Downtown Atlanta to be overtaken by dogs on Friday
June 23, 2009 at 11:54 am by Thomas Wheatley in News
Owning a dog in a dense urban area, especially one like downtown Atlanta, can be a pain in the ass. Some area residents are trying to solve that problem.
On Friday at 6:30 p.m., residents will gather at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Renaissance Parkway — with leashed canines in tow — for “Critical Mutts.” If it sounds similar to “Critical Mass,” the monthly cycling event where velocipede lovers take to the streets en masse, it’s because it is.
According to a blog post on the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association’s blog, Friday’s gathering will be a moment for SoNo residents to make their case for an off-leash dog park in the area. Drinks and a dog-friendly deck at Midtown Tavern will be enjoyed after the event. (If you’re a cyclist, keep in mind that Critical Mass will also be held around that same time on Friday. Riders gather at Woodruff Park around 6 p.m.)
In Castleberry Hill, residents are trying to raise funds to revamp a vacant lot into an off-leash dog park. On Sunday, June 28, residents are holding a fundraiser at the Glenn Hotel’s roof-top lounge from 2-5 p.m. For $20 you get appetizers, a drink ticket and entrance into the fete. All funds will go toward cleaning up and outfitting the proposed dog park location with the necessities.
For more information, check out the post on the ADNA’s blog.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
What an incredible waste of time and money. There are actual real causes out there to support.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Edgewood Adam, No need to be a complete dick. It will be a pleasure not to see you at these “incredible waste of time and money” events. If you have a problem with people making an effort to provide space for dogs to exercise, so be it. There are thousands of homeless dogs in this country and if someone who lives downtown doesn’t have a dog due to a lack of space for that dog to enjoy, perhaps these “wastes of time” will give someone who wants a dog an opportunity to give one a home. Furthermore, many of us who support this cause support numerous other causes out there just as REAL as this one.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I think this is a great idea! As a resident of beautiful urban community, I totally understand the need for open spaces within the city. Often people forget that humans are not the only residents in the area! Way to go to the neighborhood association for leading this effort.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I think it would be good to have a dog park downtown similar to the one in Piedmont Park. That’s the kind of seemingly small amenity that might make downtown more attractive as a residential area.
Building and strengthening a downtown residential community is a very good thing for the city. Downtown needs more permanent residents who have an investment in seeing positive changes in the area.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Oh god. I have done it. I have brought forth the wrath of the only thing worse than a mother with a newborn: a yuppy dog owner.