Dixon Park
A Study of the Park-Goers and the Urban Tomography of Dixon Park
First and foremost, a little back story on Dixon Park:
Dixon Park is located on the intersection between Henry and East Broad Street here is Savannah, GA. On the South side of the park is Henry Street, a One-Way street heading East across Savannah, and across the busy street, on the corner of Henry and East Broad is an old, closed, and for sale shop called Alfred’s Furniture and Appliances. Around all other areas surrounding the park there are houses; historical, and some of them painted in bright colors. While various people either enjoyed the playgournd, or just quickly walked through it as a short cut and not wanting to speak with us.
Compared to most places in Savannah, Dixon Park is a rather contemporary location. Built it on November 1st, 1979, the park is dedicated to James Montgomery Dixon (1894–1920) and his family for their dedication to public service for the city of Savannah and Tybee Island.
When first arriving at Dixon Park, expectations for the interviews were made. Here, Lily and I talk about what we thought we would hear from the park-goers.
LEXI (left):
I thought a few things would be commented on by the interviewees at the park including: reference to safety in the area. I know I had been there several times throughout college, but at night due to the house parties located on nearby streets. Parties would decease and my friends and I would come here to relax and mess around on the playground. To be kids again. My favorite part was always this tree on the South side of the park. Its branch elongates and almost touches the ground, acting like the perfect bench to sit on or set area to start walking up the branch and to the rest of the tree.
I had seen what looked to be homeless men walking around the park/through the park with their hands in their pockets and their heads down. They made me feel uneasy for some reason, but with friends there, we didn’t seem to ever run into any trouble. There were sterotypes and rumours of the area being unsafe. Which was reiterated by the bars seen on the home’s windows in the surrounding area. It made me wonder though, was there ever any trouble here before? I had never been to the park in the daytime, so hopefully some of the locals could shed some light on my curiosities.
LILY (right):
I, being a freshman and only living in Savannah for a few weeks, had never been to the park or even the street. When first arriving, I didn’t think something like a park with a playground would even exist in the area as we walked along East Broad. I didn’t expect to see a nice quiet park surrounded by lovely old houses when for the past twenty minutes we had been walking past churches and old storefronts, many of which were not even in use anymore. I was actually very happy to see a small park, as the only park in Savannah I had seen so far was the huge Forsyth Park!
Even so, Dixon Park was far from the parks I am used to; It is quite small, and I had never seen a park with a playground surrounded by so little grass. But as we walked around it I enjoyed being there, it was surprisingly quiet, with no one out and about except us. It captured my interest seen as it seemed to be a park used only by the people who lived very near. I hoped that would prove to give us some interesting people to speak to.
At Dixon Park we interviewed a plethora of park-goers, some more informative than others. These three interviews are the quintessential epitome of the park-goers. Really, these are the best representatives of some of the repeated views. These three people include The Dog Walker: Chris and Phoebe, The Kid: Michael, and The After-School Duo: Eric and Gracie.
First on the list of Dixon Park-Goers:
THE DOG WALKER: CHRIS AND PHOEBE
When first approaching the man on the outer grassy area of the park, and his pup, we were drawn to him by just how contrasting him and his dog looked. As you can see, the pup is a tiny Yorkshire Terrier while the man was quiet the opposite you would expect for such a dog. He was taller than both Lily and I by more than a head. We approached him while he was walking in the grassy area outside of the playground.
After introductions were aside, we learned his name was Chris, and his dog was Phoebe. We questioned him why he would be at the park. He simply pointed down to Phoebe, saying it was the easiest places to access for some outdoor space for her since he lives right near the park. When asked about the safety of the park he said that it’s fine and it’s never really mattered to him. He tells us he doesn’t have any family in Savannah. Just him and Phoebe, and they have visited the park everyday since he moved here 7 years ago.
His favorite part about the park is the landscaping and the big old trees. We asked him, with that, how he think the park contributed to the area. He said he believed it added “some nice green space to the city” (like many other interviewees mentioned) and “offers a sanctuary that breaks up the roads.”
THE KID: MICHAEL
We were unsure about going to Michael for the interview. At that time we visited the park was quiet and he was the only child there. An older man, who appeared to be his grandfather, was on the picnic table nearby. He kept glancing at us though, seeming he wanted to talk, and just as curoius of us as we were of him. He looked perfectly content being alone though, and having the whole park to himself. We could see him standing atop the slide, looking around at the whole playground, smiling, then sliding down. Eventually we got over our nerves and asked his grandfather for permission to speak with Michael, which he accepted.
Michael wasn’t too talkative, but responded cooperatively to our questions. He told us he was 7 years old and that he loved the park. His favorite thing about the park is all the attractions like the merry-go-round, the swings and of course his favorite thing: the slide. He comes with his grandpa everyday after school, after he is done with his homework, of course, and he doesn’t come for long though, just to have fun.
After answering these few questions we could see his grandfather getting up from the park bench. We could tell it seemed like a tense situation. We were, after all, just two strangers talking to his grandson on a playground. Because of this, we decided to end the interview and let Michael keep enjoying his time left there. After, we politely thanked Michael’s grandfather for letting us interview Michael, and headed back towards our car on the South side of the park.
THE AFTER-SCHOOL DUO: ERIC AND GRACIE
When arriving at the park that day there were a few families scurrying around the playground. The Mom’s were on their phones or talking to one another in groups, so they almost seemed closed off from wanting to be interacted with. This one man though, sat on a picnic table on the north side of the playground, seeminlgy relaxed and easily approachable. He had his elbows resting behind him on the table while facing foward towards the park. His non-chalant presence made it easy to walk up to him and ask for an interview.
After introducing ourselves to each other, he invited me to sit on the bench next to him, and so I did. The interview proceeded to almost be like a conversation. In fact, it was also our longest interview, but also the most memorable.
Even with his approachability towards the interview, he refused to be recorded saying “I’m sick as hell, so you really don’t want my voice recorded anyways”. With that, I proceeded to record this conversation through memory and writing as best I could since I went on a random day without my partner Lily.
I found out that Eric was at the park that day with his daughter Gracie. A very energetic and adorable little blonde nine-year-old girl. She sporadically came over to say hi, but then suddenly got shy and went back to playing with three other girls and a boy over on the playground. It was around the time when school was out, so there were quiet a few families present.
As a dad, Eric brings Gracie to the park as often as possible after school in order “get Gracie outside and away from all that technology” and saying that “ when do kids just get to be kids you know?”
When interviewing with people I always tend to find a way to connect with them, one way or another. With Eric, I also have a nine-year-old sister who is just as energetic as Gracie. With this connection the style of the interview become even more conversational. He even asked if my family lived around so that my sister and Gracie would be play buddies. Unfortunately, I told him, it’s just me in Savannah. He chuckled at this as we related both my sister and Gracie as little “social butterflies”. After relating upon this topic, he proceeded to tell me about these “friggin bullies” that “As a father it was hard to not kick their asses”. I told them his feelings were not uncommon and that every parent gets defensive of their children. “It’s only natural”. Apparently though, these bullies must have moved away, because he hasn’t seen them for months, which makes it easier for Gracie to make friends and really enjoy the park.
From the conversation I proceeded to ask Eric if there was any other reason he didn’t like the park. He paused for a moment, looking over at Gracie with hesitation and scratching his beard. Eric then continued to tell about when Gracie was younger and was a “runnin little tike” that “I used to be worried about her running to the main road”. I could see his worry on this for East Broad could be quiet busy at times, and so close to the playground as well. Lily and I had even seen a crash along the road once when we were exploring the area. With this mention of the road, I had of course asked if there were any close calls, for which he paused looking down, like hesitating to remember a bad memory, and answered “Yes” and that “But I ran to her just in time. I just had gotten distracted talkin to another one of the parents.” He then said that after having a good talk with Gracie “She didn’t again after that, but I sure as hell watched over her.” Which would explain his lack of conversation with other moms at the park and his constant watch over Gracie while she was playing.
Unfortunately after this part of our interview, Eric had to leave to take Gracie to her mom’s place. I thanked him for such a fulfilling interview, waved goodbye, and watched as he called Gracie off the playground, begrudgingly so for Gracie from the slide, and walked off the park grounds.
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
When arriving at Dixon Park, we came with the expectation that the park would be crowded with moms and their kids, with plenty of willing interviewees. Especially since we always tried to arrive on sunny days that would be perfect for the playground to be utilized by the community. Really, we were surprised by how quiet the park was after church sessions considering the vast amount of churches in the nearby area with families included. There were the few dedicated families and their children that would frequent the playground after school though. The lack of emphasis on the safety of the park, which by my view would be a large concern considering the surrounding stereotypes of crime in the area, was surprising since it was an area frequented by families utilizing the playground.
Another interesting observation that Lily and I had about our favorite interviews was that we happened to have had our best interviews with men rather than any of the women. The men seemed the most open towards speaking with us in a casual and approachable manner that led to more conversational-style interviews. This was especially evident with Eric’s willingness to speak with me compared to the other mom’s at the park who seemed separated among themselves in intimidating and unapproachable groups or enclosed in their technology.
The park was a surprisingly frequented area with few that were willing to open up to us, but when they did we really could find the heart of the small community within Savannah and the bond that these people and families had with Dixon Park.
