The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire...we don't need no water let the (blank)

[stephendare]

Apparently this happened last night.

We were all at the Transit Meeting, watching the DOT and JTA some consultants yell at old people.

Lunican (thats right, Second Pancake, The sexy one) apparently navigated his way into the party, one of downtown's most closely guarded secrets in generations.

No signs, all entrances to the parking garage locked, and a maze to GPS his way through before he found a small army of villagers guarding the crystal skull keg.

Unfortunately by the time we were finished at JTA, all traces of the rooftop party were done so we didnt get to find out how it turned out.

The pictures the Daily Record printed seem reasonable.   A few cute people. lots of downtown employees with their bosses on hand.

Anyone make it to the party for a first hand?

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=50057

Downtown enthusiasts who have looked for extra avenues of entertainment found one Thursday night â€" they just had to look up.

Over 200 people enjoyed a "Raise the Rooftop" party on top of the Water Street Parking Garage, the first in a series of after hours Downtown get-togethers with drink and food specials and live music. Two more are planned for next Thursday and May 29, both on the top of the Water Street Parking Garage and are part of the City's "Make a Scene Downtown!" campaign, a product of the Downtown Action Plan Events Committee.

"This is neat," said David Lofton, owner of the Foolish Boutique on East Bay Street. "We need a lot of things like this to bring people Downtown and give the ones here something more to do."

It was a chance for area vendors to not only get out, but also to promote their products like Thomas Spencer of The Tobacco Shop on Ocean Street, who was selling different cigars.

But for Downtown residents new and old, it was a chance to get together at a new locale.

"We took the Skyway over here," said Rene Hartley, who attended the event with her husband, Dan.

The two are longtime Jacksonville residents but new to the Downtown scene, having sold their home at the beach to become the second residents of The Peninsula on the Southbank.

"We're pleasantly surprised about everything so far," said Dan Hartley. "Things like this make for a really great time."

For more about future "Raise the Rooftop" parties, go to the City's "Make a Scene Downtown!" page at www.coj.net.

[David]

I checked it out right after work yesterday. I'm judging it on a curb since you know, it's a city sponsored event. I didn't go in expecting it to be the back deck of the pearl, but I had a pretty good time especially by the end of the event...... I believe the one dollar beers might've helped with that.   At first it was pretty sparse, but I managed to round up about 4 friends or so to meet me out....by then a steady trickle of people began emerging from the elevators. 

The reggae band wasn't bad, (when you think parking garage party you think reggae band, right?) but they did drift into a wedding playlist on a few songs…I could seriously go my whole life without hearing the electric slide ever again and be ok.

They could've placed the food and drink venues a little closer together and maybe move the band in closer as well, it was pretty spread out across the lower deck of the parking garage which made it feel ..well, spread out!  and I know how important connectivity is to metrojacksonvillers! I did freak after my 3rd 1 dollar beer because, I don’t know of many parking garages with bathrooms but a-hah!  they had planned ahead and placed portable restrooms around the corner. The real ting cafe had a tent setup with what looked to be delicious shish-kabobs on the grill, but I just couldn't cough up the 6 dollars for it (i only had 10 on me) All in all, a nice way to spend a Thursday evening after work. Some people weren’t feeling it, but like I said, don’t go in expecting it to be a New York rooftop party and just enjoy it for what it is.  I see a lot of potential in the idea. They’re doing it again next Thursday, May 22nd and again on the 29th.

[Driven1]

we were there.  the hot dogs were subpar at best.  the beer was ok though.  it felt kind of like a junior high dance though.  where the bigwig city officials were the teachers and sitting on the sidelines sipping punch (beer) and hoping everyone was having fun.  kind of lame.  hopefully the next one is better.  maybe bring it to street level.

[JeffreyS]

There is a billboard advertising this weeks party off of I10.(the billboard not the party)