The rooftop views of LA's skyscrapers—and the refurbished library—are to die for at this trendy poolside bar.

It looks like the set from a 1960s space film, but the Standard Downtown has one of LA's most stylish rooftop bars. In the post-6pm weekday hours, working stiffs who've knocked off to knock a few back provide a dapper, civilized vibe. Weekend nights, though, get very crowded with Valley denizens in tortured denim, happy to fork over $20 to enter the zone they've read about in the tabloids. But while the sun's still up, out-there fashion types lounge on bright red, bizarrely shaped waterbed cabanas, take a dip in the pool or just chill by the railing, checking out the spectacular view of the city skyline—and, of course, the spectacular views of each other.