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The title of a Take Free magazine I picked up at Shimokitazawa is

とりあえず、シモキタで　降りなよ

What does 「な」 in 「降りなよ」 mean in this context?

I'm sure it isn't a negative; not dropping off by Shimokitazawa.

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    「降りな」 is affirmative;「降りるな」 is negative. Ain't no way a magazine promoting a particular area would tell you NOT to get off the train there, is there?
    – user4032
    Sep 21, 2015 at 23:32

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This use of 「な」 is simply a contracted form of the imperative construction ～なさい that attaches to the stem form (連用形) of a verb.

See definition 1.2 at goo辞書:

《補助動詞「なさる」の命令形「なさい」の省略形》

動詞・動詞型助動詞の連用形に付く。命令の意を表す。

「早く行き―」「好きなようにやり―」

So, as you suspected, it does not mean "don't such-and-such", but rather "do such-and-such".

I'm not sure that "drop off by" makes sense here as a translation of 降りる - "get off at" Shimokitazawa seems more likely, assuming there is a train station or something nearby.

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    It is definitely about getting off the train. The trains are by far the main method of transportation in Tokyo, where Shimokitazawa is located.
    – user4032
    Sep 21, 2015 at 23:36

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