The Roof at Ponce City Market will expand this spring with the unveiling of RFD Social in the building’s tower space, featuring a revamped 10th floor lobby area and a private event venue.
Slater Hospitality – owner/operator of the rooftop amusement park, Skyline Park; beer garden, Nine Mile Station; and private event space, Rooftop Terrace – began restoring the tower last fall and will unveil two new features this March.
“With RFD Social, we are hoping to preserve the vintage feel and history of the tower, while offering two new event and entertainment experiences for our guests on the Roof,” said Mandy Slater, owner of Slater Hospitality. in a prepared statement.
The Parlor, an extension of the 10th floor indoor lobby, will feature a 77-seat public bar area and lounge designed with European-inspired finishes such as reclaimed vintage French chandeliers and manipulated 1920s photography. The space will offer early century style games including bumper pool, tabletop shuffle board and an antique poker table. Open to the public during Skyline Park’s regular hours, the expanded lobby area will also be available for private event bookings.
The restored 11th floor will include 3,970 square feet of private meeting and private event space called the Roebuck Room with small and large conference rooms and event rooms.
Local design firm ASD | SKY used Ponce City Market’s industrial roots to define the design palate for each level of RFD Social using elements including including velvet, marble, leather, stenciled concrete floors, wood-paneled walls and aged tin ceilings.
The name "RFD Social" was inspired by Dinner Bell R.F.D. (Radio Farmer’s Democracy), a local radio show originally broadcasted from the tower’s 11th floor in the 1920s. Sears & Roebuck would air the show three days a week at noon, when rural farmers and housewives took a break from their day to gather around the table. At the start of each program, host and harmonist Dewey Burnett would ring a dinner bell, followed by a show full of farming and homemaking advice and music by local musicians of the time, from John Carson to the Wompus Cats.
For more information on RFD Social's progress, visit poncecityroof.com.
RFD Social is open during Skyline Park’s regular hours. It's $10 to enter the roof and tower, which includes a wristband good for the day.
RFD Social will be open noon-9 p.m. Sunday; 3 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 3-11 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday.
Scroll down for a taste of what to expect when RFD Social opens
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
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