This is a small pocket park located in Cumberland and was dedicated in 1999. It does not have a…read moredesignated parking lot. So, I was able to find a spot on the side of the road to park in and visit the park. It also does not have a bathroom, but there is a port-a-potty nearby. The park is fenced completely fenced in has a grill that is off by itself, a small patch of green space that you could play catch or have a picnic. The park has a bank of toddler/traditional/ADA swings, a small playground area with a tunnel and a medium sized jungle gym with slides, a tunnel bridge and a rock climbing wall. The equipment is in decent shape, but one of the swings is missing off of the bank. You will find a picnic tables under a shade tree and a few benches at the park, one of which overlooks the play area. The park also has a less than half basketball court with a rim that appears to be about 7 or 8 feet high. I finally found a court that I can dunk on. Anyway, the court is decent and is perfect for a little one to shoot around. It is not a very good court to run a game. In the back corner of the park you will find a small memorial to notable Cumberland residents. A ceremony honoring those citizens is held annually at the park. This is decent park, but definitely not a destination park, and is used primarily by families in the nearby neighborhoods, which explains the lack of a parking lot. It seems to be adequately maintained, but does not get a lot of use. I was teetering between at a 3.5 rating, but felt that the park was closer to a three than a 4 due to lack of amenities.

Honors Park in Cumberland is one of the town's newer parks. It's practically the definition of a…read moreneighborhood park with a focus on playground equipment for smaller children and a fenced in perimeter to keep those same children safe. The playground equipment is your basic equipment - swing set, slide, stuff to climb on. While someone in a wheelchair could technically wheel to the area, this is not an accessible park. The best feature of Honors Park is its memorial monument area. The monument is engraved with the names of Honors Park honorees - the recognition honors those who've contributed to the growth and welfare of the town of Cumberland and specifically cannot include active politicians. Honors Park has the usual greenery that you'd expect. While it's not a fancy park, Cumberland takes their park areas seriously and Honors Park is no exception. It's beautifully green, well kept, and the playground equipment is in good condition. While it's far from a destination park, it's a nice neighborhood park for those in the area.

It's still hard for me to do park reviews without thinking of the late Yelper Ken N., a Yelp Elite…read morewho had a passion for documenting Indiana's parks and public art. Chatham Commons is a small yet attractive pocket park with land donated by long-time area residents Tom Jones (not the singer!) and Paul Atkinson in 2011. In addition to the land, there's a sculpture, Boy and Dog by Tom Otterness, that was also donated. This is really a gathering space for adults. There's no real kid-friendly features. There's very short walking paths, a pergola, benches, and ottoman chairs. The park is maintained well with the help of the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Foundation, though anyone familiar with Indy knows that the Chatham area folks take pride in their neighborhood and really do a nice job of taking care of this space. As a wheelchair user, I always have to look at a public space through an accessibility lens. Everything is really pretty fine here, though visiting the park really comes down to street parking. It's a relatively quiet area and not that hard to find a space that works with a wheelchair. Curb-cuts are appropriate and I can easily access all the features. The benches obviously don't have grab rails, however, I'm typically pretty happy if I can simply move around independently in a park and I can definitely do that here. Is this a destination park? Oh heavens no. However, it serves this neighborhood really well and is nicely utilized - especially during the summer and fall months I've noticed. There's only mild protection from elements - so during inclement weather this isn't the place you want to go.

This is a cute little pocket park. I am surprised that I am only the 3rd person to review it. It…read moreis very beautiful park that may be small, but has some really neat stuff like paved walking paths, a pergola, colorful ottaman style chairs and benches. You will also find a sculpture titled Boy and Dog by Tom Otterness right in the center of the park. There is a lot of free street parking available in front of the park as well as on the side. The park is well maintained, even during the off season and has a trendy, but peaceful vibe. The park is accesible and has a long ramp leading into it. The park and sculpture was donated by long time residents Tom Jones and Paul Atkinson. It was dedicated in their memory in 2011 as a gathering place for residents of the neighborhood that they so loved. I like this park and it is one that even if you are not a resident, you still would enjoy. It is however, very convenient for those people living close by. This is definitely worth a stop if you are in the are and have some time to kill or just want to relax and kick back for a bit.

Indianapolis World Sports Park was formerly known as Post Road Community Center. It's located on…read moreIndy's Southeastside and is easily most known for its game fields - cricket, soccer, basketball, Gaelic, and football. The park does also have a walking trail loop and an activity center with restrooms. There is also, of course, a playground. The park was expanded and renovated in 2012. It has 46 acres with wonderful greenspace and mature trees. The multi-use sports fields can be rented. The park has a banquet hall with meeting/event space - easily one of the best features of an eastside park. It can accommodate larger gatherings. The park received a $2.15 million grant from Lilly Endowment to add a new concession pavilion to be done by the end of 2024. The indoor facility includes a ballroom, dining room, fireplace room, and community room. The athletic fields can be configured into two cricket fields, four Gaelic fields, six soccer fields, or a variety of other options. It took me a while to realize this park was the old Post Road Community Center, though I don't really do the southeastside a whole lot. Prior to its renovation, this has existed since 1991 and is still one of the area's newer parks. This park is also pretty heavily utilized and I'm super fond of some of the activities here including free yoga, clogging lessons (Okay, I'm footless. I'm obviously not clogging - but I do love that they have it.), line dancing lessons, and art classes among other activities.

Just a short drive from the State Fairgrounds is a block-sized park with a nice sized hill and some…read moremature trees. Apparently this park is a haven for birds. It looks like just about any other bare lot with trees. It may be a place for bird watching, but with a title like this, I expected some information kiosks or some thing useful to people stopping by the park. Frankly, I'm not sure why this block is named this way. It still is a nice place for the neighborhood. Who doesn't like a calm and shaded woodland within walking distance? But it isn't a destination for anyone else. No benches, no shelter, no playground, no information. Oh, well. Review #720

Hidden away on a quiet little side street, near the Fairgrounds & right off the Monon Trail. Set…read moreaside in 1925, it remains one of the very few urban bird sanctuaries in the US. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much. But get out of your car or off your bike. Look at the interesting varieties of trees, both young & old. Walk the uneven dirt path, concentrating on the uncut native flowers, grasses, & bushes in the interior of the preserve. Suddenly, you're not in the city anymore. You hear the birds, you feel the breeze, the sun filters through the leafy branches. This is the way I like it, mostly undeveloped & undisturbed. Surrounded by a charming neighborhood with well-kept houses, it's a lovely little oasis in the middle of Indianapolis.

Along the Monon between 64th and 66th Streets in Broad Ripple is a stretch of land between Cornell…read moreAvenue and the trail that has been landscaped and designated as the Bill Brink Memorial Garden. Brink was a naturalist and nature photographer who contributed to the conservation of central Indiana. After he passed in 2011, locals decided to build this nature park which was completed in 2014. The park includes native plants and some of the flowers that attract local pollinators. The park also has a gazebo with information about the park and Brink. The gazebo is named after Tom Revard who was one of the key players in getting the city to acquire the land rights to the Monon rail line so that it could become a popular hiking & biking trail. Revard was an advocate for bicycle safety and served as safety director of the trail. I would have liked to give this garden a higher rating, but like many other memorials around the state, there was a lot of effort put into creating the space. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be the same amount of energy into maintaining it. There are numerous bare spots in the lawn and since there doesn't appear to be any watering, the rough summer has allowed some of the grassy areas to brown. Review #1177

It is basically a little island in the middle of an intersection or the center of a large…read moreroundabout, depending on how you look at it. There is a small fountain in the dead center of it with little paths leading up to it from all 4 roads. It's a nice little neighborhood hangout for kids and nature lovers alike. Loads of trees, the fountain, some benches, a bust and a historical marker. Irvington host a few events on this circle, my favorite being the Spooky Hollow generally on Thursday night before the Halloween parade. The winners of a student spooky story contest get to have their stories read. During 'Intermission" you can often see a dance performance of the witches aka Black Hat Society of Irvington.

Irvington Circle Park, which has also been known as Irving Circle Park, has been part of the…read moreIrvington area since 1870 but officially established as a .1 acre park in 1904. In the early 20th century, it became known as a much more wooded area with quite a few trees the park underwent a renovation after it had largely declined in condition by the 1960s. This included improving the fountain and planting more trees. This park exists at the corner of Audubon and University in a neighborhood that housed the original location of Butler University. Now, it's largely adjacent to a 3-location strip center and within walking distance of Coal Yard Coffee. It primarily consists of flower beds, trees, natural sitting areas, and a bust of American author Washington Irving ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), an appropriate author for this neighborhood that is noted for its haunted locations and Halloween festival. There are no true "amenities" here, though if you look closely you will see a brick paver program for people who sponsored the plaza. The park is also right off of the growing Pennsy Trail. It gives trail users a great place to stop for lunch or ice cream (Heartbreaker) or a baked good (Landlocked Baking Company) or a drink (Strange Bird). Friends of Irving Circle Park is a non-profit established to help maintain the park. While it's obviously a small park, it does host small events throughout the year - especially during the summer. This includes concerts. Geocachers should also note that there's a fairly easy to find geocache here. The 19th century Castle House is about a block away (and also has a geocache extremely close to it). Irvington was originally considered an Indianapolis suburb. It was annexed in 1902 and became part of Indianapolis. It was established by Sylvester Johnson and Jacob Julian. The two felt like it looked like Sleepy Hollow and decided to call the area Irvington. The park, as a result, is named after the established neighborhood. This little park is a great place to rest, renew, and enjoy one of Indy's more unique neighborhood areas. You can spend time on the Pennsy and/or visit one of the area businesses. There's lots of history to be found within walking distance and the streets in Irvington are nearly all named after American cultural icons.

This park is part of Franklin College and was built through the generosity of public donations. It…read morewas dedicated in October 2011 and spans 78 acres. The park was created to provide outstanding venues for Grizzly intercollegiate athletic programs for NCAA Division III competition and to encourage health and wellness in the campus community and Johnson County. The park is open to the public and has a very nice 10-court tennis complex. They are very well maintained. There is also a decent Track and Field Complex on the property. It has a quarter mile track and the other equipment need for field events. The park's softball/baseball complex consists of 3 very nice and well-maintained fields. The park also features a huge and nice paved walking path that goes around its perimeter. I saw people out walking their dogs on while I was there. The park borders the college and a neighborhood who has a direct path to enter the park through. The park is not short on green space. There is a huge field with moveable soccer goals. The field can be used for field sports such as football, soccer, field hockey, flying a kite, or just hanging out. The park's parking lot is huge which would be suitable for a big softball tournament. You will find a decent sized shelter/pavilion with picnic tables under it near the main ball field. This is a nice low-key park that is primarily used for walking around the trail, walking a dog, or doing field activities. Outside of sporting events, the park does not get a lot of traffic, so if you are looking for a low-key place to hang out and do some fitness activities this could possibly be your place.

Brown's Corner Park is a 3.22 acre park that is, quite accurately, a corner park existing at the…read morecorner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. The park is named after 2ndd Lt. Hilton Brown, who as a young boy would play Army in the area. Lt. Brown ended up being killed in France during World War I. As Ken N. noted in his review, there's a plaque in the park that explains who Lt. Brown is along with one honoring the life of painter William Forsyth. The park has no amenities. It is adjacent to Pleasant Run and does tie into the trail. The park recently experienced some clearing out of its wooded area due to a homeless encampment that existed within the park area. There's a short turn lane here to access East Washington. This is adjacent to a residential area and also can easily access two gas stations directly across the street. This is certainly not a destination park, however, it does sit on the edge of Irvington and definitely recognizes some Irvingtonian history. While the Kin Hubbard Memorial is directly across from Brown's Corner, it is actually a separate park. There's no real reason to stop here unless you're like Ken - who had a passion for documenting Indiana's parks as part of his Yelp involvement - or like me and simply pass it on a daily basis to and from work. I'd probably give it a 3-4 in terms of access. You can fairly easily park in the residential area if you want to visit. There are curb cuts here, however, the park does have a bit of a rolling landscape with the exception of the easy to use trail that goes through it.

This small park lies on a triangular piece of land at the corner of Washington and Emerson. The…read morepark is named after Hilton U Brown, a field artillery lieutenant who died in the battle of the Argonne in World War I. The park has no amenities other than a small drive through lane for parking if you are headed westbound on Washington Street. Most of the park is wooded along the Pleasant Run river. A small plaque is on site to tell visitors who Lt Brown was. A second marker can be found in the park. It is for painter William Forsyth, one of the Hoosier Group around the turn of the 20th century who lived and had a workshop in a home diagonally across the street from the park. Unfortunately, the home was destroyed long ago and only the marker is left to remember the significance of the works painted there. Review #557