Alonzo and James Carroll Napier were born Nashville, to a freedman and blacksmith. The school…read moreadjacent to the park is named for Alonzo, and the park is named for James Carrol. J. C. Napier attended Wilberforce College, Oberlin College, and Howard University. He worked as an attorney, and a banker, before getting enveloped in civil service. He served on the Nashville City Council, was in charge of the Centennial exhibits on black achievements, and served as a US register of the Treasury under President Taft. He began to push hard for local playgrounds for the local black community. This land was purchased by the Nashville Parks Board in 1913 for $1,500, and dedicated in J. C. Napier's name. Today the park sits with 2.13 acres, and has a playground, a swimming pool, and a community center. The park has hosted a lot in its time, from day camps, to tennis competitions, to basketball competitions, to concerts and plays, and even scouts. There's a beautiful mural here as well. The neighborhood is a poorer one, and it's concerning to see the bars on the windows of the homes surrounding the park. There's also no where to really park. But, it's worth it to see this gem of a park. It's one of the oldest in the city, and has a charm to it.

3.5 I'm rounding up…read morebecause there's a pool but a 3.5 rating is accurate. This is a neighborhood park to be sure. It, like many parks in the metro area, is connected to a(n elementary) school so unless you have little ones or are planning on spending your time in the attached community center (more on that), I would only come here during the weekend. Otherwise, you run the very real risk of looking like a creeper. The park itself is small. There's a metro sign, brick lettering and a small (like, suitable for an elementary school game of kickball -- not one played by adults) field and that's about it for the green space. The playground is a part of the school. While I'm sure (at least, I hope) it's accessible to the neighborhood kids, it's not part of the park proper. Another not so great aspect of the park is is the proximity to the street. If said elementary school kids were playing kickball and the ball got past the outfielder, you have kids running into traffic. There's no fence or anything else to block the kids off from cars. As a park, the green space doesn't make a lot of sense -- especially when it should be serving the needs of the community/neighborhood. The community center is a different story. There's plenty of parking, ample air conditioning, many rooms, and the above-mentioned pool. These are all pluses and make me consider the viability of the park apart from the community center. I think they should be reviewed together, so I am sticking with the 3.5/4 rating but, again, this is closer to 3.5. Yes, the park is across the street from the Napier Homes but I didn't feel any sort of way during the day on a Saturday. I'm sure it's different at night but there's not many parks you should be at at night. #facts As Nashville grows and the cash/land grab extends its all-consuming paws this way, I am sure Napier Park will change. That will be a very good/bad/sad thing... and it's coming. It's definitely coming.

I'm here for the 9-11 summer camp program and a kid tried to drown another kid tried to choke me…read morebesides that the place is decent

Hartman Park was built in 1964, and at 54 acres, has a community center, playground, restrooms, a…read moreplayground, baseball field, basketball court, tennis court, swimming pool, a paved walking/jogging path, and a canoe launch. The land was originally the grounds of the Metro Convalescent Hospital, but was transferred to the Parks Department in 1964. It was named for Richard W. Hartman, a community leader who worked with the youth of Bordeaux. Metro Police has used a portion of the park for police training since 1983, which is the same year the community center opened. The swimming pool was opened in 1998. The park underwent a renovation in 2010. This park was the least maintained of any I've visited so far, with trash and debris everywhere, and features in ill repair. However, it does host a trailhead for the Whites Creek Greenway, which does redeem it quite a bit.

This area was once known as the Old Hickory Triangle, a commercial spot in the Old Hickory…read moreneighborhood from the 1920s to the 1940s. It was purchased by Nashville Parks and Recreation, who opened a park on the property in 2013. The land was developed into Veterans Park, which is managed by the Veterans Memorial Park of Old Hickory nonprofit group that works to specifically honor veterans from the 37138 zip code. The organization has ceremonies on every Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Itself, it is a small plot of land, at only less than half an acre. It has a gazebo, and many plaques commemorating various sets of Old Hickory neighborhood veterans from different wars. There's a lot of charm parked into this pocket park, and it will pull a patriotic string on your heart.

You know you're in Berry Hill when the street signs turn blue. Berry HIll houses a lot of cute…read moreshops and restaurants especially around the Bransford and Thompson intersection. One of the first homes on which I put a bid last year was in Berry Hill near the White Trash Cafe. It was a darling house, but that part of the neighborhood is a bit unsavory so I eventually decided against it. There are a couple pockets in the Berry Hill neighborhood that seem a bit unsafe, but those are balanced by the more developed, cute parts like the area with Sam and Zoe's. I first happened upon the shops in Berry Hill by accident, and the area still kind of feels like it arrived out of happenstance. It has a really charming, small town business district feel.

Most people think Berry Hill is a part of Nashville, but it's actually a small satellite city…read more Since Berry Hill is so sprawled out, it's not very pedestrian-friendly. One of its most unique commercial areas in the area is the stretch of Bransford Ave. between Wedgewood and Thompson. Bransford is lined with small independent stores, mostly located inside old houses. These moderate to high-end stores specialize in various gifts and collectibles, from designer consignment clothes (Designer Renaissance) to dogs (The Dog Store) to whimsical gifts (Curious Heart Emporium) to beads (Beaded Bungalow). The stores are Bransford Ave. are all charming and personalized, and have a less urban feel than areas like Five Points or Elliston Place. As I looked around the various establishments in Berry Hill, I kept thinking that this is the kind of area that my mildly countrified middle-aged aunt, who likes interior decorating and knitting, would enjoy spending a Saturday afternoon. Even if you don't fit that description, Berry Hill is a nice (slightly slower, friendlier) change of pace. There's also a great coffee shop in the heart of Berry Hill, called Sam and Zoe's.

We were visiting from out of town and the place we were staying did not have a pool. For five…read moredollars each we found the swimming pool here to be very enjoyable, and filled with folks who made us feel welcome. This included a hot tub and sauna as well as very comfortable shower facilities. Highly recommend!

I called them prior to driving 30minutes to the location to see closing hours. They told us 6. Upon…read morearrival at 5:20 we were disheartened to learn we would not be able to enjoy their services that would close @5:30. We were misinformed and improperly informed of time and drove 30mins from airbnb. We also found out it was due to a mishap on their end that we were not accommodated for. The walk back to the car was very unpleasant for my sister who was in a bad accident & uses a crutch. Some kind of accommodation or apology would've probably sufficed. As a facility, train staff and make sure they're knowledgeable of the facilities's hours of operation, and are aware of discrimination policies.

Really more of a 4.5…read more This branch is great, easy to access and always has parking available. Hours are good and the employees are always nice. I love NPL in general because they don't have late fees. I have taken advantage of this a couple of times when I forget a book is due and am rushing to finish it. I'm not sure when you would incur a fee as I'm sure they don't let you keep the book indefinitely. One of my biggest pet peeves about other library systems is that, at some point, a book I return somehow doesn't get checked in and is deemed overdue. I always have to return to the scene of the "crime" and tell them in person that I indeed returned it and to where I returned it. Frustrated, I've made it a point to return books direct to a human at this branch and have not had an instance of a book not being checked back in. [knock on wood] What's nice is that no employee has ever cared that I ignored the bin outside and the return slots found just inside the entrance on the right. They just say "Thank you!" One feature I feel would really make me a solid 5 stars is if we could pause our hold requests. I would borrow 50 books at a time if I could read that much or if I had no guilt for keeping some other borrower from a book or two or fifty. But alas I have borrower's guilt and must make the brutal decision to *pick* which books I'm in the mood to borrow at a particular time. Speaking of hold requests, I sometimes strategically wait until my hold period is almost up. One time, I went to the library in the middle of the day on the last day a book was held. It wasn't on the shelf. I showed an employee the email stating the held period ended that day. She confirmed it was a mistake and found the book in another room. Thank goodness. She also confirmed the holding period does not exclude the last day. Hopefully, it was just a one-time hiccup. Lastly, I used the restroom and though it was clean and well maintained the auto-flush was so violently loud that I almost let out a loud expletive. It makes the Xlerator hand dryer seem like a light breeze. Just something to keep in mind if you need to use the facilities.

Front desk woman was rude and she said the library would close at 7:45 pm even though the posted…read moretime is at 8 pm. Then she proceeded to turn off the lights at 7:32 pm and told everyone the library closes in 3 minutes. It's sad that this is how our tax dollars are used.

As big of a library junkie/book nerd as I am, it took me a surprisingly long time to visit this…read morelibrary after moving to the area. It is aesthetically pleasing, the staff has always been friendly, and they have a pretty big selection of materials. This was also a great place for meetings and tutoring prior to COVID, and I'm sure it will be again once they can safely reopen the building to the public. This is one of the nicer libraries I have visited. And now during COVID, they offer curbside service so if you can't get that book electronically, they have you covered. I have used curbise service a few times without issue. Just make sure to have your ID ready and you will be all set.

I needed to return a children's book and was driving past this branch. I figured I would just step…read morein for a minute, grab another book and be on my way - branch libraries are small, right? We stayed almost an hour. While there are more play amenities at the downtown Main Library, the book selection is as good or better for children. The books are generally in better shape, as were toys to keep the kids occupied while you browse or check out. Overall, it was less crowded, cleaner and quieter. If you're on this side of town, stop in and stay a while.

Overall, this is a decent enough library located next to Richland Park…read more The staff were friendly and over, my visit here was a positive experience. It is good to see that our communities still support libraries. I would recommend 5.

We pop in after the farmers markets on Saturdays to play in the kids section. Lots of games,…read morepuppets and books for the little ones. A nice venue... would love to come for one of their events for kiddos but hours are tough for a working mama. Great little spot