This park is a decent sized city park. There is ample parking and they have a half and full…read morebasketball court, a playground, a covered pavilion with picnic tables and a splash pad. There is also a restroom facility that is open durning park season. The park is named after Bertha Ross, a woman that along with her husband created a kids neighborhood baseball league on that site to keep the kids off the street and give them something productive to do. The pavilion is a bit flimsier than other similar one, but is still nice and has a grill. It can host approximately 50 people. You can reserve the pavilion for special events. Otherwise it is a first come first served. The playground floor is covered with wood chips to cushion the little ones falls. They have some decent equipment. a set of older style swings, a cargo net tower, a saucer swing, and a jungle gym with a few slides coming from it. The basketball courts are nice and have the most bleacher seating that I have seen in a long time at an outdoor court. Both courts are also in good repair and relatively nice. Additionally, the half court appears that it can be lowered. there is lots of ope space at this park, but much of it is not flat and has hills ditches and gullyes. You could still find a solid spot to play catch, fly a kite, kick a ball around or have a picnic. This park is a solid park. However, it does lack a running trail, but you can make your own path if you wanted. It is also located right off of a main drag so it is not as not very calm or quiet. All in all I like this park, but probably would not make a special trip to come here.

Just a block south of Newfields\IMA is a very nice city park. With easy access from MLK\Michigan…read moreRoad, the park is a nice stop for walking among mature trees, taking kids to the splash park or playground, or shooting hoops on the courts. There is a single shelter with tables and near the splash park is a restroom. Nice to see a park with amenities. Parking is easy too with a paved area near the shelter and play areas. Everything seemed to be in good condition. Overall, it looks like a really nice place to try. Review #683

Alfred "Al" E. Polin Park was first established in 1973 as 29th and Talbott Park. It's a small…read moreneighborhood park sitting on two acres of land within the Mapleton-Fall Creek Neighborhood with a handful of amenities: Shelter/Picnic Tables/Benches Playground Equipment Basketball Court (It's my understanding Lilly Endowment funded this) Restrooms (Seasonal Availability) This is most definitely not a destination park - it lacks any unique features and has only minimal parking available around the neighborhood. Essentially, the people who use this park are within walking distance to do so. This park is perfectly fine for what is basically an urban playground for kids. The basketball court has somewhat increased its use as at one point there was talk of tearing down the park to increase parking availability in this area (it's quite limited). The park is named after Al E. Polin (obviously), a lifelong Mapleton-Fall Creek resident who retired as the coordinator for the Quality of Life/Human Relations at Allison Transmission. He served on the Indianapolis Community Policing Board, Drug Free Indiana Commission, and for the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center. He actively worked to develop parks for youth and his work to improve life in Mapleton-Fall Creek contributed to his having the park named in his honor.

The former 29th and Talbot park was renamed for a local citizen who did much to preserve the…read moreneighborhood. As part of the Indy Parks system, the two acre park has a number of amenities like a shelter, a restroom building (open seasonally), park benches and picnic tables, swings and a climbing playground. On the north end of the park is a basketball court. The biggest drawback to the park is finding parking. There is a lot next door, but it is designated for a business with ominous threats posted to anyone else who uses it. So, you have to find street parking if you can (just don't expect any on 29th.) Review #518

This review is solely for Alleto Family Sports Center, and not Carmel Dad's Club, the organization…read morethat runs and uses this facility for its sports. I've got beef with Carmel Dad's Club, but I won't let that take away from the fact that this sports complex is great. See how fair I am? I am so unbelievably fair and nonpartisan. My family and I have been to Alleto for soccer games, and the fields are always very well tended and nice. During the warmer months when soccer games are going on, there's a concession stand that's open where you can get your little snacks. Recently, we were inside the indoor facility for basketball. There's also a snack bar inside, with popcorn and sodas and things. We visited at the end of the day, and popcorn was all over the floor near the bleachers, and it was kind of gross. But the basketball courts are nice. Alleto is also the location for Carmel's popular Firefighter for a Day camp, and is also the place where Carmel Dad's Club takes sports photos. I'm sure there are lots of other things that go on here, but those are the only things that I've visited Alleto for. Basically, if you live in Carmel and you have children, and those children play sports with Carmel Dad's Club, you will eventually end up visiting Alleto at some point. It's a main sports hub in Carmel.

Updating my review, because McCarty Triangle Park has been given a drastic glow-up since I last…read morereviewed it three years ago. The playground has been updated, the basketball courts have been widened to a full court instead of a half court, and a picnic shelter and grill have been installed for the community to use. This little park is so much better than it was before! The playground is also so much better, and is now a lot more inclusive than it once was. One of my favorite features is the Cliff Rider, which is a long pole that kids can climb onto and launch themselves from one side of the playground structure to the other. You have to see it to understand! It sounds kind of dangerous, but it's actually not, and it's a fun way for kids to test their boundaries in a safe space. There's also a ring to spin around on, a rope climbing tower, multiple swings (including a "you and me" swing where caregivers can swing with their children) and lots more. The playground is designed for kids ages 5-12. In my last review, I mentioned that this isn't necessarily a "destination" park. But if you happen to be in the area, it's not a bad place to play. However, sometimes even the smallest pocket parks end up holding a special place in your heart, for multiple reasons (or even just a singular reason). That's the case for me with McCarty Triangle Park. This is a special little place.

This park is relatively small and was just ok for me. It is a very dirty park. There was trash all…read moreover the place. The park has a pretty beat up full basketball court. One of the rims is even missing the nets. The playground area is lined with soggy wood chips and has limited equipment. There is a traditional/toddler swing set and a large accesible jungle gym with pull up bars and slides. The equipment is adequate, but definitely shows signs of wear. You can find pockets of green space at this park, but it is right in the middle of a neighborhood and surrounded by streets on all sides. This park does not have a designated parking lot. There is a lot of parking available on the streets surrounding the park though. This park is ok if you live nearby and can walk to it. It is definitely not a park that i would drive to. There is a lot of money being put into some of the city parks recently. Hopefully, this park will see some of that money.

This is not really a park. But for the purpose of the review. I will call it a pocket park. It…read moredates back to the 1920s, is very small and is in the middle of a road in a residential area. There is a lot of trees in the park, which really works out on a sunny day, providing lots of shade. The park has come landscaping, paved walkways, and some benches. It main feature though is the Memorial Sundial that honors the organizations that made it possible, as well as the first black Indianapolis police officer to be killed in the line of duty, William Whitfield. The Park was originally named Watson Park, after the owner of the development, Watson Hasselman. I guess they did not like Hasselman. Anyway, the park's name was changed to McCord Park in 1970, in honor of Robert McCord, a local resident who who personally took care of the park for 20 years. I do not see much utility for this park. I just ate my food on the bench. The most use I see the park getting is from people from the local neighborhood walking their dogs through it. Also, the sundial and park in general was in need of a little attention. The grounds could have used a bit of landscaping and the dial is starting to show signs of wear and tear and being exposed to the elements.

This small park is a neighborhood gem with quite a history. Not only was it maintained by Robert…read moreMcCord during the sixties who was a local gardener, but it also features a Memorial Sundial in honor of a fallen policeman. The park itself is located between Central and College Avenue on the north side of 36th Street. It's triangular shape comes from being wedged into a space where Watson Road angles off of 36th. There are trees and flowers that add to the peaceful nature of the park. In the center of the park is a large sundial dedicated to Officer William Whitfield who was killed in 1922. Officer Whitfield was the first African-American Indianapolis Police Officer killed in the line of duty. Sadly, his murder was never solved and he was buried in an unmarked grave. But in 1998, review of records uncovered this tragic oversight and IPD honored the officer with a full honors funeral at Crown Hill Cemetery. Review #506

This spot is a new downtown favorite for our family. We live "just up the road" in the Old…read moreNorthside and have thoroughly enjoyed our first 3-4 visits to this newly opened play cafe in Herron Morton. What to expect: -clean and well-designed playspace that is ideal for ages 6 and under -private room for birthday parties, etc. -charming cafe with legitimately good coffee and snack offerings -cafe seating along the sidewalk (did I mention there's a bike lane that leads to this spot?) -friendly and helpful staff -nursing/quiet room -SUPER kid-friendly and clean bathrooms (big fan of the wallpaper) -community events on the calendar -Working hours available for parents to pay a special rate for childcare (see schedule for exact days) In a nutshell, grab your friends, kiddos, etc. and check out this new sweet spot in our community.

This is a small park that has a lot of potential, but not well maintained.It has been around since…read more1971 and is a 2 part park with a street separating the two. On one side There is an empty black top that is falling apart and some park benches. There is a very nice basketball court over there that is sponsored by IPL and the Indiana Fever. There are benches around the court. On the other side of the park is a few more benches and hop scotch court a merry go round and a half decent play ground with slides. This side of the park is surrounded by a fence, but the fence does not have a gate. The park is right off of a busy road and parking is limited pretty much to the street. There are no amenities such as water fountains or restrooms. The park is a no frills space that is not very peaceful with all the cars zooming by. However it is decent enough for local kids to play or someone to shoot a couple of Js.

This park is most notable for being split down the middle by a side street leading from Washington…read moreSt into the neighborhood south of the park. The west side of the park only has a basketball court. There is evidence that there may have been more amenities at one time; a number of circular concrete rings have been poured into both sides of the park, but have empty centers. Over on the east side of the park, there is a nice playground and a small shelter with some tables. Again, there are a number of empty concrete rings with empty centers. The east side is surrounded by a small fence which helps keep kids from the heavy traffic on Washington St. The park has a lot of potential, but currently is mostly idle. Review #660

This is another park on the near east side that started off as a five star park with lots of work…read moreand effort put into transforming a vacant lot into a place for peace and serenity. And with some love and attention, the park could return to a more inviting place. Labyrinths are places that visitors go to wind their way through a spiraling path while unwinding their anxiety and fears. The park is surrounded by flowers and contributions from local artists that make the place visitor friendly. But the landscaping needs some help. Though the labyrinth is mowed, the grass is really spotty and some of the path's spirals are blocked by shrubs that have popped up. Stepping around the shrubs requires exiting the spiral you're on and that defeats the process. Hopefully, the park will get some neighborhood or park assistance in returning it to its full benefit. Review #2712

If you spend much time with me at all, you eventually learn that I have a passion for labyrinths…read moreincluding a sort of "in development" plan to develop my own memorial labyrinth project as part of my Indy-based activism. I've long been a fan of labyrinths, though surprisingly few of them are truly wheelchair friendly. Indianapolis is actually home to quite a few labyrinths, though they are for the most part not well-publicized and often times are either not in permanent locations or easily accessed locations. Rivoli Park Labyrinth is the rare labyrinth in Indy to be established in a truly urban location. Established with seed money by Peace Learning Center, the Rivoli Park Labyrinth was first established on October 10, 2013, and is considered an outdoor walking labyrinth and reflective space. The Rivoli Park area is on Indy's Near-Eastside and the labyrinth is located about a half-block away from what used to be the Value World thrift shop. The labyrinth itself is of a triune-focus design and was designed by John Ridder of Paxworks. The labyrinth includes several stumps located right next to it that allow for sitting - as a fun fact, they were decorated by children from the nearby "Love Your Neighbor" house. Multiple artists also donated their time toward beautiful of the area and a log book utilized to record visits, though during my visit not long ago I did not see the logbook. As is unfortunately all too often the case, and as noted by fellow yelper Ken N. during a recent visit to the labyrinth, the Rivoli Park Labyrinth's care is rather inconsistent. Depending upon when you visit, the Rivoli Park Labyrinth may be somewhat overgrown and certainly not reflective of the peaceful ground it was intended to be. As a project that is only a little over six years old, it's rather sad how quickly the project has declined and how inconsistently it receives appropriate care and attention. If you visit at the right time, you can experience a more user-friendly labyrinth. This is especially true on World Labyrinth Day in May. However, on the best of days, this is a more difficult labyrinth for wheelchair users, such as myself. It's a wonderful project, an urban project located in the heart of what is known to be gang territory, yet it's a project that appears to not really be fully embraced year-round and if you're truly looking for a labyrinth to use that is outdoors there are more peaceful, positively maintained labyrinths available throughout Central Indiana. In doing a little bit of research, I learned that a non-profit organization started to support the labyrinth has since been voluntarily dissolved. One can only hope that such an inspired idea finds an appropriate organization to provide the care and nurture it needs to be a shining light for Indy's Rivoli Park neighborhood.