observation WEEK 5

iDEAS iN pLACE,

I would say that there are three main groups of people or maybe two and a subgroup that use the top of Peter’s Hill (the spot). The first is the dog people who I have mentioned before. This subculture uses the spot to let their dog run free off their leash and interact with other, this aids in interaction between the owners themselves. Most of these people do not have an athletic build but take their dogs for walks maybe as a way to get out of the house. Generally, the dog people are around 30 to 50 years of age and cone to the spot by themselves with their dogs. I have not seen very many couples or children with their parents come to the spot with their dog.

The second group is the people who come and sit to see the view. This group could be divided into a group that is there to exercise and use the spot as an ending or a resting area in their workout. The second subgroup is people who just come there to sit and absorb the view (the sentimentalists). They may be walking for exercise but it is not obvious. While the exercising people are mostly alone the sentimentalists stay for a much longer time, and half of them are with someone else.

All three groups have some things in common; all of the people here are white and I would suspect live ether next to the park or a short drive away. All the groups seem to come from a white collar professional class background especially the group that exercises. I would also note that while this might be a good representation of residents in the immediate area it doesn’t portray the area as a whole. Forest Hill subway stop is located right across the street from the Arboreum. It is the last stop of the orange line and the population of the subway is about 50% to 75% black and Latino. I have not as of yet seen one black person at the spot that I can recall.

observation WEEK 4

Others In Places,
The site is secluded; you have to make an effort to get there. The site is not part of someone’s daily workday or something you would see casually. When you go there, other than the people who work there, you go because of the site itself. Someone has to dedicate time to go, they have to make it a planned event. Most people who make it up Peters Hill go for two reasons. The first is the reclusive setting that the site can provide. The spectacular view that is at the top of the hill that overlooks downtown engulfed in vegetation is an element that is strong enough to switch your attention to the view and away from what ever you are doing at the time. The view portrays the notion of reclusiveness by making you see downtown far away and you are here thinking about things in your life whether past or present. The city represents what is important in your life and you are outside of it looking in. This relationship promotes contemplation. The stones used for sitting are arranged so that they are not next to each other; there also are other elements that separate them further like bushes, trees, and the elevation of the stones. The stones for viewing are separated by a public distance beyond 12’ which affords private conversation. There is normally only one person sitting on each one but could they hold two or three. If there is more then one person, they could feel comfortable carrying on a conversation in private because of the distance. The second reason is for walking your dog. When these people are here, their main action is interacting with other dog people. The top of Peter’s Hill is the only spot where a social gathering is promoted. By design the wandering paths that run throughout Peters Hill are paths to somewhere. At the top of the hill, as well as the entrance are ending to paths, so it follows that gathering would take place at the top of the hill. The people who have dogs allow their dog to run free and interact with other dogs. The interaction of dogs promotes interaction of the people. One thing that I have learned is that dog people love to talk about dogs. As soon as one dog interacts with another it is almost guaranteed that the owners will have a conversation about their dogs. Today, when I was there, there were many dog people gathered behind the stones for viewing. Where they stand and have conversations is also interesting. Today they stood behind the stones but other days they have stood in front or off to the side. But, unlike the people who make it to the top for the view and reminisce about the past, the stones determine where they sit. Where the dog people stand is determined on where their dogs are playing.