I've been shooting for about a year doing a little bit of everything and I have a real passion for doing architecture and cityscapes in New York City and would like to take advantage of everything it has to offer. I have seen a fair share of cityscapes/rooftopping photos which inspired me in the first place to urban explore and take beautiful city views from the top of skyscrapers.
I was wondering how do you go about asking for legal permission to do so in any building (hotel, office, residential)? I was thinking of emailing the owner of the building (if I can get in touch with them) and write up a formal email about my project and refer to my work; signing a waiver excusing any liability issues. I can also offer my photos as a thank you and as a token of appreciation to them for allowing me the opportunity. Also, I was thinking of just simply asking front desk for a tour or ask out-right to take photos on the roof.
How can I increase the likelihood of someone in the building or the owner to allow me to take photos on the roof?
The reason I ask is because I don't want the same photos everyone else took like tourists in the most popular observation decks but something different where the public can't go and only for exclusive access.