By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Most of us will never be able to afford a private rooftop garden, but a new book gives readers a taste of Manhattan's finest sky-high green spaces — two of which are on the Upper West Side.
"Rooftop Gardens: The Terraces, Conservatories and Balconies of New York," by Denise LeFrak and Roberta Amon, showcases the little-seen world of private emerald plots atop apartment buildings.
The book features what's believed to be the city's highest garden, at a private residence on the 76th floor of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.
LeFrak and Amon say the 1,200 square-foot terrace is so high up that the furniture, plants and a bronze sculpture have to be bolted down so they don't blow away.
"At this height, it can be windy on the terrace and plants must be chosen that are compatible with the often harsh conditions," LeFrak and Amon write.
Also in the pages of "Rooftop Gardens" is a terrace on Central Park West with a 700 square-foot lawn. It's accessed through a glass-walled conservatory with panoramic views of Central Park.
The lawn, once used for badminton games, is comprised of the same grass modules used for the tennis courts at Wimbledon.
