I know I'm completely crazy, but read this, and don't steal my idea.

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
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 haha.
Maybe we could call it Shakedown Street.
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%

 

Places like that do exist - they are called NUT HOUSES

 

wow, i've thought about this type of thing before. not actually doing it myself but having someone else do it and then me working for them. so if this really does happen you will have to let me know so i can work for you!

 

go for it man..i would back you 100%

dont let anyone tell you that its impossibe or that "places like this dont exist"

oh and..i really hope your a millionaire or something..

 

You sound like like a real visonary and I respect it a lot.

Stay realistic. Its totally possible, but don't just dream. Work extraordinarily hard and put your whole being into it.

 

That's sort of like my idea, except mine is just the radio station part. Oh, and it's a pirate radio station. That all sounds good to me.

 

What he said. Visionary thinking is a true gift if you can stay grounded in the possible. Getting messed up on drugs in public will get you arrested, whether you're on the Commons or in Deep Suburbia. Not only that, but if you're seriously interested in entrepreneurship, a clear head and alert mind is essential to succeed in even alternative business.

PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE check out my response to your post in the business forum, and check out the links to the pages about the Ithaca Commons. You may feel your vision is a little crazy, but alternative districts actually occurr in most major cities, and if you think about it, for a place like the Commons to exist, a whole city had to share a similar vision at one point.

I notice you'll be college-aged soon. Ithaca is a college town, and business majors are offered at both Cornell and Ithaca College. If you are serious about alternative entrepreneurship, historical alternative neighborhoods, and /or public spaces, I strongly encourage you to contact the colleges and inquire about admission requirements. You still have some time before you graduate to improve grades or whatever if necessary to increase your chances of acceptance.

You can embrace your uniqueness and indulge (grounded, again, in the possible) in visionary thinking and still succeed in business in life. Indeed, that kind of self-assurance and free-thinking is absolutely vital. For me, it is truly opening doors. You don't have to be a conservative drone in a suit in order to manifest abundance, but remember, you must be grounded.

Please, please, please consider Ithaca. I think the Commons will have a lot to teach you. It's not a crazy vision. I believe in you.

 

dude i thought they called that place "hotel california"

 

Very wonderful view! If you get this place ! I'll live with you! haha...

 

Sounds great, good luck with that!

 

need a worker for your shop???? cause i tottaly dig that idea! i love the idea of the VW vans too, i've been wanting te get one of those for years and then just go all across north america, see all sortas of festibles and stuff. It's also been my dream to open a record store too. Records are magic plastic as far as im concerned. nothing sounds as good as a nice record ^_^

 

That is a GREAT idea! Don't lose sight of it, because I really think it could work, and there are enough people to make sure that happens. And I'll definitely be down for helping out one of these days when I'm out of college and such. Good luck with that!


~Nova

 

Sounds amazing

But let's make it the whole world instead of just a street

 

i say nay to the music store
the music should be free...

 

Obviously you are under the impression that musicians don't need to eat.

 

indeed i am..



especially the dead ones..

 

I luv every bit of that - especially the vegan restuarant - it makes me so sad to think that this may not happen, because it is so brialliant! For christs sake win the lottery and lets go. If i become rich ill try and remember you and fund it.

Btw sadly this street will still be under govermental control and there will be so many pigs after druggies...

 

I love it! That would be the most fantastic thing ever. Never stop dreaming, it's what creates new realities.

 

we have one of those places here, but mostly only skids go to it

 

The trick to making this truly revolutionary would to make it really, really big, and then declare your independance as a new country.
Then the dream could really come true.

(ok, we can hope)