Sometimes, a good idea actually takes root and does something good for a community. Back in 2016,…read morea neighborhood (Springdale) decided to turn an empty lot into a park that would help preserve one of the oldest trees in the neighborhood: The Nowland Oak. In cooperation with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's IPL Project Greenspace, the neighborhood created a small park to tell the story of Indiana during the 300 years of the tree's life. A concrete base was created by a local artist (Nick Gehlhausen) and formed roots spreading down the hillside. On the base, panels were set up showing the history of the state in timelines and script. On the reverse side of the panels, information about native plants is shown. Mosaics were created by artist Barbara Zech to welcome visitors and to follow a path to the park. Note that additional markers were embedded into the sidewalk and lead visitors to an even older Chinquapin Oak a couple blocks away estimated to be 450 years old! (It is probably the oldest tree in Marion County and is called the Temple Oak.) Instead of removing the tree on a lot that was slated for demolition, it is nice to see something pleasant and educational added to the neighborhood. Note: There is no parking other than street parking in the area. Review #578

Don't blink too much when you are in the area or you just might miss this place. This is a small…read morepocket park located in the heart of downtown. The garden had a lot of trash on the ground during my visit and was no very well maintained. There were not many live plants/flowers to see. I will give the plants and foliage a pass because I visited during the winter, but the trash should be cleaned up. They may want to consider planting a few year-round plants as well. Just my two cents. The park has a few benches in somewhat of a semicircle to sit on. The benches are around a peace pole, which contains hundreds of prayers for peace inside. The outside of the pole has phrases like "May peace prevail on Earth" and May Peace be in our Homes and Communities." This park was dedicated to youth who've lost their lives to violence, hence its name. It is intended to inspire peace and tranquility. It is advertised as a perfect escape from the hustle of Downtown, but it is very close to an extremely busy intersection, so it is hard to leave the big city atmosphere. There is metered street parking on the streets surrounding the garden and nearby. This garden is not a destination spot though and is something that you either stumble across or go to on your way somewhere else.

On the triangle shaped corner of Indiana Avenue and Senate, a beautifully landscaped pocket park…read moreoffers a space for visitors to contemplate peace and what they can do to promote it. The park has a center circle filled with shrubs and a multi-sided post that has peace blessings written on it. Inside are hundreds of peace prayers. The shrubs are surrounded by a concrete circle lined with benches and large pots for plantings. Because of the triangle shape, there is room in the park for more landscaping including a small tree and more colorful shrubs. Just a nice place to sit and relax with some shade from the nearby building. This is another one of Indy Parks' pocket parks with a theme. Review #3298

This is a small neighborhood park that has a small lot right next to it that you can park or you…read morecan park in the street in the surrounding neighborhood. I think that people that live near the park may find more value in it. It is definitely not a park that I would travel to visit. The park has a row of decent outdoor Life Trail workout equipment. The playground equipment is, mehhhhh. There is a small jungle gym with slides coming from it, a bank of traditional swings over a bed of wood chips, and a climbing dome. I must admit that the dome is the nicest part of the park. There is a single bench to sit and watch the little ones or to relax. You will also find a large green space in the park that can be used to play soccer, football, catch or fly a kite. This is a fair neighborhood park that is small. It also does not have a fence to enclose the area, so you really need to keep an eye on the little ones. The should not be difficult though, considering the size of the park. The park could be a bit better maintained and could use some upgrades like a fence, new swings and more equipment.

This small pocket park is only about an eighth of an acre, but focuses on healthy activities and…read morework outs in the limited space. Although it is located on Park Avenue, it derives its name from the nearby Broadway United Methodist Church in the neighborhood. At the time of my visit, I was able to park on an area that looks like it could be turned into a basketball court. The equipment looks new and different from many parks. There are three "LifeTrail" stations with work out benches, grips, and other built-in tools to help complete a series of exercises. There is also a raised playground and a bright orange climbing dome. On the empty lawn north of the park is a sign about a future pocket park which could one day have a tennis court, shelter, drinking fountain, amphitheater, and bike racks. The Indy Parks website doesn't have any information about the new park addition, so it may be something planned by the neighborhood independently. Review #519

I really like this park. It neighbors a huge field on one side and a neighborhood on the other…read more Established in 1989, the Park has almost everything that you would want in a park. The park has a decent sized private parking lot and is well maintained. The park is home to a very nice disc golf course, BYOD (Bring your own disc) though. The park has three small to medium sized shelters with picnic tables under it and grills just outside of them. There is also a half decent full basketball court. It is not in the best shape, but it will do. The park does not have a restroom facility, but there is a porta-potty near the parking lot that you could use in a pinch. The park has a lot of good green space that could be used to play soccer, play catch, play football, fly a kite, have a picnic or do other field activities. The park is home to a nice metal gazebo that serves as the Lapel Veterans Memorial. The park's paved trail, that goes alongs its outer perimeter is very nice. It does not get a lot of traffic and is wide-open. The splash pad is pretty basic, but considering that it is in a small town and probably the only one within many miles, it will do. I like the little bench on the outside of it, where parents/guardians can sit and watch their littles. The playground is on a bed of wood chips. It has a bank of traditional/toddler swings, a medium sized jungle gym with a net climber, a metal sliding board (Ouuuch), and a small jungle gym with a few slides and a tunnel. There are benches on the playgrounds perimeter that look onto the playground, where parents can sit and watch their littles. I will admit, this is not a destination park, but is a cool place to visit if you are in the area looking for a place to hang out. It was a nice day during my visit and I found the park very peaceful.

This was my favorite park in Lapel. There have been numerous plantings of shrubs, flowers, and…read moretrees to break up the large, flat lawn of the park. A paved trail loops around the outside of the park which provides easy access to the parking area on the east side of the park. There are shelters, a disc golf course (9 holes), a playground, basketball courts, a splash park, and a gazebo with names of military personnel engraved in the cement. A small memorial garden is also on site, but most of the shrubbery in the park is in need of trimming. Review #1157

This is not an city managed Park. It is a project and neighborhood run park. I do not give my…read morerating of this park lightly. I know that they have limited resources. However, this park has been severely neglected. One of the worse that I have ever seen. The swings are broken, the shelter is not fully covered nor does it have picnic tables, It has very little playground equipment, and the equipment that is there is in need of a good cleaning and maintenance, Additionally, there is really no good parking and the park is filled with trash. There is very limited parking on the street. You may be able to park in the alley way next to the park but it is not paved and has huge holes. I am also not certain if it is meant for parking. The park was meant to be the site of neighborhood birthday parties and church cookouts, but I do not think that will be happening anytime soon. I almost think that it would be better to just start the park over from scratch. I like the idea of the park. It was named after a 3 year old girl that died of congenital heart failure. The land which the park sits was donated by her grandparents who requested the naming of the park. I do not see even visiting this park as it is now, even if I lived in the neighborhood. It is very dirty and does not have much to offer. This was once a decent park and I hope that the they put some money and time into it and bring it back to life. If so, I will be one of the first to update my review.

If you love Indianapolis, and you should, then you have to love it when a neighborhood facing…read morechallenges takes control of those challenges in unique, creative, and community affirming ways. It's no secret that Indy's Near-Eastside has seen its share of challenges. The Rivoli Park Neighborhood that houses the Paige Linn Booker Memorial Park is an area that has had sporadic crime issues and that was significantly impacted by 2008's mortgage crisis. From that, however, the folks in Rivoli Park did a beautiful thing. They created the Paige Linn Booker Memorial Park, a park named after a 3-year-old girl who died at age three from a congenital heart defect and who never had a chance to enjoy a park. It was her grandparents who owned the plot of land upon which this beautiful little pocket park has been created and which has helped turn a weed-filled swamp into a a tiny little urban oasis that serves as proof that you can truly turn virtually anyplace into something pretty darn beautiful. Supported by the folks at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Booker Memorial Park also became one of the city's first IPL Greenspace projects. Truly, this was a community effort and it has worked beautifully because the community has continued to wrap around it. From a gazebo that anchors the rear of the park, a path leads to the playground equipment that will mostly appeal to toddlers. The original vision for the park was to create an environment that would have appealed to 3-year-old Paige, though this has also been one of the lessons learned by those who created it because the park is actually more used by teens who may have benefited by different equipment. This doesn't mean, of course, that the park isn't used. It has become a neighborhood gathering space and a place for birthday parties and church cookouts. There's a vision for continuing to add new amenities including, potentially, a large chalkboard where neighborhood organizers and poets alike can share their works, creations, and announcements. There's also a shelter that can be utilized. The pathway is very wheelchair friendly. The playground area would likely require some assistance for someone in a wheelchair, though it's a small enough area that it could likely be made to work. Paige Linn Booker Memorial Park isn't going to be confused for one of the city's grand parks. It's a simple "pocket" park that fits in with the urban area where it is set and it is clearly intended as a park that benefits the neighborhood. It's not a destination park. It's just a beautiful example of a neighborhood making their own neighborhood even better. This park reminds me a lot of the concept behind Commons Park. It's a place where the neighborhood's diverse populations can gather together, allow the children to have fun, and get to know one another. Every sign has indicated that this has been pretty darn successful at Booker Memorial Park. If you're in the area, I'd check it out.

The Blickman Educational Trail Park at White River was established in 2005 by Sol and Toby Blickman…read moreas an outdoor environmental educational destination for young people with a special focus on both Boy and Girl Scouts. Donating the land that allows a link between Marott Park and Holliday Park, the Blickmans funded this park to ensure it would remain in its natural state for perpetuity. The odds are fairly strong that you've driven by this park many times if you've lived in Indy for any length of time at all. Located right at 64th and Meridian, not far from the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation where the Blickmans were members, the Blickman Educational Trail Park is one of those "over the shoulder" sites where you pass it, you realize there's something there, and you look over your shoulder to try to figure out what it is. Sol Blickman was a longtime philanthropist in the Indy area. He owned Rogers Jewelers before selling it off to Zale's, then started Rogers Swimming Pools in Broad Ripple. He received a Distinguished Hoosier Award from Governor Daniels in 2005. The actual trail itself is short at .7 miles and connects to the White River Trail. There's ample parking here. It's worth noting that the Blickman Educational Trail Park is truly a "nature" resource and is not a recreational area. There are no real activities beyond those related to environmental education. It's also worth noting, and this causes a loss of a star for me, that the trail itself is not fully accessible, though I do believe there's a way you can detour that allows at least some access. Because the trail does have a section by White River, there's also the potential for flooding - when it's not flooded (which is most of the time), it's stunning in its beauty. This is one of those stunning little gems in Indy that it seems like most people ignore. I was honestly surprised it hadn't been reviewed but, again, it's one of those little spots that's such a short trail it's not really worth going out of your way. It's also set aside off Meridian Street and super easy to miss. I would definitely recommend checking it out at least once. It's yet another wonderful example of someone doing something really great for Indy and ensuring their legacy continues long after they've passed away.

For those who like to explore their city, sometimes it is hard to find names for points of…read moreinterest. For years, I worked on the southwest side of downtown (well close enough) and would drive passed a loose rock dam that stretched across the White River and raised the water level upstream to create a small lake near Riverside park. I could never find a name for this dam. When we get a decent rain in the area, the rocks become a mini rapids with white water. It is a cool point of interest near the old GM Plant and just west of Lucas Oil Stadium. I finally found a name for the rock formation and a small pull off area on the West Drive of White River Parkway, just north of McCarty Street/Oliver Avenue. Flat Rock at White River isn't really a park, but it does have a great view of the dam and has the Indy Skyline as a backdrop. There are also informational kiosks which allow you to read about the history of the area. Indy sure has had a lot of changes over its history. But I was there after a recent rain to check out the dam and to see a recent art installation at the car pull off parking area. (Watch for an upcoming review called Toy Bricks). This isn't the type of park that you will spend hours at, but it is a place you could take a quick stop and get some cool photos of the flowing water and the skyline. Note that parking is limited so be careful of traffic as you are parking so that you are safe. Welcome to this old, but discovered point of interest downtown. Check it out. Review #3830

I love riding my bike and our city has some great trails to get around on. The white river trail…read moreis one such path that takes you along the near west side of the city through IUPUI and white river state park and the zoo. As you head south along the trail from the Zoo, homeless encampments litter the sides of the trail. Just past these litter infused tent habitats is the spillway or overflow. You can drive here and miss the trashiness and the view is quite nice.

Located near the Lilly Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, this fenced park park at State and…read moreLexington is open even when the Club next door is closed. The park has swings and a couple climbing pieces of equipment. One of the perks is that there is plenty of open lawn for kids to run and make their own fun. Unfortunately, the park does not have a designated lot for parking or any independent water/rest room facilities. The park looked to be clean and well maintained during my visit. Review #540

Good park for younger kids. Almost identical to Highland Park's equipment, just very pink. Good if…read moreyou have small children or kids who are daredevils. Not many ways to hurt yourself here. Parking is easy. Very close to Mass Ave.