I keep hearing people say this. Where are you that you don’t have parks? Tennis courts or swimming pools or volleyball beaches? There’s a spot near my house, just off a popular running trail, that hosted a “Singles Night” and it was swarming with eligible 20-somethings. There’s an outdoor theater in downtown that does free-to-the-public shows every month and a dozen other concert halls and sporting arenas that will happily sell you nosebleed seats for cheap. Nevermind the dating 101 spots - movie theaters, dance clubs, and bowling alleys.
“No more third spaces” has become this suffocating meme that cropped up in the wake of COVID. It’s like some time after 2021 everyone just forgot how to take a walk near a large body of water and talk to one another for an hour or three.
Here you CAN reserve the covered picnic tables for parties, but they put up a sign that says “reserved” on the ones that are, and only the covered ones can be, there are still lots of benches and tables.
So, like, if you were sitting at one someone did pay for they could ask you to move, but it wouldn’t involve the police.
I love the park here that is run by the city, not the county. There are always men playing soccer, people having parties with music, and on Wed evening there is a group of high rolling Pokemon go players there for Raid day, go play with them and you cannot lose, it’s great. And when it floods in the summer it is gorgeous.
I think it depends on the city. This particular instance was in a city-owned park, but it’s got water access and there’s a ton of luxury apartments around. I suspect one of the rich fucks called the cops on us because they do have a really nasty habit of thinking that public park should be their private playground. They tried to ban the playing of Pokemon Go just because it brought too many people to the park for water types, and it was making the richies feel “unsafe” with so many “potential criminals” running around.
Cops are often wrong about the law, and it probably didn’t actually require a reservation, but if they say need to move and you don’t, you can get arrested and hang out in jail for a while until the charges get dropped for being bogus.
I keep hearing people say this. Where are you that you don’t have parks? Tennis courts or swimming pools or volleyball beaches? There’s a spot near my house, just off a popular running trail, that hosted a “Singles Night” and it was swarming with eligible 20-somethings. There’s an outdoor theater in downtown that does free-to-the-public shows every month and a dozen other concert halls and sporting arenas that will happily sell you nosebleed seats for cheap. Nevermind the dating 101 spots - movie theaters, dance clubs, and bowling alleys.
“No more third spaces” has become this suffocating meme that cropped up in the wake of COVID. It’s like some time after 2021 everyone just forgot how to take a walk near a large body of water and talk to one another for an hour or three.
They’re talking about places to approach/get to know strangers
Go dancing. Guaranteed to get to know strangers very quickly.
Also, literally any rec league sports club.
Last time I met up with friends in a park, we were interrupted by the cops because you apparently have to pay the city to use the picnic table now.
Here you CAN reserve the covered picnic tables for parties, but they put up a sign that says “reserved” on the ones that are, and only the covered ones can be, there are still lots of benches and tables.
So, like, if you were sitting at one someone did pay for they could ask you to move, but it wouldn’t involve the police.
I love the park here that is run by the city, not the county. There are always men playing soccer, people having parties with music, and on Wed evening there is a group of high rolling Pokemon go players there for Raid day, go play with them and you cannot lose, it’s great. And when it floods in the summer it is gorgeous.
Parks are “third spaces” for sure.
I think it depends on the city. This particular instance was in a city-owned park, but it’s got water access and there’s a ton of luxury apartments around. I suspect one of the rich fucks called the cops on us because they do have a really nasty habit of thinking that public park should be their private playground. They tried to ban the playing of Pokemon Go just because it brought too many people to the park for water types, and it was making the richies feel “unsafe” with so many “potential criminals” running around.
Cops are often wrong about the law, and it probably didn’t actually require a reservation, but if they say need to move and you don’t, you can get arrested and hang out in jail for a while until the charges get dropped for being bogus.
Aargh what fuckers. If the park is public, it is for us to use. Wasting police time too.
If you are feeling up to it, complain to the city government. Tax money pays for these spaces and you pay taxes.