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These are the notes I took when I went to observe Woodruff Park. There are also thoughts and comments that I had based on the things that I saw or experienced while I was there.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Time: 3:00 pm – 3:36 pm

Observations/Notes: Thoughts/Comments:
A man is jogging past the water fountain that curves along a wall (across from Starbucks) Maybe that’s his normal route he uses for jogging daily of weekly
Little boy playing at the playground by himself He looks about 5 or 6; not a lot of kids his age come to the park (he could be an only child or have older siblings)
A group of men near the gazebo thing beside the construction site It’s a very large group; most of them look homeless (maybe all of them are)
There are people walking through/past the park with backpacks They might be students at GSU; Some of them might have a class in Aderhold
A guy with a dog on the leash Maybe he brings his dog here all the time
A man, woman, and little girl The little girls looks around 3 or 4
There’s a security camera above the curved fountain that is across from Starbucks To keep watch over the area
I just heard a man shout “Aye girl!” I thing he was talking to me but I’m not going to find out
Lots of trees To provide shade
The playground is shaped like the letters “ATL” It looks really cool

Time: 3:50 – 4:17 pm

Observations/Notes: Thoughts/Comments:
I smell coffee Probably because I’m the one drinking it
Near the gazebo thing men are shouting I don’t know what they are saying. It sounds/looks like two of them are arguing (don’t know what about). It would make a great video but I don’t want to anger them further by recording them (probably not the best time to ask permission)
The grassy area of the park doesn’t have many people Probably because it’s a Friday and many people don’t have class or because it’s getting chilly again and the sun is going away . It’s usually a lot of GSU students walking through the park to get to Aderhold
I keep seeing this same man everywhere I go in the park. When I turn around he is there behind me from a distance. Hope it’s not the same man that yelled “aye girl!” at me. Hope he’s not following me
Security guard nearby At least the park is somewhat safe; probably depends on the time of the day
A woman pacing back and forth talking on the phone  —
A person bundled up in several layers of blankets Not sure if they’re a woman or man; their face is covered; maybe they are homeless
A man is doing a handstand on what looks like a pull-up bar (he’s using it as a pull-up bar) Maybe this is what he normally does on Fridays or every day; it looks
Mostly older men in the area They look middle-aged or older; appear to be homeless
The park is not a busy as usual Not a lot of people here; it’s not usually very full around this time on Fridays and the weekend; or it could just be today
I hear the water falling at the fountain It’s a nice, relaxing sound
There is another fountain closer to the main part of the park It’s a good spot to take a picture; both fountains are nice
There is a man sitting near the fountain I think he just scowled at me (oh well)
Sign saying “all pets must be on a leash” and “please clean up after your pet. Pet waste transmits disease” Makes sense; wouldn’t want to step in dog poop; also didn’t know that it transmits disease
Sign with playground guidelines I wonder who actually reads it
Another sign with rules and regulations for the entire park. It also has the times when the park is closed and says that the park is a drug free zone Probably a drug free zone because it has a kids playground ; I wonder if some of the people stay during the closed hours

Other thoughts/comments:

  • Even though the park isn’t really busy, there are still a few interesting things going on
  • This park is fairly large with different aspects
  • It is easy to see that there are several different uses fro this park