Rittenhouse Residents Rage Over People Grilling in the Park

People grilling in Rittenhouse Square were breaking the rules and raising the ire of some residents. (Photo provided)

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Oh, the humanity! Can you imagine emerging from your Rittenhouse Square residence to take a stroll through the park only to find people… grilling?! Such was the horrific scene encountered by one Rittenhouse Square woman in recent weeks. It was one of those lovely, sunny days. Naturally, the Rittenhouser had to share this breach of basic societal rules, this outright indecency with the world. So she took to a neighborhood Facebook group to post the above photo and complain about the infidels and their barbecue. (She agreed to allow us to publish the photo, so long as we don’t use her name.)

Her post drew mixed reactions. One guy joked, “They look pretty tough.” Some other choice tongue-in-cheek comments included: “Wow this is unreal. People just chilling grilling burgers not bothering anyone. Should never happen.” “They really just walked into a public park and acted like it was for the public. And you… just let it happen?”

But there were some residents who sided with the photo-happy killjoy.

“It’s quite simple,” wrote one. “Barbecues are not allowed in Rittenhouse Square. Friends of Rittenhouse spends thousands of dollars — including my donations — to keep the park beautiful. I think it’s an example of people just doing what they want without regard for others.” Others pointed out that grilling in the park isn’t exactly going to help with the park’s rat problem. (Though, in point of fact, any eating in the park would presumably make the rats happier, especially if people aren’t cleaning up after themselves.) What about the burnt grass, another wondered.

Some commenters went into the inevitable doomsday scenario: How would you like it if every single person in the park set up a grill? I’m imagining rumbles breaking out over who makes better potato salad, with spatulas and tongs as weapons.

OK, OK, I’m having a bit of fun with what might be the most Rittenhouse reaction possible to a group of people grilling in the park. But the dispute does raise the question of where can you grill in Philadelphia? And I’ve seen some misinformation out there, including on the aforementioned Facebook thread. Some say you can grill in Rittenhouse Square.

Nope, says City Hall.

“Grilling is not permitted at Rittenhouse Square,” confirms Ra’Chelle Rogers, spokesperson for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. “The park cannot safely or sustainably manage the waste, coals, and safety risks that would come with it. Current signage at Rittenhouse Park specifically notes that camping is prohibited, which includes making fires, using portable cooking devices, or grilling.”

Huh. See, I would never think that a sign telling me that I can’t camp means I can’t set up my mini Weber and cook up some hot dogs. So this is good to know.

Rogers added that city code prohibits grilling in any park, except in designated picnic areas. So where are these designated picnic areas where I am allowed to grill?

There are 20 parks in Philadelphia with designated picnic areas, with a total of 159 such designated picnic areas where you can bring your own grill or use city-provided grills. (Pro-tip: Bring your own grill. Those city grills often aren’t in the best shape, and it’s hard to do much on them other than quick grilling, i.e. you’re not making good barbecue chicken or ribs.) The parks where grilling is allowed are noted on the map below:

Out in Lower Merion, things are a bit more strict. Grilling is allowed in Lower Merion parks, but if you’re inviting more than four people to your barbecue, you actually need to apply for a permit before you can go out and light the grill, says a representative of Lower Merion Parks & Recreation.

So that’s the letter of the law. But at the end of the day, I’m a person who’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission. It’s (almost) summer. Have fun. Grill where you want. Just make sure you have plenty of hot dogs and burgers to share with the cops when they show up.