Fredericton — The empty lot that once sat across from the Tannery for all Frederictonians to enjoy is about to be restored to its former glory.
“That lot was the best,” said longtime downtown dweller Faye McGee. “I used to just lean there and have a smoke, and people-watch the day away. Sometimes I’d cut through there on my way home from work. It’ll be nice to have it back!”
For the past few summers, the much-loved lot has been the home of the so-called beer garden The Front Yard, where a mostly young, often underaged and always shifty crowd blasts loud music into the night. Inside the tall perimeter fence, the venue boasts picnic tables on AstroTurf grass laid atop the pavement, and a bar with a modest offering of alcoholic beverages.
“It’s a great place to buy or sell coke, I’ll give them that,” said local dealer Matt Armstrong, who said his anonymity is “not important” to him because “the cops here don’t care about that sort of thing. Like, at all.”
Armstrong said he can do just as much business in the vacant lot as he can at the drinking venue, so he welcomes to club’s closure.
“But honestly, it’s good it’s closing anyway, because the DJs suck and it’s all just douchey guys standing around. Hardly any single women.”
Many of the women who did frequent the club at least once reported that it is definitely not the place to leave drinks unattended.
“Most of my friends got roofied there, myself included,” said Emma Langille. “It was cramped and a lot of guys were way too handsy. Pretty bad when Dolan’s — yes, I’m serious, friggen’ Dolan’s, for crying out loud — was less sketchy. Hell, I’d probably take my chances on Dooly’s.
“Anyway, I can’t wait to see that vacant lot again,” added Langille. “It’s cleaner, quieter and just a lot nicer overall than The Front Yard. Sometimes it would have little flowers growing around the edges, too. The only thing growing around the edges of that club is broccoli heads.”