White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

A: When it’s a de-facto “dog park”.

Over the holiday weekend, I saw many families out-and-about around the City Halls, looking to enjoy some sunshine while sitting in the grass and reading or having a snack. Unfortunately, there are some grassy/dirt areas around the City Hall(s) that are very frequently used as doggie bathrooms. Smart people bring a blanket at a minimum to lay down first; I personally would only hang out there if I had a chair to keep me off the grass.

I had to cringe, and almost said something, to the Hispanic family with 4 younger kids that appeared to be about 1 year apart (par for the course) when the kids were rolling around on the grass strip in front of City Hall South- and the dad was laying on the grass, half on the curb, half on the grass, in the high dog-traffic area. Of course 99% of dog owners pick up after their dogs, but what about when the dog has (gulp!) diahhrea??? And there’s plenty of dog urine to soak down that stretch of grass.

My advice to people who want to picnic or just hang out in sun on City Hall grass is:

1. Stay away from sidewalks and walkways; many owners walk on sidewalk with dog in grass, so the first 3-4 feet of grass is a mess;

2. Find a place closer to building, away from sidewalks, as many dogs do not go up that far;

3. Always bring something to sit on (towel, blanket, chair, etc).

4. EDIT: Take Meeko’s advice and go on Thursday during Farmer’s Market and take advantage of the chairs/tables, and enjoy the food and music.

Until the city gets serious about setting aside some land for a “real” park, fences it, and prohibits dogs, the dogs will be taking over the small grassy patches wherever they can be found. And it’s just gross to think of people wallering around in that mess.