Rooftops

Riding on my way to the Benito Juarez airport in Mexico City this morning I happened to catch a glimpse of what seemed to be endless multicolored rooftops. In the distance there was an orange elevated train, and amazingly enough you could catch a glimpse of the volcanos (usually there is too much pollution). It struck a chord in me, and I found myself temporarily mesmorized by the fields of stepped cement, row after row, with their clothes lines and watertanks adding variety to the landscape. This was the image that stuck with me, this was my understanding of home.

Rooftops exist as vantage points in modern cities. These are the modern look outs, mountains of the urban terrain. Often forgotten, a venture to a fire escape will lead you to new and unique view of your surroundings. From on top of a roof a collection of buildings suddenly becomes a neighborhood. A community.

Often forgotten, they are usually patchworks of different construction materials, loose wires, decaying brick walls. They offer an escape from the cramped street view while at the same time they collect all of the comfort of these organized grids. From up high the people becoming patterns, the noise becomes a faint soundtrack. There is no better place to describe home to me than looking out at the city perched on top of one of it's members, extending my view to the sky then down to the horizon. If it's the conrete jungle then the rooftop is the canopy, full of the exotic and vibrant creatures that exist in these second-thought environments.

I urge everyone to climb out of their windows and make their way up top, whether alone or with friends. Host a party like my friend Alex and I used to do (just make sure no one gets too tipsy, you don't want anyone to fall down). Share a beer with your neighbor, holler across the street at those figures scurrying in the apartments.

To me the rooftop is the root, the epitome of the city. It is the culmination of all of the upward building, and in turn it embodies all of the energy and excitement of its surroundings. It is the result of creating a ceiling, so it is usually within itself without design, a blank slate for you to use and to enjoy. So enjoy it.