Saturday when the slice shop runs until 5 AM.
