Grant Park Wish List

1) “Although my neighborhood is entirely enchanting with the tall trees, off-street parking for most houses, and the general sense of safety (and the farmers market when it’s that season), the tourists are the worst, and, unfortunately, I don’t possess the audacity to ask the elephants to leave. Maybe they could move it to the defunct Georgia Dome when they move it and boast the ‘worlds first indoor zoo!’” — Alex Parrish, 23, Grant Park resident

2) “I would love to see the park utilized for temporary/ephemeral art projects: installations, performance, visual arts, and music.” — Andy Ditzler, Grant park homeowner for 16 years

3) “I wish we had a big chain grocery store, a traditional bakery with hot, fresh bread and rolls, a late-night diner, a MARTA station closer than MLK, and more frequent and extensive bus service.” — David Brodeur, Grant park homeowner for 18 years

4) “Grant Park needs a new community center. I feel like people here stay within their social own circles more than they used to. When I was little you could go to the YMCA off Boulevard on any given day and see families from all kinds of backgrounds hanging out together while their kids played. The Y is still around, but they need to renovate it and open it back up full-time.” — Sean Wheeler, 29, Grant Park resident

5) “We need a better understanding of what it means to be a ‘neighborhood in transition.’ Many newer residents are unfamiliar with Grant Park’s history, and perhaps a few of us life-long residents aren’t always open to new ideas. At the moment we seem less a neighborhood in transition, and more a neighborhood in limbo.” — Chet Knight, 40, homeowner and life-long Grant Park resident

6) “According to Grant Park’s Wikipedia page, a failed circus gave birth to the eventual Zoo Atlanta when local lumber merchant George Gress purchased animals from the circus and donated them to the city in 1889. The city decided Grant Park was the best location for the zoo and carved space out for the attraction. Later zoo expansions and parking requirements caused the removal of a portion of the lake. So besides bringing the circus back, I’d love to see a Nuci’s Space in Grant Park. So many rug rats that need to turn Muppet and play music earlier on.” — David Matysiak, 32, Grant Park resident