Dogs of Our Lives: Riverside Park
During the War of 1812, what's now Riverside Park served as Fort Lookout. Its panoramic views -- well, at least they were then -- provided a vantage point from which U.S. forces could keep an eye out for any invading Brits.
Today, the skyline has filled up some, with I-95 and Domino Sugar and high-rise condos. Members of the doggie crowd still keep an eye out -- only now it's for invading animal control officers and undercover cops.
As at several other city parks, dozens of dog-walkers -- yours truly included -- have been swept up in periodic crackdowns on those who let their dogs off leash. The signs clearly states doing so is illegal, but we take our chances --- feeling (A) our dogs are free spirits and, if well behaved, deserve a chance to act like such, and (B) there are plenty of worse things that go on in Baltimore, some of them right there under Riverside Park's gazebo.
So, daily, after looking around, we unhook our dogs and let them frolic here in the park named after a popular, crap-shooting City Councilman who was gunned down in City Hall 31 years ago.
Leone-Riverside Park, named for Dominic Leone, was one of the city's first parks, and is known for its tremendous swimming pool (where kids can still swim for $1 a day). When the pool opens -- June 21 this year -- there's an influx of children and families, who sometimes have to walk through a phalanx of frolicking dogs and don't always appreciate it.
Among the dog-walkers, there are divisions as well. Most congregate near the gazebo and let their dogs off the leash to play en masse. It's not unusual to see 20 loose dogs or more weaving about. Others, fearing that's asking for trouble, keep to the perimeter, away from the big group. Some stick to the the athletic fields on the south end. Some just jog with their dogs.
Of those in the big group, some humans, like some dogs, see it as a chance to be social; some keep to themselves. With me, it depends on the day.
Some find their paths crossing again outside the dog park, as was the case with the humans of Argus and Buckley.
Recent developments? Probably the biggest has been the absence of Stan the Biscuit Man and his fat black dog, Louie. Stan, famous for bringing a gigantic bag of dog biscuits and tossing them to the crowd of dogs that inevitably formed around his bench, underwent back surgery a few weeks ago and hasn't been to the park since. (Stan was featured in my movie, "Hey, Mister, What Kind of Dog is That?")
Riverside Park -- even with all the gentrification of its surrounding neighborhoods -- still attracts folks of all kinds, black and white, homeless and homed, blind and sighted (the National Center for the Blind is right across the street), white collar and blue, upscale and old school.
It's a mutty kind of place, and Ace and I dig the mix. You can hear well-heeled Riversiders discussing next year's vacation plans one minute, blue collar South Baltimoreans pondering that night's dinner the next. "You want to get something to eat?" a woman said to the child whose stroller she was pushing the other night, a block from the park. "OK, but I'm not walking all the way to the shopping center. Let's just get some f---ing chicken tenders."
Seen something interesting at Riverside Park? Got a gripe? A compliment? An observation? Some gossip? Your own personal run-in with an odd character, or the long arm of the law?
As for my off-leash offense, on Sept. 10, 2007, a hearing was held before the city's Environmental Control Board (and leave it to a "board" to think it can control the environment.) For the results of that hearing, click here.
OK. Now it's your turn. Click the comment button below and send your tale, your thoughts, your experiences, your observations, along. Yours could be the next episode of ... Dogs of Our Lives - Riverside
(Tomorrow: Dogs of Our Lives: Canton)
Comments
Coming from one of the "perimeter people," my still-working-on-socialization (and hence, on-leash) pup LOVES the very large rottweiler that comes out in the afternoons to sit around with his owners.
What can I say, she picks her friends wisely.
Posted by: Michelle | April 29, 2008 8:23 AM
What about Dogs of our Lives: Annapolis (?)
Quiet Waters Park has a very popular fenced-in dog park for big/little dogs as well as a dog beach (which is on the South River). No leashes, but lots of opportunity for drama.
Posted by: Jenny Erickson | April 29, 2008 9:02 AM
Re: "Dogs of Our Lives"
Hello:
Lassie here from Detroit, young Yorkie
looking for a Baltimore dog pen-pal.
Also, looking to "give-away" family calico cat--Goldie---when owner not looking. signed Lassie
"The Young and the Terribly Cute & Restless".
Posted by: Lyn Mau | April 29, 2008 11:16 AM
Drama? You want drama? How about a certain "official" dog park being the center of a heated political race. I'm talking about the last election for 1st District Councialman of course. Rumor has it that a certain democratic candidate (who was so obviously republican) ran against the incumbent just so he could shut the park down. The "Friends" of course were able to rally together and the best man won.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 29, 2008 6:38 PM
I'm totally cool with dogs being off leash in certain parks. However, some of these dogs might approach a dog that in on leash and not so friendly. It is both dangerous and unfair to people who responsibly leash their dog to have to fend off a a friendly, well meaning dog from their own dog. It's important that owner's be sure they can re-call their dogs before they approach an on leash dog.
Posted by: leap1 | April 30, 2008 9:29 AM
I agree with Leap1, and confess that Ace, like a lot of other dogs, wants to check out any new arrival -- leashed or unleashed. Once in a while that new dog doesn't want to be checked out. It's a fine line, and one that involves monitoring one's unleashed pet, and making sure one's dog responds to voice commands before letting him off the leash in the first place. I try to get a grip on him whenever someone's coming through with leashed dogs that might not appreciate a big lug running up to them. I remember one day, when a guy brought his leashed dog to the communal unleashed area, and kept telling people his dog was mean, but just stayed there with him, as if waiting for something to happen. If everybody's thoughtful, keeps an eye on their dog and uses common sense, I think we all -- leashed and unleashed -- can get along.
Posted by: john woestendiek | April 30, 2008 10:01 AM
Agreeing with the leashed/unleashed comments!! My dog (being more of the unsocial type ... she was apparently kept alone in a backyard for the first nine months of her life and after I adopted her from the SPCA, she fear-barked at everything, including the statue at Federal Hill), is on a leash partly because she is likely to attack larger dogs and partly because she will not come back to me if she smells something causing her to run in the other direction.
However, that doesn't mean I'm anti-off-leash. I love that the well-behaved dogs get to run and play. I do, however, hope that the Locust Point dog park actually happens. Abby does really well on the small dog side at Canton, but it's such a hassle to get there during weekday rush hours.
Posted by: Michelle | April 30, 2008 6:17 PM
Great website John!! Really well put together, and I love this Riverside Blog.
Posted by: Joey | May 5, 2008 10:27 AM
Thanks, Joey. Are you by any chance a Wheaton Terrier? Does your master know you're on the computer? Mine doesn't, but then he's a little slow. They think we just sit around and sleep and chew stuff all day. Little do they know that paws can work a keyboard. Today, I've made some stock purchases, joined a matchmaking service and IM'ed with a cute little Maltese who lives in Nebraska. Oops, I think his car pulled up. Gotta go.
Posted by: Ace | May 5, 2008 11:58 AM
Here's a post from the Patterson Park DOL page, which I repost here as it concerns all parks.
Hmm. I have another idea, and it's actually a bit more feasible than the Michael Vic Dog Home.
What we need is bumper stickers that say something like I OWN A DOG IN BALTIMORE CITY, AND I VOTE. And on the next line something punchy about wanting citywide dog parks NOW.
The stickers could be sold at neighborhood festivals, dog-friendly establishments, dog park committee meetings, and probably lots of other places, with the proceeds being split among the various dog park committees. They'd also begin sending a pretty clear message to those we've elected to represent us.
We could all sport them on our car bumpers--or, in that time-honored East Baltimore tradition, display them in the front windows of our row houses.
I would stroll off humming "Alice's Restaurant," but then everybody would know how old I am.
Anne
Posted by: john woestendiek | May 6, 2008 8:51 AM
I haven't seen many regulars at Riverside in the past few weeks. It's actually quite empty. Did something happen? Where did everyone go?
Licks and wiggles,
Laila the Vizsla
Posted by: Laila | June 10, 2008 1:52 PM
Laila, I think it's the heat. Like yesterday, all I wanted to do was slurp up water and plop down in the shade and pant. Same with my dog.
I think some people are skipping the outing, or going on shorter non-park walks. Maybe those who are going are going later, too. On top of that, it's probably about time -- with the pool soon opening -- for another animal control raid on the leashless among us.
Posted by: john woestendiek | June 10, 2008 1:59 PM