Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Lay Out, Crowd
Cons: Waste Disposal, Dog Entertainment, Lack of Seating
It was a quiet Sunday morning before work. Kamea, my Doberman, was restless and in need of an adventure. Thankfully my neighbor, B, had 3 dogs with the exact same issue. So, B and I decided to head up to the Church Hill Dog Park, also known as Bark Park. We piled all the mutts up in the SUV and off we went.
Bark Park is located in Church Hill's Chimborazo Park off of East Grace St. Chimborazo Park was created in 1874, but the dog park was created MUCH later then that. It's not a big park and the road makes a giant loop so drive around if you can't find Bark Park. It's located down a bit of a hill, so keep your eyes peeled.
Bark Park is probably one of the most efficient dog parks I have ever seen in terms of layout. It's 2 fenced in rectangles right next to each other. One for big dogs and one for little dogs. No weird shapes or random structures in the middle. Just basic rectangles. This is amazing because it gives you a perfect place to throw a tennis ball or a Frisbee with out having to toss at a weird angle and hope for the best. I, personally, could not ask for anything better.
Make sure you keep your dog on the leash all the way into the gate and then all the way back to the car. Animal patrol finds itself in the area writing tickets frequently, from what I was led to understand. As soon as Kamea got into the park she immediately had to "take care of some business". Like all good dog owners, I needed to clean it up. I went to the bag of bags only to find that someone had cleaned up their dog waste and then put it in the empty bags bag. No bueno man... I had to look around to find the lone, beat up trash can into which I could place Kameas poo's and this extra bag of poo's. I would like to see one or two more trash cans around the area. It's one of those little things that encourages better poo maintenance.
As the dogs ran around I took the time to find a tennis ball, as Kamea loves to chase them. As I wandered around, I only found 4 and 2 Frisbees. That's a surprisngly low (and disappointing) number. I will guess that people are either not bringing any tennis balls or they are taking them with them. I urge you, as a dog owner, to bring some tennis balls to this park. I have gotten in the habit of bringing 1 for Kamea and 1 for the park when I go. It just leads to less fighting and more fun for the dogs.
When B and I first got there it was only us. Within about 30 minutes there were 7 or 8 additional people with their dogs. And the seats went fast. There are 2 tables at the park and they went quickly. A couple more benches along the perimeter would have been great and helped to spread the dogs out as all dog owners know that the pack clumps around the people. This would be a great service project for a local boyscout troop or school group. A couple of benches in both areas of the dog park. Someone please get on it.
That being said, the crowd was good. Very friendly and talkative. Everyone seemed to monitor their dog while engaging in conversation, which can be rare at some parks. It was a younger crowd, mostly 20 somethings. It was a nice mix of guys and girls. A very good place to mingle and possibly pick someone up. I have heard the afternoon tends to bring a bigger crowd. The dog park could be the new grocery store. It helps that you start with a common point of interest...
Overall Bark Park is a nice place. It's a great lay out with a great crowd. I had a few personal gripes, but they were very minor and in no way would discourage me from going again. I suggest you go as well. Your dog (and possibly your dating life) will thank you for it. And bring afew tennis balls!
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