The street sees some of the highest foot traffic in the city, and hosts several popular public gathering places. The Lord Nelson Hotel, at the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street, is a Halifax landmark. During the 1960s its grounds were a popular hang-out for artists and hippies and inspired a novel, "Lord Nelson Tavern" by Ray Smith, but the wall outside upon which people sat was subsequently redeveloped into shops. The park outside the Spring Garden Memorial Library is a particularly popular place to stop and rest. Citizens can enjoy the buskers and purchase food from several vendors, including the Bud the Spud chip truck. The low wall around the garden is a very popular place to sit and rest.