by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Downtown enthusiasts who have looked for extra avenues of entertainment found one Thursday night – 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.