Don't steal my idea please...

[SunshineDaydreamer75]

I have this dream/vision/idea, whatever you want to call it.
I want to create a place that should exist but doesn't. Where everybody is friendly, nobody judges you, you can stay for as long as you want, there is always good music playing, your parents won't bother you, and you can just relax and have fun. Sit all day long in the street with your guitar and nobody will bother you.
Think Haight-Ashbury. That sort of a scene.
See, I'm an entrepeneur at heart. For now I'm just selling stuff (not drugs, i dont deal them i just do them) at festivals and saving up for a campervan.. when I graduate I wanna go on the road then go to college in california and maybe run a business on the internet sellign stuff from home... but anyways I'd like to go to college for business. My main focus is to open up some record stores. My stores will be the greatest because loitering will be ENCOURAGED so kids can come and hangout all day long and not be bothered by their parents... there will be rooms with couches where u can sample cds.. and live music events.. but back to the "vision":
What if I took over an entire street? or two? Just open up businesses all down the street so I would basically own it. A record/cd/dvd/band memorabilia store, a bar with live bands, An instrument store, a headshop of course, a good vegan restaurant, a skate park.. an arts/crafts supply store with cool beads and fabric, A vintage clothing store, a chill cafe, a recording studio, A RADIO STATION (theres more to that later)a whole street of places where you can hangout all day and night, and every place will have like corners with pillows on the floor and beanbags, totally trippy paint... I know if there was a place like this, me and my friends would be there everyday. The street will just be closed off, there will be a stage outside and either a dj playing music or a live band at all times,with drum circles and ppl playing hacky sack and dancing in the street... it would be great if I could do this at a place right on the ocean so bands could play on the beach and we could have bonfires, but on the other hand, I could just buy a lot of land and put my own road on it so i dont have to deal with the town as much. Thats probably what I'm going to do. Land with lots of fields and woods... a large fence around it... we could even have festivals and charge ppl to get in during them...
I think this would be the coolest thing EVER!
It would attract my kind of ppl.
I would be my own boss. If I wanted to I could just get fucked up and walk around, grab a guitar from my store, go jam on the stage, put on good music, have huge parties/events... like a huge protest/free concert in the street for legalizing pot haha, or reggae festivals, VW van contests, random holidays like "Jerry Garcia Day" haha...people dancing and partying in the streets and on the roof...
To me that sounds like the greatest place ever.
If I could open up a few in the U.S. I bet it would cause some kind of a "movement".
I would definitely try to open one eventually on Haight/Ashbury because that would just be cool. So much history.
All the hippies would come out of their hiding places and come and groove in the streets http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif
And I will hire people to go sell acid on these streets!! hahaha I'm sorry but you know what I'm saying, it needs to be easier to get.
Also there will be vendors at the sidewalks like you would see at festivals.

OH and here's my favorite idea: There could be a radio station and the headquarters would be located on the street. We'll play reggae, classic rock, and jam bands. The DJs would be able to advertise all sales going on, any events/concerts coming up, they could get more people to come down.
This would be the best way to let people know about it, because you know they're gonna be cool people since they listen to that station http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif haha.
Maybe we could call it Shakedown Street.http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/icons/newicons/peace.gif
Who's ready for this?!
Oh and you can leave negative replies to this, I dont care what any of you say, this IS possible and I believe in myself 110% http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

[SunshineDaydreamer75]

oh and i do realize that most of the details are crazy/impossible.
But just the whole idea is pretty cool..

[rg paddler]

Can I help - I'm a highly experienced toilet cleaner and car park attendant

(just thought I'd get my foot in the door)

[SLammon420]

this would be sooooooooooo expensive.

[kitty fabulous]

Is this the kind of thing you have in mind?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaca_Commons

more photos:
http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={97F90326-A409-4C4D-849D-BC9FAC57A480}&DE={F97220B0-2A07-4BF2-ABDF-863C9BB30907}

Among other businessness, not all of them hippie-oriented, the Commons includes a head shop called the Jabberwork (my kids and Arden's play together), several bookstores, clothing and jewelery shops, gift galleries, trendy little cafes, a mate tea room run by an IC, a hemp shop, bike shop, sushi bar, several pubs, a poster shop, a music store...In addition to the pavillions mentioned, there are works of public art, a playground, lots of open space for Damien Shakti, Zen and Ananda (the affore mentioned kids with way too much energy) to chase eash other and hoola-hoop, and plenty of public seating to relax in, which is always crawling with lounging students, tourists, street musicians, and ISO kids distributing leaflets for protests and selling copies of the Socialist Worker. There is often music everywhere, from students or buskers or just people with guitars. There were some really good public drum circles on the Commons, don't know if they're still happening there or if they've moved elsewhere. Ithaca's famous Moosewood Restaraunt is nearby, as are other attractions.

The Commons are not a private business; to the best of my knowledge they are publicly owned, although the shops & cafes along the Commons are private business.

Once the heart of Ithaca's trendy alternative/hippie culture, the Commons apparently started to go downhill for awhile, but are making a comeback now. I love the Commons, and can't get there often enough. The place is becoming very special to me. Guess I must have missed their downhill days.

Ithaca is a college town, home to Ithaca College and Cornell University. If you've got the grades and are interested in alternative entrepreneurship, public spaces, and historical alternative districts, you might want to consider college in Ithaca, and spend some time studying the Commons and its ups and downs, and some of the other historical alternative sites, attractions, and social options (the EcoVillage, community bikes, the Green Star Co-op, the local currency Ithaca Hours, the community health clinic, the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine etc.) in the area. It has changed a lot over the years, and there is a conservative edge running through it, but even after all this time, it still remains a hippie town at heart.

I notice you're approaching college age, so please give it some consideration. There could be a lot of educational opportunity and inspiration for you here.

[kitty fabulous]

Please remember, visionary thinking is a real blessing, but you must stay grounded in the possible.

Now, I want you to click these links and look at the educational options in the area so you can begin to get the skills and knowledge you need in order to embrace and manifest your vision.

Ithaca College:
http://www.ithaca.edu/

Their School of Business:
http://www.ithaca.edu/business/

Admission Requirements:
http://www.ithaca.edu/admission/


Cornell University:
http://www.cornell.edu/

Their College of Art, Architecture and Planning:
(offers majors in urban and regional policy and planning, I'm not sure but this is probably your best option if you're serious about public spaces)
http://www.aap.cornell.edu/


I notice you have an interest in festival vending. Arden at the Jabberwock on the Commons can help you learn about that. She frequently needs help vending at festivals like Bonnaroo, and she is a sharp entreprenuer and a good one to learn from. She is helping me learn the ropes of the festival vending business, and if you are serious, grounded, and responsible, I'm sure she'd share her wisdom and experience with you, too.

Now, get grounded, get or keep those grades up, ease off the drugs a little (or a lot if necessary), and go embrace your vision!

I believe in you.

[SpreadingFlowers]

Hacky Sack, guitar, and skate parks, hmm? Haha, you arent the only one who dreams of a place like this, brother. It's totally possible, though, stick to it! :)

[Jukkis]

It's great when people have dreams, good luck with your project! :)

My idea would be that you start foundation for your project and start looking for people to donate money for it, but then you should have some kind of realistic plan with your vision before that.

[CoRriNieRiNniE]

this would be sooooooooooo expensive.
agreed...

[CadenceKid]

you should buy your own island somewhere, after you some how make millions upon millions. and then buy a whole slew of drugs (Shrooms, Ganja, lsd, Mesaline) then build a house or put up tents and of course buy a boat, and invite me and a couple other cool people.


sadly in this world ,anything can be accomplished with enough money.