Your next big thing downtown: on the rooftops ???
Want to add a new level of interest to your downtown? Take advantage of your rooftop spaces.
In Oklahoma City, the Museum of Art has a rooftop space that they turned into a hangout spot complete with a bar selling drinks. I was invited up there for a get-together before a conference. They said it was the coolest place to hangout in Oklahoma City. It was, I think, actually the hottest, in the 100 degree weather we were having that day. But it was still crowded and everyone was talking and having a good time. The views were terrific, and when the sun finally went down, it was delightful.
![](https://www.beckymccray.com/wp-content/uploads/89b441b8-7547-4693-be56-4895accba0b1-1024x768.jpg)
In Nashville, what started with one rooftop bar has turned into an entire neighborhood of bars, patios and generally interesting rooftop spaces.
Do you have a small town rooftop story? Hit reply and send me pics.
(Before the naysayers in your head start shouting about liability and code, re-read these examples of others have managed it safely and legally. If the Museum of Art can find a way to do it, so can you.)
Go downtown. Look up.
You don’t have to start with full-time permanent places. Start with temporary fun events. Start with a pop-up. Create a patio just for a special evening event. String some lights. Bring up some chairs. Be safe, but have some fun.
I don’t get credit for this idea. It was on a walk-though of the small town of Kendrick, Idaho, that a young man pointed up to the top of a one-story building and said, “I bet we could make a cool hangout spot up there.”
Keep shaping the future of your town,
Becky
PS – We’ll talk about this and other ideas from our walk-through and Embedded Community Experiences in our next webinar. It’s a virtual walk-through of several towns. Join us here