# Can someone go tent camping in a park close to town?



## RRen (Aug 28, 2014)

My heroine desperately needs to find a job because she is nearly penniless. Her car has broken down and her house (which she has just inherited) is far away from any businesses to which she can apply for work. She finds a tent in the basement and remembers seeing some tents pitched around a pay lake (or at a park or something) in town near a strip of restaurants, banks, stores etc. She decides to go camping there herself and walk to the businesses to apply for work during the day (leading to several mishaps and adventures). Is something like that possible? Are there places that people can camp that are close to commercial areas?


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## Plasticweld (Aug 28, 2014)

I live near Ithaca NY, there is a place there called the Jungle, it is down by the canal on the old railroad tracks. People live there in tents year round and do day work in the city.  I am sure you can google it and come up with some pretty detailed information, there has been a number of articles written about it.


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## Plasticweld (Aug 28, 2014)

here is a link I just found..Bob     
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Ithacas-Jungle-in-jeopardy--256102171.html


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## Guy Faukes (Aug 29, 2014)

We once had a homeless guy camp on the border of our property and the adjacent lot. I think if she's desperate enough, she'll find a corner of the town that is less traveled.


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## Greimour (Aug 29, 2014)

There isn't really any place like that near me. All the local parks are generally off limits to any kind of night activity. This is due to alcoholics and drug users staying there at night and children getting hurt on their trash in the morning.

Despite that, there are places people will actively camp out. Camping is not against the law, it is just a matter of where you can do it safely and away from the public eye. Most of the locations near me that cause no trouble for campers would be where people fish. There are many lakes and rivers near my home where people go to do some night fishing (note I live in Manchester - a big city in the UK). They camp there for days fishing around the clock. Some people go there just to camp and do no fishing at all.

No matter where you base it, there will always be somewhere to put a camping spot. It is just a case of finding out where such a place might be.


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## Deafmute (Aug 29, 2014)

Yea you cant "camp" in a city park. That said most cities have areas that homeless will set up tents for housing. whether or not you character would be desparate enough to camp there is another question. As these places are often pretty scary for anyone who is not familiar with the homeless lifestyle. People will sleep in public parks on benches or in tunnels if the police find them they shoo them away but that is not uncommon.


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## Pandora (Aug 29, 2014)

Here in Atlanta there was a community of tents across from Hartsfield Jackson International, our airport. It was not a park just heavily wooded land. They were well hidden and maybe the police knew and looked the other way. There were tents at the end of my freeway exit but they have cracked down on the homeless now. We have a campground at another freeway exit a little south, close to commercial work of all kinds. I think it is a feasible concept and I like it too. I like that she is strong, independent, capable and honest. It is a social commentary too, bringing real life situations that many are facing. Homelessness hurts, it is a battle but setting up home in a tent with others doing the same, well that is home. There is no place like home. Good luck with your story!


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## Seedy M. (Aug 29, 2014)

In other words, it depends on where the park is.


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## Nickleby (Aug 29, 2014)

You'll find these homeless communities in unexpected places. Here in Soda City, there's one down by the river. The police raid the place periodically, but once they leave, the squatters return. I came across another place in an abandoned house near the train station. It had a mattress, some interesting garbage, and not much else.

What I'm trying to say is that you'll usually find some illegal activity in these places. It's not so much because they're criminal masterminds, it's because they've been marginalized and have no other way to make money. On the other hand, they have certain rules that everyone follows, such as leaving your stuff alone.


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## Cran (Aug 29, 2014)

RRen said:


> My heroine desperately needs to find a job because she is nearly penniless. Her car has broken down and her house (which she has just inherited) is far away from any businesses to which she can apply for work. She finds a tent in the basement and remembers seeing some tents pitched around a pay lake (or at a park or something) in town near a strip of restaurants, banks, stores etc. She decides to go camping there herself and walk to the businesses to apply for work during the day (leading to several mishaps and adventures). Is something like that possible? Are there places that people can camp that are close to commercial areas?


It all comes down to Location and Time, and the ultimate answer will be found in that local government's by-laws.

In broad, larger urban jurisdictions will have few or no legal camping sites within easy walking distance of their commercial zones, so the only options tend to be refuges or squats. On the other hand, small towns and tourist towns will often have legal camping areas within easy walking distance of retail businesses, likely a bit further to commercial or industrial areas.


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## J Anfinson (Aug 29, 2014)

Nickleby said:


> You'll find these homeless communities in unexpected places. Here in Soda City, there's one down by the river. The police raid the place periodically, but once they leave, the squatters return.



Same here in Tulsa. If the homeless shelters are packed there's not much choice but to pitch a tent by the river or find a overpass to crawl up under.


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## TKent (Aug 29, 2014)

I was in Asheville a few months ago and walking my dogs in an empty lot behind an IHOP and ran up on a small tent. Scared the you know what out of me as it was really early in the morning and not quite light. It was definitely withing walking distance to commercial.

In Atlanta, it probably was no more than ten years ago when they had an area of cardboard box shelters and tents near Boulevard and I-20. That would have been close enough to commercial. 

I work in Midtown Atlanta and there are still many homeless people on the streets near work. I doubt they all make it to the shelters so they are sleeping someplace.

To answer your question, If I was reading a book that described this, I don't think it would strike me as unbelievable.


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## Plasticweld (Aug 31, 2014)

One of the best Saturday Night Live sketches

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4183


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## tabasco5 (Sep 1, 2014)

You could make something up if you need it - like an RV park on the side of a lake or river.  

Or she could maybe find someone who rents their backyard to campers on Craigslist or airbnb.

Or she could just camp illegally in a city park and get busted or get in fights and have another set of adventures related to camping.


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## CasMerlyn(R) (Sep 2, 2014)

In Canada - where my friends live - they got people camping INSIDE town. As in actual camp sites. 

It's the oddest thing I've seen - as when I think of camping, I think away from civilization to some degree - but whatever.


One of those campsites is beside a river. It was probably constructed because outside of the businesses in the area - and rather high end houses and farmers' land - absolutely no one has access to this side of the river for a good couple of miles about 5 maybe 10 if you stretch it in truth. The city / large town just kind of grew around it. 

The other is right off of what was / is a haunted maze sort of setting. I keep laughing when I go by because directly down the blocks there's at least a dozen hotels / motels. If your character is penniless set it to this.


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