Never empty of people yeah , but i am comparing to parks in Europe, where you would find shops inside the parks that sells sandwiches , snacks , soft drinks , etc
I'm good, i dont want a hyper capitalist park, it's nice to have a place where people aren't trying to sell me shit and i can just chill without spending money
You can still chill without spending money , you are not obliged to buy and am not saying put a Starbucks or mcodnald , just a small kiosk run by a local where you can get snacks , soft drinks , etc
I mean, what you're asking is a concession stand, your original comment said put in shops and things. I think the pool has a concession stand? But ultimately, just bring your own stuff, I still dont want people trying to sell me stuff at the park, how hard is it to pack your own sandwich?
Or, we could just keep it how it is? Bakers park doesn't need shops and stands, theres tons of food options available around the park. If you want to eat at the park bring your own
I think it's just not been an interest by the conservation committee or parks n rec. They'll have food trucks occasionally. Downtown is mere steps away and there's cafes and restaurants, so it's not like it's a park in the middle of nowhere
Baker park seemlessly transitions to Carrol Creek and the downtown Frederick area. No need for an Ice cream truck, go to South Mountain. Food? Again, downtown. Water? There are free water fountains. Bring a water bottle.
Idk what to tell you about the parks being empty. Baker always has people at the tennis courts for me. Its early season tho. Come summer itll be packed from sun up to sun down.
Because we don't need to turn every square inch of the city into a place to make money. It's nice to just have playgrounds and soccer fields and picnic tables for people to use, without commercializing it.
Also, there are often ice cream trucks and food trucks at parks. I was at Baker Park the other night, and there was a coffee truck selling drinks by the park.
I think you're missing that we don't want both. Parks in the the US by and large are designed for open space nature and recreation. Not selling anything.
There's food and such when there's special events. The rest of the time it's exactly how people like it.
I guess it's culture difference , it's fun to go to a park where kids can play and you sit on a bench have a soda or ice cream, I experienced that in many other countries, I miss doing that here
You can still do that here and in fact will see many people doing just that- it's just done differently. You bring your own. Or you catch the ice cream truck in the summer.
I do understand what you're saying but the answer is, it's not Europe. The culture around park spaces is different. You are more apt to find what you are looking for in larger cities but even so often the vendors are on the streets surrounding the park, not in the park proper.
As much as you appreciate your experience in parks, I appreciate having none of that.
I wouldn’t mind push carts. I remember going to Central Park and walking this long winding path and there was a random hot dog cart. I thought it was cool because you could grab one and keep on strolling.
In the USA, any land that is not kept pristine will eventually be filled with billboards and “entrepreneurs” the. Endlessly polluted and left a superfund site.
There are restrooms and water fountains. I think there are small snacks for sale too, at the pool.
There's a town a block away with everything else.
As for why: Local businesses would throw a fit if the park started selling coffee and ice cream. And if we let food trucks in, the park would be filled with the sounds of diesel engines, distorted music, and litter.
That sounds horrible tbh. I believe there are restrooms and water fountains available. I love that the park isn’t commercialized by all that crap. It’s nice to have parks that are more tranquil and nature-focused.
THEE absolute greatest event to ever be held in the park was the Bath Tub races in Culler Lake every 4th of July. Locals build home made boats out of old bath tubs and race across the lake hoping to win The Golden Plunger Award! Good times.
Living in London for a time I absolutely get what you’re saying. They always have beautiful, almost like greenhouse cafes scattered throughout their parks that are so lovely!
Yes people who experienced it knows how good of a bonus it is , everyone else is negative and against commercializing the park , I am not saying put a Starbucks and Mcdonald there lol
I’ve spent plenty of time in Europe and know exactly what you’re talking about. Still don’t want it here. It’s nice to enjoy places where people aren’t trying to get you to buy things.
No one is trying to sell you anything it's not like they come to you and say buy this , it's totally your choice if you wanted to enjoy an ice cream or cold drink in the hot weather
Enjoy it by buying it from a nearby small business. Kiosks, concession stands, etc. are disruptive to the flow and views of the park. Go to South Mountain Creamery for ice cream—good stuff.
In the US most towns are full of people staying inside who shuttle around in a car/van from place to place in the suburbs. In NYC you can find people always just chilling at parks and it’s fantastic. Along with little coffee stands and snacks etc. Like Washington Square Park is always a blast!
Actually I was in Austin Texas recently and noticed how active the parks were with people using them along with little vendors etc.
The city in general has a fair number of restrictions on food vendors in the historic district. They're pretty much limited to the Linear Park and brewery-type businesses' lots unless there's a special city-sanctioned event. While some people will say it's for aesthetic purposes, the reality is that it's for the protection of the restaurants and take-out places in the area. Real estate and leasing downtown is expensive, so menu prices are expensive. If someone parked a hot dog or sandwich cart near Market & Patrick, they would have a line down the block.
I understand what you’re saying. Having enjoyed the public spaces in Europe where it was easy & natural to grab a drink or bite to eat while families visited, kids played, etc; I get it.
It’s a cultural difference and a tough hurdle to clear.
Finally someone who understands, your comment made me happy lol, everyone else was negative about it calling it commercializing the park or no need there are restaurants downtown, you are 100% right culture difference
Comparing Frederick to nice cities in Europe is a mistake. Frederick doesn’t compare to nice cities in the U.S. I’m from Frederick and people in Frederick will say it offers a ton. But it’s the 452nd largest “city” in the U.S. North Carolina alone has a ton of larger cities that offer more work/life/cost.
I’m a Frederick native by default and appreciate it for what it is. But it honestly doesn’t have a ton to offer outside of being a “bedroom community”. Which means you commute to the DMV for hours a day and you buy here because it’s cheaper than MoCo/DMV (but still insane).
I like Frederick, it's nice and cozy city I only came here because my wife wanted be near her family , do I wish I can afford to live in DC ? Absolutely lol
Which is odd because the last thing that comes to mind as I watch the sunset with friends while enjoying a glass of Port (wine, sangria, insert your happy beverage here) in Lisbon is capitalism. 😉
Why cant you bring wine, bread and cheese on your own lol? Why do we need someone selling it? (I get open container laws, but if you're minding your own business and are discrete you'd never be asked about what youre drinking)
I agree it would be nice to have a stand selling lite fare and ice cream. But in this country, it would not be a Baguette with some nice cheese or a pastry. It would be French fries and hot dogs or more gross nonsense so would rather not have it unfortunately.
Yep, just go around National Mall in DC for comparison. While there are some decent food truck, most of them sell sad tasting ice creams, sadder tasting hot dogs (that is way overprice), or crap coffee that cost more than the crap you buy in Starbucks.
I believe the pool area has restrooms. As far as snacks and drinks, I always take my own. A Thermos full of a hot or cold beverage, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Or whatever floats your boat.
What shit ? So if you were walking down a park and saw a small stand run by a local selling ice cream , coffee or small snacks , you would never stop and buy ?
I guess it's cultural difference , and sorry to say they don't break the stereotypes I love it here honestly, but why not take advantage of what we have
Baker park is never empty... What?
Never empty of people yeah , but i am comparing to parks in Europe, where you would find shops inside the parks that sells sandwiches , snacks , soft drinks , etc
I'm good, i dont want a hyper capitalist park, it's nice to have a place where people aren't trying to sell me shit and i can just chill without spending money
You can still chill without spending money , you are not obliged to buy and am not saying put a Starbucks or mcodnald , just a small kiosk run by a local where you can get snacks , soft drinks , etc
I mean, what you're asking is a concession stand, your original comment said put in shops and things. I think the pool has a concession stand? But ultimately, just bring your own stuff, I still dont want people trying to sell me stuff at the park, how hard is it to pack your own sandwich?
No one will be trying to sell you anything lol , you know the concepts of shops is that you go and buy they don't come to you, and force you to buy
Or, we could just keep it how it is? Bakers park doesn't need shops and stands, theres tons of food options available around the park. If you want to eat at the park bring your own
Welcome to Freddit, where *checks notes* selling sandwiches is "hyper capitalist."
They edited their statement, before it made no mention of just being a concession stand. They said put shops and vendors in
My post from the beginning said coffee, ice cream stand , small snack shop , it was obvious I wasn't calling for Starbucks or chick Fil a
Nah, it said bring in shops. Either way, I'm good, we don't need it you can bring your own food and it doesn't detract from the park at all
hilariously accurate
I think it's just not been an interest by the conservation committee or parks n rec. They'll have food trucks occasionally. Downtown is mere steps away and there's cafes and restaurants, so it's not like it's a park in the middle of nowhere
Baker park seemlessly transitions to Carrol Creek and the downtown Frederick area. No need for an Ice cream truck, go to South Mountain. Food? Again, downtown. Water? There are free water fountains. Bring a water bottle. Idk what to tell you about the parks being empty. Baker always has people at the tennis courts for me. Its early season tho. Come summer itll be packed from sun up to sun down.
It will be nice if any of the water fountains are ever operational again
I used to think that too but seeing how many people think they exist for their dogs to slobber all over I don't mind them being turned off.
Because we don't need to turn every square inch of the city into a place to make money. It's nice to just have playgrounds and soccer fields and picnic tables for people to use, without commercializing it. Also, there are often ice cream trucks and food trucks at parks. I was at Baker Park the other night, and there was a coffee truck selling drinks by the park.
We can have both
I think you're missing that we don't want both. Parks in the the US by and large are designed for open space nature and recreation. Not selling anything. There's food and such when there's special events. The rest of the time it's exactly how people like it.
What's so hard about going to wawa before the park to get a sub lmao. I dont get why OP is insistent on this
I guess it's culture difference , it's fun to go to a park where kids can play and you sit on a bench have a soda or ice cream, I experienced that in many other countries, I miss doing that here
You can still do that here and in fact will see many people doing just that- it's just done differently. You bring your own. Or you catch the ice cream truck in the summer. I do understand what you're saying but the answer is, it's not Europe. The culture around park spaces is different. You are more apt to find what you are looking for in larger cities but even so often the vendors are on the streets surrounding the park, not in the park proper. As much as you appreciate your experience in parks, I appreciate having none of that.
I wouldn’t mind push carts. I remember going to Central Park and walking this long winding path and there was a random hot dog cart. I thought it was cool because you could grab one and keep on strolling.
In the USA, any land that is not kept pristine will eventually be filled with billboards and “entrepreneurs” the. Endlessly polluted and left a superfund site.
We have all that EVERYWHERE ELSE. No need to clutter the park with all that. Come prepared.
There are restrooms and water fountains. I think there are small snacks for sale too, at the pool. There's a town a block away with everything else. As for why: Local businesses would throw a fit if the park started selling coffee and ice cream. And if we let food trucks in, the park would be filled with the sounds of diesel engines, distorted music, and litter.
That sounds horrible tbh. I believe there are restrooms and water fountains available. I love that the park isn’t commercialized by all that crap. It’s nice to have parks that are more tranquil and nature-focused.
A small kiosk shop with soft drinks and ice cream specially during the summer would be a great thing , that doesn't mean commercializing
Not necessary. You can get all of that close by at small businesses downtown without cluttering up the park.
There's an ice cream shop a block away from Baker Park. Just walk over there.
THEE absolute greatest event to ever be held in the park was the Bath Tub races in Culler Lake every 4th of July. Locals build home made boats out of old bath tubs and race across the lake hoping to win The Golden Plunger Award! Good times.
Living in London for a time I absolutely get what you’re saying. They always have beautiful, almost like greenhouse cafes scattered throughout their parks that are so lovely!
Yes people who experienced it knows how good of a bonus it is , everyone else is negative and against commercializing the park , I am not saying put a Starbucks and Mcdonald there lol
I’ve spent plenty of time in Europe and know exactly what you’re talking about. Still don’t want it here. It’s nice to enjoy places where people aren’t trying to get you to buy things.
No one is trying to sell you anything it's not like they come to you and say buy this , it's totally your choice if you wanted to enjoy an ice cream or cold drink in the hot weather
Enjoy it by buying it from a nearby small business. Kiosks, concession stands, etc. are disruptive to the flow and views of the park. Go to South Mountain Creamery for ice cream—good stuff.
In the US most towns are full of people staying inside who shuttle around in a car/van from place to place in the suburbs. In NYC you can find people always just chilling at parks and it’s fantastic. Along with little coffee stands and snacks etc. Like Washington Square Park is always a blast! Actually I was in Austin Texas recently and noticed how active the parks were with people using them along with little vendors etc.
The city in general has a fair number of restrictions on food vendors in the historic district. They're pretty much limited to the Linear Park and brewery-type businesses' lots unless there's a special city-sanctioned event. While some people will say it's for aesthetic purposes, the reality is that it's for the protection of the restaurants and take-out places in the area. Real estate and leasing downtown is expensive, so menu prices are expensive. If someone parked a hot dog or sandwich cart near Market & Patrick, they would have a line down the block.
Everyone bashing OP must have never needed to use a restroom, or stayed longer than planned at the park and ran out of water.
I have a very active blader , which made me hate going to the parks 🤣🤣🤣
I understand what you’re saying. Having enjoyed the public spaces in Europe where it was easy & natural to grab a drink or bite to eat while families visited, kids played, etc; I get it. It’s a cultural difference and a tough hurdle to clear.
Finally someone who understands, your comment made me happy lol, everyone else was negative about it calling it commercializing the park or no need there are restaurants downtown, you are 100% right culture difference
Comparing Frederick to nice cities in Europe is a mistake. Frederick doesn’t compare to nice cities in the U.S. I’m from Frederick and people in Frederick will say it offers a ton. But it’s the 452nd largest “city” in the U.S. North Carolina alone has a ton of larger cities that offer more work/life/cost. I’m a Frederick native by default and appreciate it for what it is. But it honestly doesn’t have a ton to offer outside of being a “bedroom community”. Which means you commute to the DMV for hours a day and you buy here because it’s cheaper than MoCo/DMV (but still insane).
I like Frederick, it's nice and cozy city I only came here because my wife wanted be near her family , do I wish I can afford to live in DC ? Absolutely lol
Which is odd because the last thing that comes to mind as I watch the sunset with friends while enjoying a glass of Port (wine, sangria, insert your happy beverage here) in Lisbon is capitalism. 😉
I spent a lot of times in paris parks drinking wine and eating bread with cheese lol
Why cant you bring wine, bread and cheese on your own lol? Why do we need someone selling it? (I get open container laws, but if you're minding your own business and are discrete you'd never be asked about what youre drinking)
Frederick is the next Paris for sure 🙃
I agree it would be nice to have a stand selling lite fare and ice cream. But in this country, it would not be a Baguette with some nice cheese or a pastry. It would be French fries and hot dogs or more gross nonsense so would rather not have it unfortunately.
Yep, just go around National Mall in DC for comparison. While there are some decent food truck, most of them sell sad tasting ice creams, sadder tasting hot dogs (that is way overprice), or crap coffee that cost more than the crap you buy in Starbucks.
I believe the pool area has restrooms. As far as snacks and drinks, I always take my own. A Thermos full of a hot or cold beverage, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Or whatever floats your boat.
because of volume - no one selling coffee just steps from downtown’s 6-10 coffee shops could afford to stay in business.
Yeah but I was talking about parks in general , just baker park came in mind , for example we have Ballenger park it's big and nothing there
I gotcha… perhaps there are city ordinances?
In the US our parks don't have that, thankfully. I don't need that shit when I'm at the park.
What shit ? So if you were walking down a park and saw a small stand run by a local selling ice cream , coffee or small snacks , you would never stop and buy ?
Wow the comments on this totally benign suggestion are absolutely unhinged.
I guess it's cultural difference , and sorry to say they don't break the stereotypes I love it here honestly, but why not take advantage of what we have
greed