Do you actually chill out on roofs or is that just a movie trope?
Posted by Sonarthebat@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 392 comments
Seems a bit dangerous.
Posted by Sonarthebat@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 392 comments
Seems a bit dangerous.
maxintosh1@reddit
On flat roofs in the city, sure. Never seen anyone just chill on a sloped roof.
Sonarthebat@reddit (OP)
Flat roofs I understand. It's just the sloped ones seem uncomfortable and dangerous.
TrillyMike@reddit
Sloped ones is like bored teenagers are like chillin on the roof could be fun and you do it like a couple times just cause you can , that’s my experience
Gertrude_D@reddit
Can confirm. We laid out tanning on the roof a few times just because we could. We thought we were cool.
readerscreek@reddit
Were you not?
Gertrude_D@reddit
We were. Obviously.
Strangely, that didn't impress the parents.
JeddakofThark@reddit
We had a new porched installed in our house as a teenager and the roof was outside my window. I'd lay out there and look at the stars periodically, but I think it was about the fact the I could do it if I wanted to more than anything else.
Aoimoku91@reddit
I think the difference is this: in America there are more sloping roofs accessible from a window above them. Houses come in all shapes and sizes here too, but in my experience roofs that are not on top of the building and then there are whole floors higher up to access them from is still quite rare.
In my experience, the roof is unique and it is the highest structure in the building and it is accessed from a trapdoor in the attic. Not as immediate nor as safe as climbing over a window.
jorwyn@reddit
In one apartment, the roof of the laundry room for our unit was just outside my bedroom window. It was flat with a little decorative wall. I think I slept out there more often than I did in my bedroom in the Summer, like you said, just because I could.
FWEngineer@reddit
Yep, my son did that regularly. He could go out his window to get on the roof, sometimes with friends. A little dangerous, but with asphalt shingles you usually have pretty good grip.
FixJealous2143@reddit
They get hot in the summer.
shmackinhammies@reddit
I used to get up on mine as a kid.
Forgetful_Panda@reddit
I've got a sloped roof on my house and a flat roof over the garage and patio. They're both at least a decade old. The sloped roof has held up like a champ. The flat garage roof has leaked several times and the flat patio roof cracked under someone trying to walk on it. Generally, a sloped roof has a longer life expectancy than a flat roof.
pfcgos@reddit
It kind of depends on the angle of slope too. When I was a kid, we built a raised fort on top of a shed. The roof of the shed had a pretty minor slope so some times we would climb out and sit on it or we'd use it to jump on to our trampoline and get a bigger bounce. My house itself, though, the roof had such a severe slant that we didn't go up there unless absolutely necessary to clean the gutters or something.
EstablishmentLevel17@reddit
House growing up one of the bedroom windows was on a sloped roof that went over the garage.
It's how my older siblings bailed 😂. I wasn't that mischievous but definitely used it, too!!
WCSakaCB@reddit
We fixed a couch to our roof that was in between two floors. Could climb out a window onto the roof and sit quite comfortably on the couch. It had a view of our city and the sunset. I miss the old roof couch
GustavusAdolphin@reddit
Depends on the slope and the shingle type. Most of our roofs today use asphalt shingles, and asphalt shingles are gritty enough where you have grip for your feet-- unless it's worn down and the granules are slipping off.
Metal roof or slate shingles? That's dangerous.
danny_ish@reddit
Asphalt shingles are also kinda uncomfortable and can rip fabric. So jeans and a hearty t shirt ? Sure. Basketball shorts+ workout shirt? Prob not.
Ew_fine@reddit
Hung out on sloped roofs a couple times for the novelty and experience of it. But not regularly.
UG02020@reddit
as a teenager i would climb out my bedroom window and stargaze on the roof
DETRITUS_TROLL@reddit
I climbed up onto a sloped roof ( 6/12 pitch) whilst drunk, through a window, with other drunk people.
Multiple times.
Single-story house, but still, it happened.
I only hang out on roofs if I am in the process of building them now, and I really try to avoid doing that.
SuperFLEB@reddit
I used to play croquet off a garage roof with a bunch of people who were drunk or in the process of getting there. In retrospect, the slope was dangerous, there was probably too much weight on the roof, and we were all drinking, but nothing ever went wrong and it was a good time.
Key-Wallaby-9276@reddit
We definitely climbed on top of slanted roofs. My husband in college would do drunk tag on the roof of his apt. Thankfully no one ever got hurt
EzPzLemon_Greezy@reddit
I'd drink beers and smoke on my sloped roof as a teen. Its just "cooler".
lucidpopsicle@reddit
As a teen I hangout on sloped ones but as an adult unless it's a bar I stay away from the roof
SeeYouInMarchtember@reddit
I used to climb up on the sloped roof of our backyard shed because I felt it was one of the few places where anyone would bother me out of sight (it was on the opposite side of the house facing the woods) and out of reach.
thedrakeequator@reddit
Do you see people hanging out in movies on sloped roofs?
diversalarums@reddit
Don't think anyone's mentioned that it's hard to get on the roof of a one-story home. And according to the numbers I've been able to find, nearly half of the single family homes in the US are single story. I think a lot of those saying they've done it have lived in areas where two story homes are common.
-Lysergian@reddit
I've been known to hang out on a sloped roof a couple handfuls of times, not anymore, though...
Generally for stargazing.
Nodeal_reddit@reddit
Standing / sitting on a shingled roof isn’t hard. Shingles are really grippy if you’re wearing rubber soled shoes.
caramelcooler@reddit
I have a couple times, but wouldn’t say it’s common. But I also wouldn’t really be shocked if I saw others doing it.
RichLeadership2807@reddit
They’re not as bad as they look. I used to do that as a teen at my friend’s house. I wouldn’t do it on a two story house
JacobDCRoss@reddit
The cladding most commonly used over her to cover roofs is called roofing paper. It's covered in tar and grit. Unless it's wet or mossy there is plenty of grit. I helped my dad with our houses when I was younger. You can't, like, lie down parallel to the roof, but if you sit or lay perpendicular you are fine. Have not wanted to hang out on a roof since I was younger (mainly in the 90s). Don't see any kids ever doing it.
the_vole@reddit
It all depends where the window is. If you can easily exit a window onto a sloped roof, it can work.
CenterofChaos@reddit
Flat roofs get pretty hot. My cousins would chill out on the sloped roof of the front porch.
But not the upper roof, the pitch was too high. There's a certain amount of slope that's very comfortable.
Momik@reddit
It’s really just about where the windows are. If you can climb out a window and the angle isn’t too steep, you’re fine.
Pristine-Donkey4698@reddit
Did you watch workaholics?
Legitimate-Donkey477@reddit
This guy definitely spent many hours on the sloped roof outside his bedroom window smoking cigarettes and talking to girls on the phone. I was that cool..
Born_blonde@reddit
When I was a teen I lived in the country and bedroom was on the second story. Would always go out the window and sit on to top of the home (sloped roof) to stargaze. Was where I had my first romantic experience in highschool, and watched the total solar eclipse from! Me and my friends loved hanging out up there.
Would do the same when I worked in Jamaica, because climbing up onto the roof was the best way to get a view of the sunset over the ocean. Haven’t done it in ages, but I have fond memories of if
Chimney-Imp@reddit
I saw it in the movies once so I tried it. If the slope of the roof is like 15 degrees I could people doing it. But my roof was closer to maybe 40 or 45 so it was steep as hell lol
tidder_mac@reddit
If you only have a sloped roof, then we’ll take it.
In my college house I had a window that led onto the sloped roof. I called it the porch.
And yea we used it all the time. To smoke, catch some cool air, catch some quiet time if the house was full, or to gaze at the city and people watch.
I’d 100% prefer a flat roof or actual porch, but I’ll make do with what I got.
TheBimpo@reddit
They are. It makes for an interesting and dramatic shot for the movie.
DoubleBlanket@reddit
Eh, I hung out on my friend’s roof a bunch of times. It was uncomfortable, dangerous, and bad for the roof. But we were also 12 and usually unsupervised.
I think a lot of these tropes stem from a history or culture of suburban latchkey kids sort of just wandering wherever and doing whatever as long as they could stay out of a certain level of trouble.
I don’t know to what degree it’s still a thing with the advent of smartphones and a generational shift in how kids like to spend their free time.
maxintosh1@reddit
They are
cryptoengineer@reddit
Confirm. When I lived in Manhattan, having a beer or suntanning on 'tar beach' was a thing.
There's a really good song about it.
asoep44@reddit
You've never been drunk in a small college town I'm guessing
imogen1983@reddit
I used to have a neighbor whose kids (about 10 and 13) would do that. It was very sloped and the police showed up multiple times.
javerthugo@reddit
I have but he was very high
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
I definitely have at house parties in college. Was it safe? No. Was it top ten list for sketchy shit I did in college? Also no
ColossusOfChoads@reddit
When I was a kid we'd go up on my grandpa's roof to watch the 4th of July fireworks. It was your basic ranch-style mid-century one-story with a sloped roof.
Learningstuff247@reddit
I used to drink on my sloped roof all the time in college
thestereo300@reddit
My brother used to get drunk and sit on our sloped roof but that was the 70s. People did a lot of stupid shit back then lol.
RupeThereItIs@reddit
Used to do this at a friend's place in college.
But this was in like '99/2000.
People did a lot of stupid shit back then lol
OpportunityGold4597@reddit
I used to relax on my roof on a regular basis in when I was in High School. My bedroom was on the second story, so my bedroom window opened up to the roof of the garage. I'd sit on the roof to smoke cigarettes or spliffs on a regular basis.
CarlottaStreet@reddit
Same. We spent as much time on my friends roof as we did in his room. If the roof had Goldeneye, we'd have never left.
Necessary-Sleep-3578@reddit
So much fun to be a kid. I’d sneak out every night
minicpst@reddit
We did as kids with my dad. We’d go out on a clear night and watch the stars at a comfortable angle.
Sometimes we’d go up there and hang out while we were getting tennis balls out of the gutters.
privatefries@reddit
I did it once after I bought my first house. Had to go up and clean the gutters and ended up grabbing a beer and cigar and hung out for awhile.
boozcruise21@reddit
I do it, it just can't be too sloped
mikethomas4th@reddit
As a teenager I did actually.
Figgler@reddit
When I lived in Denver my girlfriend had an apartment in a 4 story building with roof access to a pretty steep roof. We climbed up every once in a while during the summer, it was a cool spot to see the whole city.
Necessary-Sleep-3578@reddit
Grew up drinking screwdrivers on our slopes roof as a kid. Big ass homes with huge roofs. Good times lol
Current_Poster@reddit
My sister and her friends used to lay out on towels on our attached-garage roof when I was a kid.
lumpialarry@reddit
Only time I’ve seen it was with in workaholics.
MuscaMurum@reddit
...and The Simpsons
CleverGirlRawr@reddit
My house was across the street from the high school football field and my friend and I would go up on the roof and sit there watching the game.
WakingOwl1@reddit
When I had an apartment with access to the roof we hung out up there all the time. We’d bring up lunch, maybe have a drink or two, smoke some pot, play backgammon. We used to fly kites from up there.
Excellent-Practice@reddit
I definitely did when I was a kid. My family lived in a two story house with a one story garage, and my bedroom window looked out over the garage roof. On summer evenings, I liked to lie out on the roof and look at the stars.
Accomplished_Time761@reddit
I feel like this is dependent on where you grew up. I grew up in a major agricultural area so when everyone wanted to be alone or away from their parents etc, we went to the cuts(orchards, vineyards, fields). My area wasn't pinnacle suburbia so take it with a grain of salt.
DBDude@reddit
The only time I’ve ever chilled on a roof was in Europe and Asia. But then neither I nor any of my American friends lived someplace where you could do that without risk of falling off.
fungibitch@reddit
In high school, my best friend's bedroom window led out to the roof and we'd sit out there and smoke cigarettes. It was a gently sloped roof so not dangerous. It was a very comfy little private space (faced the backyard).
ConstantThought6@reddit
I’m seeing a lot of “only on flat roofs” and growing up my friend lived in an old farm house where one of the bedroom windows led out onto a sloped roof. We’d smoke out there a lot. One time we moved the trampoline under it and took turns jumping off. Fond memories, definitely not just a movie.
CurlSagan@reddit
Yeah, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I'm guessing you and I are a little older than other commenters.
tonyrocks922@reddit
Could be the architectural styles of different regions too. Where I live roofs are either flat or they are so sloped it's impossible to stand/sit on them.
DogOrDonut@reddit
I'm 33 and I have been going out of my roof since I was a little kid. I'm not sure if I'm now in the "older" group or not lol.
mufassil@reddit
I'm not old old. I did this. But I grew up in a small town. It was super peaceful.
EstablishmentLevel17@reddit
Yep. One of our bedrooms had a sloped roof outside of it. Of course it got used! Wasn't a crazy angle, but yes it was sloped.
whocanpickone@reddit
I grew up in a place with a lot of snow, and even had folks snowboard off the roof on to a giant hill before. Definitely not the smartest move, but we were young.
GelatinousCube7@reddit
i have a handy roof access window, have i done acid and shot roman candles off it while drinking whiskey. yes, in an order that would surprise you.
blackberyl@reddit
I prefer chilling on the edge of a partially completed highway overpass myself.
InsaneDane@reddit
As a kid I would head out on the roof whenever I was trying to make sure my family couldn't find me.
BobTheInept@reddit
I see it on the frat houses (you are going two for one today, OP) in Houghton, MI.
Itchy_Pillows@reddit
When available, hell yes!
taffibunni@reddit
I had a little section of sloped roof outside my bedroom window growing up. I went out there to smoke and it was definitely dangerous.
CosyBeluga@reddit
Absolutely. Only in movies, the roofs are much easier to access. I had to climb through the kitchen sink window
ElderberryMaster4694@reddit
NYC roofs are the best!
LeadDiscovery@reddit
Yes, roof parties are a thing. I especially had fun during college days in Boston where you had entire blocks of roofs open to sit in the sun and party....
Dangerous? Yes. First it was not legal to be up there, there was all sorts of machinery - power supplies, wires, ac and so on. In addition, ever so often there are open shafts that go 6 stories down to the ground... Some are 6 x 6 foot squares... you don't want to be running around drunk playing catch or something...
BusinessWarthog6@reddit
It’s more of a movie thing for the character to be alone away from their suburban teen problems. I did it a few times because I didn’t want my parents to catch me smoking cigarettes
AnUdderDay@reddit
Yes, the smell would have magically disappeared
FalloutRip@reddit
Oh trust me, they still knew lol
timesuck897@reddit
Walking in clumsily, smelling like smoke and febreze. They had no idea. /s
BusinessWarthog6@reddit
They did but being a dumb teenager thinking you’re smart lol. It lasted until the gutters were cleaned and they found the cig butss
Select-Ad7146@reddit
It's funny growing up and realizing how much your parents probably knew that you thought you were being sneaky about.
dupontred@reddit
Yes. This captures it perfectly
Longjumping_Event_59@reddit
I have never, not once, met someone who chills on the roof.
runninganddrinking@reddit
lol! Not if you wanna die. I’ve never been on a roof and most of our roofs in the US are slanted.
Basementsnake@reddit
Yeah definitely. I used to smoke pot on my slanted suburban home roof and other friends’ as well. In college it was big too. The way our dorms were designed allowed roof access from some people’s windows, and we’d smoke pot up there. Roofs are good spots because if you have the right roof no one could see you from the ground and the smell wouldn’t be as noticeable.
GinGimlet@reddit
I live in Washington DC and since it’s a flat city with height restrictions the rooftops all have nice views. Yes we spend a lot of time up there either at friends places or restaurants/bars, it’s a great way to pass the time
AzoriumLupum@reddit
I used to live in the countryside. We had a two story house with a sloped roof, which was easy to access because the balcony went by the garage (hop over the rail straight onto the roof). Since i was home alone ALOT, I would often pop onto the roof for various hobbies. I would draw the landscape, bring my tiny telescope or camera at night to do star gazing or night photography, or just watch the world go by while I did homework. I never went up there in mid summer during the day though- way too hot- nor did I go up mid winter during rain or snow- too dangerous.
KitteeMeowMeow@reddit
I have.
heyhellohi-letstalk@reddit
I woke up on my roof one night (two story sloped). Me and a friend had been drinking and I guess I crawled out and fell asleep.
sator-2D-rotas@reddit
Only ever been on a sloped roof either for repair or twice to see fireworks on the 4th. Growing up, if I wanted to be alone, I’d climb a tree.
Objective-District39@reddit
Did it once or twice as a teenager at my parents house, but adults don't usually do it unless they are taking a break from working on it.
Curious_Ad_3614@reddit
My childhood roof was very cool.
IrianJaya@reddit
We used to have a tall toolshed behind my grandparents' house that was next to a hill and sloped upward so the sloped part was facing the hill. Us kids could fairly easily climb up it on the back side and go way up to the top where it was really high. In the summertime we would go up there and put down towels to protect us from the heat of the roof. If we heard some of our younger bratty cousins looking for us we would stay really quiet so they didn't know we were there. Then when they couldn't find us and gave up we would just hang out and talk. Someone would have to peek over the side to make sure the coast was clear that no one could see us coming down or we would get in trouble because it was fairly dangerous going that high up.
TrustNoSquirrel@reddit
I did growing up 😂
leswill315@reddit
Yep, 1960's, porch roof just outside our bedroom window. No a/c. Took bedding and pillows out to sleep on the roof (slight slope, not steep) and enjoyed the cool breeze. Cooler than the house at any rate. Deep porch, hence deep roof and it went all the way across the front of the house and wrapped around to the side. No real danger of falling off as long as we stayed uphill.
Lopsided-Ad4276@reddit
Haven't in like 12 years but used to.
When i was a teenager, we used to climb on any roof we could access
Then as a young adult when I was idk 19 to 21, I had an apartment where my bedroom window led to my porch overhang and I used to sit out there a lot (only at night when no one would notice the weird girl and her cat on the roof though)
Notonfoodstamps@reddit
Depends on the city.
Baltimore has a ridiculous amount of rooftop decks in its row house neighborhoods. Whereas DC has next to none in that housing type but has rooftops on almost all its multi-family apartments buildings.
davidm2232@reddit
It happens on occasion. Especially construction guys that are well practiced being on roofs
Yosemite_Sam9099@reddit
I once spent every afternoon for a week chilling out on the roof of the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan during the summer. I found an unlocked door and had the roof to myself. And one deck chair. One of the best weeks of my life. Oh, and pot from Washington Square.
schmelk1000@reddit
When I was little, I use to climb up into my roof in the summer and tan. Shingles get really fucking hot though so I never could stay up there for long.
jgeoghegan89@reddit
I've never done that but I'm boring
Hey_Kids32@reddit
I used to all the time. Sloped. Flat. You name it
ToasterInYourBathtub@reddit
I would chill on my old sloped roof all the time.
Also used it as a vantage point to fire from while deer hunting.
Acrobatic-Tadpole-60@reddit
I’ve sat on roofs before, but it’s decidedly more common in movies than in real life
cherrycuishle@reddit
These comments are giving nostalgia.
Sloped Roof on a Suburban Home is the angsty, lesser known cousin of Field in the Middle of Nowhere
RaspberryJam56@reddit
My mom says that when she was a kid, she and her dad lay down on their roof and he used a flashlight like a laser pointer to show her the constellations.
KingOfHanksHill@reddit
When I was a kid my parents would let us got up to the (flat) roof with them for picnics and such. My roof is quite sloped so I don’t go up there.
Dinocop1234@reddit
Dangerous? Life is dangerous. I grew up in Colorado and we used to jump off of our roofs, one to three floor houses, into the snow.
cherrycuishle@reddit
So did we! Now don’t get nearly enough snow (east coast)
asoep44@reddit
Flat roofs can often have patios or gardens. Perfectly safe if you're not dumb.
In my small college town people would often drink on the sloped front part of their roof. (The part that covers the porch) Very dumb, but I also don't know anyone who got hurt doing so.
cwsjr2323@reddit
My dad, when reroofing an old farmhouse added an area over the back veranda with a flat metal area for us to sleep as there was no central air the first year.
Icy-Student8443@reddit
ok so when i lived in the suburbs i went on my house like once’s but its was weird as fuck but then i moved to LA i go on the roof and the time
lokland@reddit
Yes. Not often, but if you’ve got a window that opens to a roof— teenagers will find a summer day to crawl out onto the roof and chill.
Yrtangledheart@reddit
This is common in NYC, I don’t about elsewhere
sarfopulong@reddit
For me it was something I did as a kid. We had a window in my room that went out to the sloped roof. We didn’t do much hanging out on the roof but my sister would use it to smoke pot without my parents finding out. I also used it to jump off of onto a trampoline
BlackshirtDefense@reddit
No. The majority of us don't live in NYC apartment towers.
CleanAdagio8626@reddit
College students in college towns? 100%
TheJokersChild@reddit
I thought Elton John came up with the idea in Your Song: I sat on the roof / kicked off the moss / but a few of the verses / well they got me quite cross. Although yeah, it does seem dangerous due to the slope. Not to mention the heat of the shingles in summer.
ExpensiveSeesaw195@reddit
Used to shoot BB guns off my buddies roof
stiletto929@reddit
I hung out on the roof often as a kid, just for fun. My sibling would sneak out there to smoke on the sly, too.
Epc7165@reddit
The only roof I chilled on was my buddies garage. The back slope was hidden from the house so we’d go up there and smoke butts we stole from his grandma
Inkspotten@reddit
Yes. Rooftop hangs are the best
HeatInternal8850@reddit
Rooftop decks are sweet
Glue_is_ok@reddit
There's a ladder that leads up to the roof of my garage and I go up there and read when it's nice out. I just like being up high
Known-Ad-100@reddit
Yes, but depends on where you live. Sometimes it's nice to see the stars without anything above you. As mentioned, teenagers did it and smoke cigs or reefers. You can usually get out your bedroom window and onto the roof quieter than down the steps and out the door.
HavBoWilTrvl@reddit
Long time ago, I rented a second floor apartment in an old house that had been split up into 4 (2 up, 2 down). My living room window opened onto the roof of the sunroom in the apartment below me. I went out on the roof a lot. The slope wasn't really steep and, with a blanket, it was a nice place to watch the lightning bugs fill the trees in autumn.
King_Shugglerm@reddit
I would sit on the roof and watch fireworks as a kid on 4th of July
Weizen1988@reddit
I'd sit on the sloped roof outside my parents window with my family and we'd watch fireworks on 4th of July back when I was a small child, it had a very light slope or else we wouldn't have done it though.
Lastofthehaters@reddit
I did when I use younger, now I just have a rooftop balcony
duke_awapuhi@reddit
Depends if you can even get on the roof easily in the first place. As teenagers we would do it. I expect it’s more of a teenage thing than anything
Triple-6-Soul@reddit
Roofs of all shapes and sizes. Plus fire escapes too....
StellarAngelic@reddit
only flat roofs
deadpandadolls@reddit
I used to chill out on the roof of my childhood home, just to get some air and enjoy the view. Now I live in an apartment and chill out on the roof of the building.
CaptainPunisher@reddit
If I have business up on the roof, I might just sit up there for a while and enjoy the view and a little bit of peace, but otherwise no. I'm not going to go up there just to hang out. Also, my roof is off only like a 25-30° slope, so it's not really dangerous if you're not stupid.
JuanG_13@reddit
No, dude lol
Ok_Helicopter_984@reddit
On roofs I have access to, yup
Chicago1871@reddit
Flat roofs in apartments buildings?
Yes
causa__sui@reddit
Used to smoke pot on my friend’s roof in high school. It was the smoke spot - overlooking a river and surrounded by tall trees that looked like they were breathing with the wind. That’s about the only time I’ve spent on roofs.
iheartwestwing@reddit
I used to chill out on a sloped roof as a kid.
WokestWombat@reddit
Flat roofs like at the top of an apartment building or hotel, sure. Slanted? Nope.
Sonarthebat@reddit (OP)
Glat riif I get. I meant the sloped ones.
Bright_Ices@reddit
I’m somewhat shocked to hear than any American adult hasn’t hung out on at least one sloped roof. Maybe I’m just getting old, but this was definitely something teens and young adults did when I was younger.
WokestWombat@reddit
I’ve never heard of anyone going out on a sloped roof to hang out. Some people do it to clean the roof and/or their solar panels if they have them.
WrongJohnSilver@reddit
You can do it in New York City and other major cities where you're more likely to live in a skyscraper and the roof functions like a terrace.
In most of the country, no, this isn't done, even if you've got flat-topped apartments.
tjl0923@reddit
Actually I would say you are wrong. It’s most common in the Midwest where most people live in homes and own their own homes. Everyone’s done it, not often but everyone has.
koreamax@reddit
Yeah, I live in Nyc and have never done it here. I did it a lot in San Francisco where I grew up. Most buildings in nyc don't have roof access
Bright_Ices@reddit
Really? I’ve been to whole-ass parties on roofs in NYC. Some nyc elementary schools have their playgrounds on the roof.
TotallyNotGlenDavis@reddit
Feel like it’s exceedingly common here
ND7020@reddit
I’m from NYC and I did it ALL THE TIME growing up and through my early adulthood. But I’m from the UWS and most of the prewar buildings had that classic unmanicured but secretly accessible, flat style.
In today’s more manicured and restricted NYC it’s more common to have those securely closed off, and newer buildings will either have a totally inaccessible roof or one that is finished to be usable in a way that removes the more organic charm of what we grew up with.
GrunchWeefer@reddit
I've been on friends' roofs in NYC. It probably depends on where you are. In midtown it's pretty common for apartments and office buildings to have rooftop patios or bars. My last two buildings where I worked, both in midtown, had roof patios. Maybe outside of midtown it's less common where the buildings are shorter and you're not getting much of a view?
The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit
I'm gonna disagree. This isn't common at all. Maybe you take a break if you're doing something like putting a screen around your chimney, or installing a dish or whatnot, but nobody just goes on the roof to chill. Especially home owners, because we don't want to damage our shingles.
ToumaKazusa1@reddit
When I was growing up I had an easy way to get to the roof from my room, and I spent a lot of time just chilling on the roof because it was cool.
My friend didn't have quite as easy of a way up to his roof, but we'd still go up there to jump into the pool from it when his parents weren't around.
It's definitely not a thing adults do, but for teenagers I don't think it's odd.
fidgety_sloth@reddit
I grew up in Pennsylvania and never in my life have I or any of my friends hung out on a roof. Theoretically I guess I could have gone on my porch roof but if my father had found me I wouldn't have lived to tell about it.
The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit
That may have been your experience, but I don't think it was as common as you believe. Where in the midwest did you grow up?
NWI_ANALOG@reddit
I’m from Northwest Indiana, and I don’t know if I know of anyone who wouldn’t have hung out on a roof at some point. There are a lot of bi and tri-levels and converted cape cods that made it an accessible hang spot.
It happens less in my thirties, and more so on flat roofs, but sloped roofs still happen
ToumaKazusa1@reddit
I grew up in suburban Texas, so not really midwest, but same kind of thing where everyone around me lived in their own homes and had roofs they could go on.
musical_dragon_cat@reddit
How common is it to have a window out to a pitched roof in your area? Usually if people chill on a roof, it's because they have easy, safe-ish access.
PureMitten@reddit
Maybe it's a thing people do when they don't own the house. I definitely had 3 roofs in college that my friends and I regularly used as balconies because they were a low enough slope to relax on without slipping and easily accessible from a window. But one of those college friends would now absolutely kick my ass if he caught me on the roof of the house he owns and my brother's house has a big deck built over what was originally a very big garage roof accessible from the living room windows.
It's fun in a very lightly transgressive way to get on a roof but if you're out there a lot you usually end up wanting it to be a balcony with a flat floor and railings and an easier surface to clean of the bird poop. As a renter I've never been able to make the roof area I like hanging out on the balcony I wish it was, but between the negative incentive of damaging your own shingles and the ability to add a balcony where you want one, it may be less common with home owners.
The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit
I mean, it's all anecdotal. I doubt there are statistics on it. This might be one of those rare fun ones that we can still debate what is correct without smartphones ruining it
Although a poll of this sub would be fun just to see. I doubt the mods would allow it though. They stopped allowing a lot of posts the last few years.
Dull-Geologist-8204@reddit
I used to chill on my dad's roof to smoke. I wasn't the only one to do stuff like that. On more than one occasion the guy across the street 2 doors down would also climb out onto the roof. This was in Georgia.
The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit
The people in my neighbirhood would have needed a ladder. I only went up there to help put up Chirstmas lights, or do other projects like clean the gutters.
ToumaKazusa1@reddit
Would you not have a tree that went up close to the house? Some kind of fence you could climb on?
Its not like every house would have access, but as a teenager you're probably going over to other people's houses somewhat regularly, and likely one of them would be built in a way that allowed you to get up.
The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit
Maybe one friend out of 20 or so had a tree that wasn't too big or small or had something else that could be climbed.
But not once have I ever done that for the sole purpose of just chilling, let alone done it enough to be considered not a trope.
People typically don't like their shingles walked on, and there's so many other places to hang out that don't involve that much effort or risk.
Dull-Geologist-8204@reddit
I am currently living in a Victorian and the 3rd floor roof would be impossible but on the second story roof under the window in the laundry room has a flat roof. We already tagged it as the place the kids are going to use to sneak out. You could sit on that roof fairly easy.
WingedLady@reddit
I grew up in the midwest and we did not do this. I'm sure someone did it but I wouldn't say "everyone's done it."
tjl0923@reddit
Interesting, I grew up in Illinois and we def did. I live in AZ now and we do as well. Maybe just a me thing!
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
People live in homes in the Northeast too. Btw home ≠ house but the Northeast also has houses even NYC.
I never seen anyone on a house roof in the Midwest unless they were doing maintenance or hanging holiday lights
3catlove@reddit
I’ve lived in Iowa all my life, and hanging out on roofs is definitely not something we do.
LoudCrickets72@reddit
I live in the Midwest and have never seen this
inbigtreble30@reddit
I used to climb up on our Wisconsin garage on summer nights. Peaceful af.
WrongJohnSilver@reddit
Interesting!
I've lived in homes and have never done it, and never known anyone who's done it (in houses), but I've also not lived in the Midwest.
flameheadthrower1@reddit
It’s frequently done in college towns too, where many apartment buildings are 95% student occuppied. There’s always a few who manage to get acces to the roof.
mikaboooooooo@reddit
I have, many times. Used to climb out my window and onto the roof with friends in middle and high school
DDemetriG@reddit
Never seen it myself. Always seen movies set in Indiana that has folks doing that, though.
Key-Wallaby-9276@reddit
Definitely did as like a middle schooler. Slanted roof and all. We had a tree that went right up the side of our house we could climb up
Picklesadog@reddit
In high school some friends knew how to get on the roof of an elementary school. We'd go up there and smoke weed.
I've hung out on a decent amount of roofs, flat or sloped. I wouldn't say it was common, but it wasn't uncommon.
We also got drunk off of cheap wine on the roof of an abandoned caboose in Flagstaff, Arizona once.
Ted_Denslow@reddit
I've definitely xmchilled on a roof or two in my day...
ScriptHunterMan@reddit
I climb onto my roof to watch fireworks for 4th of July. I don't mean that as a joke. I meant it literally.
Illustrious_Angle952@reddit
It depends on where you live
RodeoBoss66@reddit
I grew up in the suburbs of Southern California. I have also lived extensively in Colorado and Texas. To my recollection, I’ve never seen anyone on a residential rooftop just relaxing or having a little party. Fixing the TV antenna or the satellite dish or the roof itself, yes, but not just hanging out with a six pack or something. I’m not saying that it NEVER happens, though. I’m saying that I’ve never seen it. It might happen in other states with different building codes and practices. But in California, Colorado, and Texas, nope. At least not in the larger single family residential neighborhoods in cities and suburbs. It’s possible that rural areas, where housing is spread out more widely, might see that type of thing.
In urban centers with tall residential buildings, flat rooftops are often designed with accommodating various community activities, so it’s not terribly uncommon to see rooftop pools, garden parties, outdoor grilling, and occasionally sun bathers, but that’s not what you’re asking about.
IanDOsmond@reddit
I did a couple times once my parents put a balcony out which made it easy to get to the roof. It was kind of nice. I didn't do it regularly.
lupuscapabilis@reddit
Sure, sometimes growing up in Queens. My bedroom window let out onto a slightly sloped tar roof area. Even if I fell off it would have been like 10 feet.
_azul_van@reddit
Anytime I have to do any work on the roof of my house I do end up just hanging out there for a bit. However, it was not something possible to do when I was a kid and thought the same thing - where are the people who hang out on the roofs??
DogOrDonut@reddit
I always have on mine. It's only dangerous if you're an idiot.
Some_Stoic_Man@reddit
I have before
quizzicalturnip@reddit
I’ve spent many Independence Days on roofs watching the fireworks
jessicalee_3@reddit
In high school my bedroom window went out onto the roof so me and my friends would climb out on it at night sometimes. Not for super extended periods of time though because it was a slipped roof
Sl1z@reddit
Flat topped roofs in apartment building, yes. They generally have railings so you don’t slip and fall off if there’s roof access.
Sloped shingled roofs on single family homes, no. Maybe if you’re a teenager and want to feel edgy.
bell37@reddit
Also you stick out like a sore thumb being out on your roof like that. Take four steps away from the house and you can see if someone is on the roof
Sonarthebat@reddit (OP)
The former makes sense. Latter just seems dumb.
Miss_airwrecka1@reddit
There’s some TikTok of a guy sitting on his friend’s roof to surprise everyday after work and throwing him a beer. It’s happens but isn’t common. Kids might do it if the roof isn’t too steep to smoke outside and not get caught. A lot of this depends on the roof pitch and window access
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3cW3ebFuBgA
Sl1z@reddit
Yeah, but often teenagers are dumb, lol.
blighander@reddit
I used to live downtown in a Midwestern US city and we had a resident rooftop that we could barbecue and have friends over and you best believe we got our miles out of that rooftop.
Msmalloryreads@reddit
As a teenager I did, but there was a flat section between the peaks of the wings of the house. If you sat down no one could see you and it was right above the back balcony/patio.
Sethaman@reddit
All the time. In the countryside
bi_polar2bear@reddit
I used to hang out on my roof. My current home is a single story, but most of mine previous homes i did it. my ex-wife and I even had sexy times, used my telescope, or just stored at the moon.
Individual-Set-8891@reddit
If safe enough - then yes.
Kalashcow@reddit
Not many people do it, but I do. Very dangerous though
Sidewalk_Tomato@reddit
A friend of mine was drunk and fell off a sloped roof and broke his neck. He had to learn how to eat with a fork again.
Weirdly enough, he made a full recovery.
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
Meanwhile roofers up there every day on every mind altering substance known to man
Kalashcow@reddit
True, but they're also not careless teenagers who have no experience on roofs lol
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
Have you… ever met a roofer???
Kalashcow@reddit
I was trying to make a joke like that but I wrote my comment wrong
MrBlandEST@reddit
A guy who works for me part time loves to get up around 5 am and go up on his sloped roof and hang out. Guys almost 60 and doesn't sleep well.
AdelleDeWitt@reddit
I went to a phase in high school where I sat on our roof and read books.
phathead08@reddit
I was thinking about this yesterday. I have a 4/12 slope so it would be perfect
dupontred@reddit
Like, city people on a flat roof of an apartment building with a pool and lights? Yes, sure.
Or rural people with a slanted roof of a single-family home just hanging out? Maybe? Not common, but not unheard of, I guess. But I think its more of a tv/movie trope than something people actually do.
coffeecircus@reddit
people will use porches if they want to stare at the sunset. It’s a lot effort to climb onto the roof of your single family home, and you’re liable to break your neck.
maybe teenagers in movies, either climbing through windows or onto rooftops to get some time away from their parents
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
Can’t see the stars from the porch tho. You can from the roof, since the roof isn’t above you anymore
OutrageousMoney4339@reddit
Not since we got solar panels installed on our porch roof. My sister's old room lead onto the porch roof and it was west facing so her and I would go out and watch the sunset in the summer.
c0-pilot@reddit
Pretty much only saw it in college when drunk students like to act a fool towards passerbys from their roofs.
geri73@reddit
Our family is used to chilling on roofs, but they have to be flat, lol. My dad fixed his home to where you can chill on the roof to chill and / or watch fireworks in the summer. He's got chairs and tents up there.
creamcandy@reddit
Never on the roof just to be there. Sure, to get a Frisbee, fiddle with antenna, gutters, but just to hang out? Big nope.
NotAFanOfOlives@reddit
There are a lot of like, rooftop bars and stuff.
But yeah on sloped roofs, no
Popular-Positive-331@reddit
hollywood is the most inaccurate description of literally anything
nightglitter89x@reddit
My brother and I used to climb on top the garage to smoke and chill.
Zaidswith@reddit
It's one of the things that has died off with kids not spending so much time outside honestly. It was a teen trope in shows and movies for a reason.
lbailey224@reddit
Mostly just during election rallies
FadedSirens@reddit
A friend of mine in college rented a house near campus where her bedroom window opened onto a sloped roof. She regularly sat out there, I joined her a time or two and found it pleasant. The angle of the slope wasn't so severe that I felt like it was dangerous, plus the texture of the shingles made it hard to slip anyway. Could an accident still have happened? Absolutely. But I didn't feel like it was an insane thing to do.
mklinger23@reddit
Literally saw this exact thing today. 3 dudes crawled onto their porch roof and were drinking beers in lawn chairs. It's not super common, but it happens. Most houses here have a flat roof on top, and I've hung out on a few roofs to watch fireworks or something.
Tried to add a picture, but I can't. Google "people on roof" and it's the first picture.
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presidintfluffy@reddit
Depends on how slopped it is and how easy it is to get on to and off of.
Dragonfly7242@reddit
Only people I see chilling on slopped roofs are 12 years olds home alone with friends. In some beach cities though there are flat roofs meant to have furniture on.
More_Rise@reddit
My oldest brother used to hang out at his friend’s house on their sloped roof. I always wanted to try it but we lived in Cali and the roof shingles were like magma
Idontliketalking2u@reddit
I've definitely going out on roofs. Sloped and all
Responsible-Fun4303@reddit
A restaurant or accessible roof top sure but on average no lol. Our roof is extremely slopped and inaccessible unless we put a ladder up
hatchjon12@reddit
I've done it.
grownassman3@reddit
When I lived in Philly it was a very common occurrence. Good place to drink and smoke and watch the city.
kldoyle@reddit
Me and one of my buddies growing up climbed on the roofs of houses, businesses, restaurants, schools, three story town houses in a historic district, etc. I will say it was mainly me and I’d bring up other friends randomly to some chill spots and a lot of those spots you can’t access anymore (the owner(s) blocked the old routes we’d take)
ModernMaroon@reddit
Yes. Summer nights on the roof. Beers and good bud. Good memories.
Avasia1717@reddit
depends
Jofy187@reddit
Yup, ate a lot of chipotle in the middle of the night on the roof of my old school
needsmorequeso@reddit
Like once or twice. My parents had a cool balcony and it was easy enough to go over the railing and onto the sloped roof when I was young and dumb.
I wouldn’t try it now, and also they have done some work to make the balcony itself a better sitting area so why would I need to?
Sihaya212@reddit
Like a shingled roof? Nah. Bad for the shingles.
Gilamunsta@reddit
Used to when I was a kid, not so much anymore.
Adept_Thanks_6993@reddit
If I had an accessible roof to chill on, I’d never leave it
I_AM_ME-7@reddit
Depends on the roof.
Airportsnacks@reddit
I grew up in a city with a flat roof and easy access out a bedroom window, so yes.
DangerNoodleDoodle@reddit
My husband dove hunts from our roof. We live in a rural area and there are no houses behind us
RickMoneyRS@reddit
My friends and I did this plenty as teenagers. You could climb out of my bedroom window directly onto the roof of our garage, so no dangerous climbing was involved. The roof shingles were textured like sandpaper so it was near impossible to slip accidentally so long as you weren't doing anything stupid, like try to run or horseplay around.
PacoTaco321@reddit
I haven't, but I didn't live ain a stereotypical movie home where I have a window in my room that goes onto the roof.
PineapplePikza@reddit
Flat roofs in an urban area? You bet we do. Not dangerous as long as you stay several feet away from the edge and use some common sense.
Current_Poster@reddit
I certainly never have. People say it's common in NYC, but I've lived five places here and none of them had roof access for tenants.
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
TBF NYC is a massive city so 5 buildings isnt a huge sample size lol
Current_Poster@reddit
Tell me more, Minnesota person.
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
It dont matter if I am from Neptune... 5 places is a small sample size, regardless
Current_Poster@reddit
People don't live in aggregate,
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
Okay, whatever. Not worth getting bent out of shape over something so stupid. Have a good one, eh?
Current_Poster@reddit
Please don't project.
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
Why doncha go find a nice roof to hang out on? I dare you to piss into one of those spinning vent thingies. That'd be quite productive
Current_Poster@reddit
Ah. Minneapolis Rage. I have heard of it.
TerribleCaregiver909@reddit
Oh definitely
DevilsPlaything42@reddit
I'm at my wife at a party and followed her out under the roof. It was one of the most memorable nights of my entire life. A previous guy followed her out but she knocked him down and broke his arm.
alkatori@reddit
Yes, but only if you can easily get to it.
If it's a PITA why bother?
EnvironmentalAngle@reddit
Yeah... You do it once and then you see how lame it is and never do it again. Like swimming in an above ground pool.
Bat_Shitcrazy@reddit
Sometimes, if it’s easy to get to the roof
mulahtmiss@reddit
I do! Sloped and flat roofs both. Especially when I travel and stay in AirBNB
Dippay@reddit
We have a flat part on our roof and it cost a fortune to get the leaks fixed up there so I don't dare go out there and risk making it leak again
Moomoomoo1@reddit
Yes, my building has a flat roof with a deck and it’s great
spizzle_@reddit
When I was in high school my buddy had a window that you could go out on his sloped roof from fairly easily. I’d take lady friends out there to look at the stars and come back with fishy fingers. Slightly sloped roof in a suburb.
JessQuesadilla@reddit
You do if you’re a suburban teenager trying to be cool (I did this as a teen but haven’t in a long time)
Bear_necessities96@reddit
I don’t want to imagine how hot would be a sloped roof with this weather in Florida 😖
catsoncrack420@reddit
NYC hell yeah. We used to grill on the roof in the 90s in my building.
shrimp-and-potatoes@reddit
When I was young, and when drugs were involved.
ghotiermann@reddit
I have never done it myself, but one house in my neighborhood has a door that lets out onto their mildly sloped roof. They have a small fence around the sides of it.
Wildcat_twister12@reddit
When I was living with roommates back in college the tv show Workaholics was very popular so we set up lawn chairs on our sloped roof like they did in the show. Wouldn’t do it now but back then it was fun and we lived in a one story house so it wasn’t as dangerous as it could’ve been but still pretty stupid.
SteampunkRobin@reddit
We did a couple times in high school on a sloped roof. Just ran up a ladder in the backyard and lay a towel down. Wasn’t that fun as it got too hot rather quickly.
ahumpsters@reddit
In high school, my friends and I used to climb up the elementary school walls and hang out on the gym roof late at night. That was a sloped roof. But it was massive and had just the right amount of slope. That was in coastal Washington. It was a small harbor. Not a lot for teenagers to do.
FlyByPC@reddit
I live in a row house with a flat roof. Most years with good weather, I watch the local fireworks from up there.
teamtouchbutts@reddit
I once inquired about a room to rent a stones throw from Breck's slopes. Showed up and everyone was drinking PBRs up on the roof. There had to been maybe like 15 people up there. Litteral roof party. Totally told them I'm moving in the next day. First time doing coke was that day up there on that roof. Partied all night with them, DJ and everything. Woke up on the next morning next to a pile of white goop on the floor and noped the fuck out. Haven't been back to that town since
Phaedrus317@reddit
I used to, sure.
I had a house out in the country with an old TV antenna out back that was easily climbable. I used to lay on the roof, smoke a J and look at the stars. It was pretty nice.
Bear_Salary6976@reddit
Not really. That's not to say that it doesn't happen from time to time. The only time you might see it is if there is easy access to a roof and it is not sloped too much. What you see in the movies is now if a trope.
In college (Uni to you guys), I once lived in a house that had a very flat roof and a chute that had a drop down staircase to access it. On a nice night, we would go up there to chill, drink, and/or smoke. The set up made it look like it was designed to have people up there. Chilling up there looked nothing like in the movies.
far-fignoogin@reddit
Yeah, water towers too. Cell tower once.
CaprioPeter@reddit
My friends and I will sit on roofs every now and again
knuckboy@reddit
Used to when I was younger. Nit aggressively though
bazilbt@reddit
Yes we absolutely did as twenty somethings. I have a picture of all my friends sitting on a roof together. Used to as kids too.
Historical_Bunch_927@reddit
I lived in the suburbs, and my bedroom window opened to the roof right over our porch. I'd climb out all the time and sit on it. I think it definitely depends on your house, because none of my other houses had easy access to a roof like that.
VagueUsernameHere@reddit
Yeah, one of my best friends in high school lived in a 60’s single story ranch house. We would hang out on his roof all the time, but it wasn’t steep.
Elixabef@reddit
I never have, and have never seen anyone do it. However, I know my mother did when she was growing up; from one of the upstairs bedrooms, there was a window that looked out over the (gently-sloped) roof of the garage. It was practically begging teenagers to climb out onto the garage roof, which my mother apparently did. I’m surprised that I never did it while visiting my grandparents, but I was always afraid of heights (and of getting in trouble!).
brian11e3@reddit
The last time I was up on a roof, I got second-degree burns on my arse cheek.
QQmorekid@reddit
I do, well I used to when I was younger, but as I've gotten older I've moved away from the people that made me want to isolate myself that way. From time to time I'll consider climbing up to enjoy the change in perspective, but it now it feels like a part of myself I used to know.
personguy@reddit
In college I hung out on a sloped roof all the time. Second story as well. Just drinking on a summer day. It's a wonder i made it to 25.
cHaNgEuSeRnAmE102@reddit
lol I’ve smoked on roofs and watch the sunset but I’m in the city. Nobody does this outside of a major city.
_Internet_Hugs_@reddit
Teenagers with second storey bedrooms who want to smoke without their parents smelling it do it. But it has to be the right kind of roof.
negrafalls@reddit
I love chilling out on roofs. Both slanted and flat
mikkowus@reddit
In my home town there are a lot of covered porches and students like to chill out in porch roofs in the sun on nice days
musical_dragon_cat@reddit
If I had a second or third story bedroom with window out to a pitched roof, I'd probably go out there and stargaze like in movies, maybe smoke some weed while out there. Always wanted to honestly. It's common to put our air conditioners on the roof, so if it's a pitched roof, it needs to be safe enough to work on, so it should be safe to sit on anyway. Also, have you met Americans? We don't have the highest regard for safety as it is.
Unusual_Form3267@reddit
Yep.
It's pretty common in Seattle for newer homes to have rooftop terraces.
In CA, we would go on the roof to watch the fireworks on 4th of July.
Equivalent-Issue5056@reddit
If the structure permits, maybe. Definitely not gonna pull a ladder out to get up there.
oswin13@reddit
No, most house windows have screens and getting a ladder to climb up there is way, way more work than i intend to do just to chill.
lord_hufflepuff@reddit
Yeah, sometimes.
TheRealDudeMitch@reddit
I have a few times yeah. Not really sure why we ended up on the roof but there we were
flashgordonsape@reddit
I lived in an American craftsman-style house with upstairs windows that gave onto the roof, which sloped gently up to the ridge cap, and I used to sit up there with a bottle and a pack of cigarettes and chill. It gave a nice view of the neighborhood, and noticed you up there, so you were sort of surreptitiously watching goings-on on the block—people just don't except to see people up that high so the just don't see you.
Illustrious-Lead-960@reddit
Modern movies are still doing that, huh?
All I know is, I’ve never seen it. Maybe it depends on where you live?
Safe_Ad345@reddit
In highschool yes we would hang out and smoke or tan on the sloped roof or use it to sneak out of the house at night without going through the front door. But my house was super unique because I could climb out my second story bedroom window directly into the roof of the first story garage.
_S1syphus@reddit
If your building has public roof access then absolutely
fishonthemoon@reddit
I have never hung out on a roof lol.
AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit
Depends on the roof. A flat roof is no more dangerous than a floor.
Not really like a typical place to hang out but if you have access and its flat enough, why not?
StarSines@reddit
I have a few times, mostly though the only critters that end up on our roof are our cats
justsomeplainmeadows@reddit
Only time I would chill on the roof of my house was when it was time to put up Christmas lights.
wwhsd@reddit
I lived in a Victorian home that was converted into apartments when I was younger. There were a lot of summer nights that we’d go sit out on the roof for a couple of hours.
glittervector@reddit
Same. Lots of converted old Victorian houses have this feature. I saw houses in Tennessee and Pennsylvania that worked this way.
veronicaAc@reddit
In high school, my friend and I would climb out her window to sit on the porch roof to smoke weed. Her parents were very strict about curfew so it was the only place to go.
Total-Ad5463@reddit
I only did a few times at a certain friend's house in high school. 1st place I smoked the ganja lol. We do, probably not as much as movies portray though.
m0nstera_deliciosa@reddit
My parents used to let me throw 4th of July parties when I was like 18-21 and still living at home, and they’d let us get a ladder and sit on the garage roof to watch the fireworks. There was a little bit of drinking involved, so not a great idea, but we still did it because we were young and stupid.
KaiTheG4mer@reddit
Not a city rat, so no I have not.
blueponies1@reddit
I don’t think it’s something done very often but if someone offers their roof to me I’m not gonna turn down the opportunity to chill on a roof.
bucketnebula@reddit
I had an apartment that had a mildly sloped roof over the deck you could get out onto through the bedroom window. Used to go out to smoke butts on the roof vs going downstairs. Not a super common practice in general though
mostlygray@reddit
When I was a kid, we used to. As long as the pitch was reasonable you can lay on your back and look at the stars.
Did kids fall off sometimes? Yes. Did one kid destroy his ankles to the point that they literally didn't work any more and he had to use those polio crutches? Yes. Still, we sat on roofs. I never fell off, though I did jump off a few times in the winter.
syfari@reddit
I have never been on a sloped roof in my life
-plottwist-@reddit
I used to at my parent’s house when I was young. It was pretty dangerous now that I think about it.
boozcruise21@reddit
I love chilling on roofs
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
A teenage neighbor when I was in grade school had a rough home life and she'd spend a lot of time out on her sloped garage roof to get away from it. Other than that, I've never seen anyone on a roof except when doing work.
eliminate1337@reddit
The place I lived in college had bedroom windows that opened onto a gently sloped roof. We would go up there to smoke. The roof was huge so you would have to go a long way to fall. It was covered in very rough asphalt shingles so slipping was unlikely. I don't think it was that unsafe.
LoverlyRails@reddit
I don't think it's common at all but it happens.
I knew a guy in high school that did it. And once I saw it (just driving around and saw a kid chilling on their roof).
sean8877@reddit
I only lived in one place that the roof was flat enough and easy enough to get onto that we would do that. Otherwise it was too much work to bother with.
SquashDue502@reddit
We had a slightly sloped roof that we could get to as a kid but our parents were insistent that we never go on it because the roof wasn’t designed to support the full weight of a person and they didn’t want us to fall through 😂
Grandemestizo@reddit
I did this occasionally when I was a teenager and I know other teenagers did similar things. It looks good in movies because it’s a kinda dangerous rebellious thing for teenagers to do.
Bluemonogi@reddit
Not typical in my area to see people hanging out on their roof.
Turkeyoak@reddit
We used to go out a bedroom window and sit on the peak of the garage and drink beer. Lots of fun.
canisdirusarctos@reddit
It’s a movie trope, especially the suburban house form. I’ve never spent time with others on a roof nor known anyone that did.
blueberryfacemask@reddit
I did when I was a teenager
topbuttsteak@reddit
We did on our sloped roof house in college while drunk. You're right, it was dangerous, we were dumb.
Unreasonably-Clutch@reddit
Generally no but some friends growing up decided to jump off the roof into piles of leaves with homemade "wings" for fun until one of them broke their leg. Good times.
CODENAMEDERPY@reddit
Basically never happens outside of cities with easy flat roof access
Gallahadion@reddit
I lived in a couple of houses that had access to part of the roof, but I didn't make a habit of hanging out there.
There are some old industrial buildings in my hometown that have been converted into apartments, some of which have rooftop amenities.
ScienceNeverLies@reddit
I used to smoke weed on my roof. I would climb out my window and my parents never knew muwahahah! Or maybe they knew and didn’t care lol
ianmoone1102@reddit
I used to do it all the time when I was younger, as did all my friends. I should really start doing that again.
jrhawk42@reddit
I'd say it comes down to how accessible the roof is, and also it tends to be an older generations thing. As a elder millennial let me tell you Gen X kids had no fear. They watched all the horror movies, played on the railroad tracks, climbed insanely tall trees. They were completely unsupervised and wild. Sitting on a roof was probably relaxing for them.
CPolland12@reddit
It depends how accessible the roof is in reference to the sloped roof. Some houses have windows that make it easier access, most don’t
epicgrilledchees@reddit
I lived out in the boonies. And I totally had a couple houses that I hung out on the roof. When was stylized like a windmill and the other one just had some really shallow slope roofs outside the window.
SirTheRealist@reddit
I used to go to the roof of the building I grew up in NYC and smoked weed with friends, nobody was allowed on the roof but we went anyways. We were just chilling and we cleaned up before left.
zaxonortesus@reddit
Our building has a pool, sauna, lounge chairs, and grills on the roof. We most certainly hang out on the roof.
Grand_Taste_8737@reddit
We did it back in college.
girlgeek73@reddit
Answers around flat roofs in the city and sloped roofs in more rural areas....
I grew up in a Midwest college town and a lot of students would have lounge set-ups on their sloped roofs in town. Usually from the second story windows to the roof of the front porch.
qu33nof5pad35@reddit
Yes.
MagosBattlebear@reddit
I'll point out that I was watching Professor T. with Ben Miller, a British show from ITV, and he goes to the roof in order to clear his head. Also, Misfits (British, E4) they sometimes hang on the roof of the community center. There must be more non-US examples.
Sonarthebat@reddit (OP)
I've never seen anyone do it irl.
MagosBattlebear@reddit
I was reffering to the fact it is not just a US thing in media. People do do it.
willk95@reddit
I don't even like to sit on the hood/roof of my car, why would I do that on a house?
Born_Establishment14@reddit
If you're in a house with windows just above a garage roof or a porch roof, it's hard not to wanna climb out the window and get on the roof really
Farewellandadieu@reddit
I mostly see that in movies about high school. As a kid, my bedroom had a gently sloped roof just outside the window where my friend and I would chill sometime on warm nights. We were like 10 to 12 years old and mostly did it because we weren't allowed to. It made us feel rebellious. It was a way to be outside when it was too late to be outside anymore.
Fantastic-Leopard131@reddit
Yep every house that ive lived in that has a window on a higher floor over a roof of a lower floor ive used to access the roof. I like sun bathing up there (ppl cant see you as easily as if youre in the yard) or just to sit and smoke or have a drink outside with the sky above you. The porch works for that too but if its a nice night out being rooftop just has a great vibe.
ketamineburner@reddit
Yes, it's real.
Odd-Help-4293@reddit
In some cities, rooftop decks and similar are common, if that's what you mean. If you're talking about teen movies where kids climb out of their bedroom window onto the roof to sneak out of their house, I mean, kids do that, but it's dumb and dangerous.
Someshortchick@reddit
Too hot up there.
Ahpla@reddit
I did quite a bit as a teen growing up in the early 00s. I lived in an old farm house that had a wrap around porch, the roof was sloped. My window and my brothers windows both led to it so we had easy access. He spent a lot of time going to it and jumping up and down from the trampoline. I spent a lot of time on it just chilling.
Livvylove@reddit
I've never seen it but it's possible
ReviveOurWisdom@reddit
only during like sunset, my friends and I would sometimes but not too often
concrete_isnt_cement@reddit
Not regularly, but I have done it. My childhood home was built into the side of a steep hill and you could just walk onto the roof in one spot on the uphill side.
Sea-Kitchen3779@reddit
I did once in my late teens, to smoke reefer.
hvl1755@reddit
We used to in high school. We’d climb the (sloped) roof to sit and watch the sun set, smoke cigarettes, etc.
whatsthis1901@reddit
Back in the day when we had landlines, I would go out on the roof to get some privacy when I talked to friends.
verifiedkyle@reddit
When I lived in Philly my one friends house had a bedroom window that opened to the front porch roof and we’d hang out and have beers on there when it was nice.
A lot of places have proper roof decks with flat surfaces and railing but I feel like that’s not what you’re referring to.
anythingaustin@reddit
I have sat on many rooftops during my younger years.
XainRoss@reddit
Flat rooftops on apartment buildings in cities, very common, they're even built with that in mind. Slopped roofs much less common, but still not completely unheard of.
Traveler108@reddit
New Yorkers do, especially in non-luxury apartments.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
When I was 13, my parents almost bought a house with a hill in the backyard that made it possible to walk onto the top of the garage. I thought it would be so cool to sit there and hang out with my friends like in movies. But they didn't end up buying that house, so I never got to do it.
odabeejones@reddit
I have a ton in the past. I had a great view of sunset from my roof, and an easy tree to climb to get up onto it, it was a great way to spend 30 min at the end of a lot of days
samurai_for_hire@reddit
Depends on how easy the roof is to access. I've sat on a porch canopy that had a window leading directly to it before.
Sarcastic_Rocket@reddit
If you have something flat then yes occasionally, this can be a roof which many places don't have a flat roof besides apartments. Or, in the country where I'm from, cars and truck beds are common
WhereasParticular867@reddit
I did as a teenager. Also as an adult at one specific house that had an easy way up. Better to watch fireworks.
G00dSh0tJans0n@reddit
Yeah used to at my parents house. The garage roof had a low slope and this was back around 2000 and the only place I could get cell reception was up there.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
Had a similar set up minus the cell phone in the 90s.
Cootter77@reddit
As a teenager on a sloped shingle suburban roof outside your bedroom window - yes absolutely. As an adult - only on a flat roof that's been built-up to allow people to walk on it like a rooftop patio created for that purpose.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
Why wouldn't we if it's available?
Ive lived in multiple homes where there was an roof accessible from a window and we would totally hang out up there. It was great.
Kielbasa_Nunchucka@reddit
I did on my porch roof, but my bedroom window opened out onto it. that was also where I'd smoke at night when my parents were sleeping
limbodog@reddit
I used to do it when I was young. There just wasn't a better place to be
MPLS_Poppy@reddit
I did in high school. Probably because I saw it in movies.
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
I suppose it depends on the style of house, but no. I’ve never done it and I’ve never seen anyone do it outside of a movie.
tsukiii@reddit
I didn’t know anyone who did that on our typical sloped tile roofs.
Now on a rooftop deck by the beach? Hell yeah!
If_I_must@reddit
I love a good roof sit, but people have always thought I was weird to do it. So, mostly a movie trope, but we do exist.
chihuahua2023@reddit
Yes
Adorable-Growth-6551@reddit
I used to in my teens to sunbathe. Now my daughters like to climb out and jump off, mind you it is a lower roof
RadicalPracticalist@reddit
Maybe in the big cities on top of large buildings, but where I live? Not a chance, because roofs are slanted. Teenagers might climb up and try to jump off, I guess.
Vikingkrautm@reddit
My son has a rooftop area at his apartment in the Seattle, WA area. So, yes.
madethis4onequestion@reddit
Depends on the roof but yeah I've done it.
idredd@reddit
Depends on what kind you mean but the answer to both is probably yes. I used to hang out in the rooftop of my childhood home for privacy, writing, reading comics and shit like that. Also if you mean like rooftop parties on big buildings, they weren’t super uncommon when I used to go out to raves and stuff.
FivebyFive@reddit
I mean it depends on the roof.
Can't say I can recall that as a movie true but, ok
When I was a kid the roof over our porch was right outside one of the bedroom windows and it had a very gentle slope. Perfect for getting some peace and quiet, or sunbathing.