Sally P.
Yelp
I'm a bit reluctant to review Grant Park, on account of the whole, drawing attention to a little-known but awesome thing has a tendency to ruin it. But... I figure enough people know about Grant Park already.
The park itself is pretty old, as evidenced by the style of the neighborhood and the gigantic trees. True to the South, many of the large, older trees are oaks. This means that there is a TON of leaf litter and acorns on the ground everywhere. Unlike Piedmont, there aren't as many wide open spaces, so if you want to relax on the ground somewhere, be prepared: it's pretty crunchy down there.
While I don't have any kids, I do have a dog (he's basically like my kid) and Grant Park is probably my #1 go-to place when he's in need of some exercise.
You see, despite having some great trails to jog/walk/bike around on, there is an unofficial dog park right next to the basball/soccer/all-purpose sports field that sits down the hill from the basketball courts, and it's a great place to socialize your furry friend/child and let him get some exercise.
This 'dog park' is NOT fenced in, so if you have a dog that is not obedient or runs off any chance he gets, definitely do not bring him here. There is one guy, who despite coming here plenty of times, still hasn't learned this lesson. When his dog eventually runs off LIKE ALL THE OTHER TIMES, he'll disrupt everyone else's time at the park by wandering around and angrily, desperately screaming his dog's name. So annoying, especially since he makes no effort to go look for her, and is laboring under the assumption that the dog isn't having a great time being away from his angry ass as in no hurry to run back to those blood-curdling screams.
Anyway, moral of the story: make sure your dog isn't the type to run off. No one's supervising the dogs but their owners, so no one's going to help you get your dog if it runs away.
Dog manners: 98% of the dogs here are well-trained and handled by responsible owners. This means:
1. I've seen a few minor squabbles (i.e., somebody was on a humping spree and eventually got told) but never any aggression or fights. Let's keep it that way. If your dog has issues, DON'T BRING IT HERE. You know who you are: if you have to take any extra measures to ensure your dog behaves around others, this isn't the place for you.
2. There is a post with poop-bags at the end of the field, but it isn't always stocked with bags. Everyone brings their own bags and cleans up after their dog. EVERYONE. More than one trash can are on the premises to facilitate this. Clean up after your dog. Trust me, it's going to get there and lose its shit running around with all the other dogs, literally. Excited, running around dogs = plenty of poop.
My last guideline is one I wish more of the regulars here would follow. BRING WATER. Every time I come I bring a bowl and a Nalgene full of water (I make sure that he works really hard and gets in enough exercise, but I'm also not a stupid, inconsiderate human, and know that if I were doing the same amount of exercise, I'd be dying for water too.) And despite majority of giddy dogs, doing nothing but running, I'm always the only person that does this. This also means that all the other dogs come up to me to get water. The owners are always apologetic that their dogs are drinking my water... I don't really care about your dog's behavior here, but maybe your dog gets thirsty while he's here and it would be a GOOD IDEA to bring some FREE WATER with you from now on? (?!?!)
In the same vein... toys. I learned early on that my dog is in love with chasing the ball. I make sure he gets that experience a few times a week and gets a good workout while doing it. Playing with the Chuck-it (http://www.amazon.com/Chuckit-Classic-Launcher-Colors-Vary/dp/B00006IX59) is BY FAR his most favorite thing in the entire world, and turns out a lot of other dogs like it too.
There are a few other dog-owners who bring this toy with them, but most just kind of bring the dog to socialize and that's it. I kinda feel for these guys... You know, your dog clearly loves playing with this thing. It's a less than $10 investment on your part, why not just buy him a toy to play with while you're here?
All in all, my experiences there have been overwhelmingly positive. While I've moved further east and I'm not as close as I used to be, I still make the trip on sunny Weekend days.