Woodruff Park Observations/Notes (for B.E.D.)
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