Picnic in the Park at Hemming Plaza
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1774360046_rwzWjG3-M.jpg)
Today, Downtown Vision, Inc. is encouraging everyone to spend their lunch hour in Hemming Plaza.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-nov-picnic-in-the-park-at-hemming-plaza
Looking forward to it.
Just make sure you don't hang around and play checkers.
What happened to the market that used to show up on Fridays during lunch? Was that just a temporary things? Not enough business for people to bother showing up? I don't recall who it was being organized by back then.
^ It moved to the Landing....and then it died off
Don't forget to bring your decks of cards! LOL
went to the park for lunch. it was great. lots of folks, great weather and good seing friends. Jacksonville.com was there taking pictures.
Mayor Brown showed up for a few minutes and talked with people.
Today was yet another example that it doesn't take a large amount of money to program Hemming Plaza (or downtown in general) better and make it a more useful space.
DVI did a good job. Everything we've been doing recently are events with low risk, high reward and are highly scaleable. That is the essence of tactical urbanism.
Sounds like a success. Any ideas for ways to make it a permanently successful event every Friday? Perhaps some live music? Maybe music and/or theater students from LaVilla as has been thrown out by a few people on MJ? What about live art performances, like sculptors and painters? You can't go to a museum or cultural spot in Europe without some very interesting (and often high quality) live art. What about a Friday talent show?
I passed by on my way to the library this afternoon... the regular inhabitants and the picnic attendees seemed... rather segregated...
I spoke with some of the people from DVI and apparently this will become a weekly event. Organized special 'events' require permits so they prefer to look at this as 'facilitating' lunch in the park with 100+ of their downtown friends.
You're right, Bridge Troll. Lane and I were sitting by the soldier statue for quite awhile before we saw the other group sitting together. It may take awhile before they feel comfortable "mingling" but at least people came.