“My family and friends have enjoyed Park5,” said Leah Hughes, an IT employee for the city.
They started going there for gatherings called “Sunday Sun Sets."
Hughes called it “an opportunity for anyone who skateboards, roller skates, inline skates, bikes, scooters etc. to come together and have a great time. It’s typically every Sunday starting in the spring and going until the fall when the weather gets to be too cold.”
“The view at sunset is pretty incredible from this vantage point,” Hughes added.
There was a large chessboard with large chess pieces, but they have been removed because of the coronavirus.
“It’s a great venue for all skill levels because it offers flat smooth ground as well as inclines for the more advanced,” Hughes said. “My daughter and I started last year in early 2019 roller skating.”
Her daughter, who was 7 at the time, got a group of her friends into skating.
They call each other the “Knuckle Heads.”
“Now many of these girls are also learning skateboarding,” Hughes said. “It’s nice because the parents and children engage in these activities together, although we also get a number of adults who do not have children, so children are not required.”
Adults who don’t skate sometimes take advantage of the city’s Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area, which allows them to drink alcoholic beverages in official DORA cups, purchased from local bars and restaurants.
Hamilton has taken advantage of the artsy vibe it has cultivated in recent years to attract a variety of businesses the past couple of years, such as “Main St Throw Shop,” which sells disc-golf and skateboard supplies; Reptile Pit, which sells reptiles and other exotic animals; and Main Street Vinyl, a record shop.
One reason the city created Park5 was to give people an outdoor place to eat food from nearby restaurants.
Aaron Hufford, chief of staff to City Manager Joshua Smith, said he also enjoys the uplifted location.
“I was just up there with my family this week, letting our oldest daughter, Evie, ride her Strider bike,” he said. “She is 2 1/2 now and really loves the open space at Park5.”
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