More Than a Place to Pass Through - Piedmont Park Conservancy, Inc

MORE THAN A PLACE TO PASS THROUGH: BUILDING COMMUNITY AT PIEDMONT PARK’S DOG PARK

For nearly 40 years, Piedmont Park has been part of the rhythm of Susan Antinori’s life. Her relationship with the Park began when she and her husband first moved to Ansley Park. At the time, Susan was a runner, and she and her dog, Georgia, were regular visitors. The years have brought different routines and different four-legged companions, but the Park has remained a constant.

Today, those companions are Charlie and Chaplin, and walks through Piedmont Park are still a regular part of Susan’s day. “I can’t tell you how fortunate, how lucky I feel that we happen to live within a very brief walk to the Park,” she said. “When you live in a city, and especially as busy as Atlanta is getting, Piedmont is really the lungs of the city. It’s a place where you can go and get fresh air and be amongst the trees.”

There are corners of the Park, she said, where the city seems to disappear altogether. “You really feel like you’re 100 miles away,” Susan said. “It’s just an amazing place, and it’s my happy place.”

From Passing Through to Staying Awhile

With so many years spent walking Piedmont Park, Susan has come to know its paths—and its dog parks—particularly well. And over time, she noticed something about the large dog park.

People weren’t necessarily staying.