At 32 acres, Frederick Douglass Park is a large, nice park. It has a soccer field, baseball field,…read moreplayground, and a sandy volleyball court, which was something we hadn't seen before. The park was originally established in 1936, and was in a predominately Black neighborhood, often referred to in newspapers at the time as the "Fred Douglas Park for Negroes." It was demolished in 1963, and rebuilt a quarter of the mile down the road. It was originally called Douglas Park, in the May 1935 Parks Board, and someone scribbled "Fred" before Douglas in the meeting minutes. For eighty years, the park was named Fred Douglas Park. Many believed the park was named after the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and historians hunted for a prominent Nashvillian by the name of "Fred Douglas" to no avail. The park changed named by unanimous voting in 2017 to the Frederick Douglass Park we now know. There are no real paved paths, so plan to run around in the grass. It is a very well maintained park.

With the Maxwell area being a source of recent activity on the east side, I'm pretty surprised to…read moresee that no one's reviewed Douglas Park. I'm guessing that as more people start to populate this side of Main St, the review ghost town might change. Douglas Park is an attractive area staple that should entice people throughout the general area to check it out, not just neighborhood residents. For a residential/neighborhood green space, Douglas Park has a lot to offer. The park itself offers a variety of potential experiences: sports, gatherings, dog walking, book reading, relaxation, etc. It boasts a soccer field, baseball diamond, hills, large shade trees, and a playground. I was impressed with the maintenance the park enjoys. Sometimes, in certain areas of the city, landscaping tends to be an ignored (or, blighted) part of the equation. Not so at Douglas Park. While it's, unquestionably, a neighborhood park, it's big enough and has enough extras to attract people from all over to enjoy what it has to offer. And one of the biggest pluses it has to offer is proximity to Downtown and sweet views. Remember those hills and shade trees I talked about earlier? Well, if you go up that way to enjoy a book or a nap, before you get too engrossed in your activity, look up and to the west. If you do, you'll be pretty happy with a gorgeous view of the skyline. On a mid-summer's day, you might be shocked with how much you enjoy the view -- and the silence. There's decent enough parking options, seeing as the park isn't overrun with outside visitors... yet. If you haven't checked out Douglas Park or (this section of) Maxwell, take a Saturday and swing by. I think you'll be happy with what you find. Explore your city.

Watkins Park was established in 1901, and has 8 acres. It has a community center, a playground,…read morepublic restrooms, picnic shelters, a baseball field, a basketball court, tennis courts, a spray park, a pump track for bikes and skateboards, and a paved walking/jogging path. This park was the FIRST public park in Nashville! Samuel Watkins was a Nashvillian who served in the War of 1812. As a brick-maker and construction contractor, he became independently wealthy, even securing the business for the construction of the State Capital building, and eventually funding the Watkins Institute. The land had been privately owned by Watkins, but used for public purposes such as political rallies and school commencement ceremonies. During the Civil War, Union soldiers overran the park, and basically ruined a lot of the natural resources on the land. He donated this land, named at the time "Watkins Gove" to the city of Nashville in 1870. The city of Nashville opened the park in 1901, setting up the landscaping by natural citizens, and setting up the first children's playground in the city here. The park is beautiful. It packs a LOT in a relatively small space. It's historically significant, as well. It was only due to the popularity of the park and playground that the city of Nashville began seriously acquiring land and plopping as many playgrounds down as they could. Standing in the park, you can see the State Capital building, and it gives you a real sense of appreciation for the gift Samuel Watkins truly was to the city.

Watkins Park is a pretty perfect city park -- and I'm a bit surprised that I am the first person…read more(on Yelp) to review it.* The park itself is located in the Charlotte Pike no man's land that seems to change names every other year. Watkins Park? Fang? Something else? Who knows. When/if looking for the park, aim for MLK High and it's right across the street. The area has gone through some significant changes over the years and what you knew about it, say, 8 years ago is no longer accurate (like a good amount of Nashville these days). But this review isn't about the area, it's about the park. And, the park is pretty awesome. With it being just west of Downtown (and with large buildings slowly moving past the interstate), you can get some lovely skyline views while in the park. It's bordered by trees and a stone fence that gives an unexpected bit of character to a city park. There are plenty of mature trees and a good bit of flat green space, making me think it's lovely in the spring time. If you're a walker/runner, the park has a trail just for that. It's a circle (or, circular) so while there are no hills to choose from, you're assured not to get lost. If you're looking for exercise that comes from not running in circles, you're in luck. There's a large tennis court, a basketball court, a couple of playgrounds for the kiddos, a baseball diamond, and a SPLASH PAD! Yep, all of this... in a city park. Fantastic, right? Smack dab in the middle of the action is a large pavilion perfecting for family reunions, cookouts and other food gatherings meant to be shared under wood coverings while outside. The park itself has a nice amount of lot parking, which is helpful since street parking is a bit of an issue. And if all of this isn't enough to get you to visit, Greenbrier Distillery and Marathon Music Works are just beyond the train tracks and tree border. Given Watkins Park's design and proximity to so much, I'm pretty shocked by the low traffic. As much as I hate the phrase, it seems like it's a hidden gem for green space lovers. In the middle of a busy cityscape, I was shocked to experience such a well-planned and paid-out park. Watkins Park has charm, space, activities, and loads of natural beauty. Spring is coming. You should spend some of it here. *Well, not really.

Eastland Park is a small neighborhood park situated at the corner of Douglas and Chapel in East…read moreNashville and offers a simple, but good time outdoors. I came by for the walking path, which is .25 miles long and circles around the perimeter of the park. Inside that perimeter sits a bit of open green space, a covered picnic area, basketball course and a playground. There are no restrooms or water fountains here. The park is no frills and offers a small space for the neighborhood to get out and about in. Overall, keeps me outside and in the super walkable East Nashville neighborhoods, so I am a fan.

I stopped with my son so he could stretch his legs while running errands…read more This park has two play areas, one for smaller kids and another for bigger kids. There's also a small basketball court, a swing set, and field to run around. There isn't a designated parking area, just street parking. The park was pretty clean when we were here, except for a empty water bottles on the basketball court. This does seem like the neighborhood hot spot for dog bathrooms breaks so watch your shoes while running around in the field. There's plenty of trash cans here so hopefully people cleanup after their pets. My only real concern is the park is not fully gated in, so kids can easily run into the street and the cars driving near the park do not slow down. Stay vigilante!

As the city grows and transplants look for new nooks and crannies within the borders to settle, so,…read moretoo, does the attention increase on the green spots that help to make neighborhoods neighborhoods. With the eyes that have been on Cleveland Park of late, I am surprised to be the first review for this neighborhood destination. 'Discovering' what the park had to offer was a joy; it's a perfect spot for nearby locals. One thing I enjoyed about the park is that it was utilized. People who have been in the neighborhood for a while were throughout the community center, working the front desk, playing basketball and ping pong, playing with their kids on the playground... I hope the neighborhood can hold on to the character and community it enjoyed before the boom... because the park is a great neighborhood resource. Nestled squarely within the Cleveland Park neighborhood (and a nice smattering of original homes and the new abominations developers are hellbent on popping up all over the city), the actual park is a few city blocks of greenery, mature trees, 2 baseball diamonds, a soccer field, community center, swimming pool (!), indoor & outdoor basketball courts, meeting rooms, foosball, and a pavilion for lunching. With a generous parking lot, I was impressed with how well maintained the park is and how deceptively large it is. In roaming all around it, I was surprised to find more hidden gems. There's a walking trail that abuts a tennis court that could use some TLC. It also overlooks train tracks (the vegetation hides them for the most most). But this is, truly, a neighborhood park. It's extremely well-planned and offers resources for residents to enjoy as a community. Some of the parks/green spaces we explore are more of the 'open field' sort -- and that's fine. There's a lot of beauty in wide open spaces. But to come across a park that had a specific plan, a conception borne of need and execution that delivers -- and on the east side -- well, it's a joy to encounter. Cleveland Park (the park) is a joy. Explore your metro and discover it for yourself.

Established in 1963, at 18 acres, Cleveland Park has a community center, a playground, public…read morerestrooms, picnic shelters, baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools, and a paved walking/jogging path. The history of the property isn't very well documented, but in my research, I did find a lot of criminal activity here in the 1970s and 1980s. With East Nashville being gentrified over the last ten years, it will be interesting to see what changes happen to this park in the next few years, and how much money gets pumped into it. I did enjoy the trail along the perimeter, and the layout is very typical of Ben West-era parks.

A small park that is mainly a children's playground, however there is a small bench and picnic…read moretable for parents to hang out as their kids play. This is not a place to come walk around, however I am sure it suits the neighborhood fine, especially the people with small children.

There's not a whole lot publicly known about this park. But I can absolutely tell you why that is!…read more The city of Berry Hill is a satellite city in Nashville. The land itself was originally owned by William Wells Berry (1813-1876) who was the President of Third National Bank, and a wealthy landowner in town. In 1950, the people of this neighborhood voted to become it's own city, splitting from the incorporated city of Nashville. The city, in 1950, at its founding, was 1 square mile, and had less than 1,300 residents. Since then, many residents have moved out, selling their homes to local businesses. Today, there are less than 600 residents. It's important to know this, as this area of town is very quaint, with many 1950's style homes, many of which maintain that structure and charm while housing businesses. You may find yourself shopping for jewelry in what used to be someone's bedroom. While still a city, since Nashville was incorporated as a metropolitan city, it governs over Berry Hill much like a county. There are three parks in the center of Berry Hill. Iris Park is a very cute little playground. I really enjoyed the fact that the playground equipment is unique, and not the same, industrialized plasticy equipment you will find in every metro Nashville park. Berry Hill has a lot of personality, so it makes sense that its park would too.

A small park attached to a shopping mall, I applaud the use of a strip of property to give people…read moresomething more than just more parking spaces. Plus, w0ith several restaurants around, ot is either a good place get an order to go or walk off a fine meal after the fact. Being that it is in Nashville, the Music City, it is decorated with a few guitar statues.

Interesting spot! its like in the center of a parking lot of stores! I would say this is really…read moresmart cause I can shop and throw my kids there it's kinda small but it's nice.

2.5 This isn't so…read moremuch a park as it is a thatch of grass. This isn't to say that a small grassy area can't be a big improvement to a neighborhood but I don't know how much (of any) planning was put in to Elizabeth Park as a concept. I've seen other small parks in town do more with less space but that may have something to do with the neighborhoods and resource allocation... but that's probably a topic best left alone for now. As things stand, Elizabeth Park makes a nice distraction on a fall day but it's not a destination for anyone who lives outside this section of Buena Vista. Unfortunately, I don't know that it offers much to the residents of the neighborhood. Again, the park is small -- I'd say they're the equivalent to two decent-sized plots of land. The park is flat and open, so it's best used for a game of tag for the little ones or as a way to read a book on a bench during the warmer months. The few mature trees offer pretty scenes if not much shade. There's a basketball court that seems to be in good shape but it's not overly expansive. I didn't know what to make of the community house on property. It was locked when I was on site. Perhaps it holds more treasures that benefit the park community. As with most things on the north side, this part of town is slowly gentrifying. It troubles me that there doesn't seem to be much park activity in this part of the neighborhood for now -- especially as I guess that this will change in the next six or so years. That doesn't quite seem fair. The small park inspired me to walk around and see what else was happening in the neighborhood. Beyond views of Downtown (remember that whole gentrification thing?), I found some exciting murals and a bevy of small businesses that had no activity (listing, pictures or reviews) on Yelp. I did my best to take photos, fix addresses and create listings but the exercise served as a stark reminder that, even in a boom, progress doesn't affect us all equally.

What a wonderful area for kids, adults and dogs on leash. Great walking trail ... 4 nicely done…read morebasketball courts ... areas to sit and relax ... picnic area.

This property was originally a part of the Belle Meade Plantation, and owned by Walter O. Parmer…read more In 1927, bought 8.25 acres of land was donated to the Nashville School Board open a new school. Five acres were owned by Metro Nashville, and the three plus acres remaining owned by the city of Belle Meade. It was originally a one room school house with sixty students, but within a year added 4 classrooms. In 1931, Parmer School was the first Nashville school to get modern refrigerators. In 1940, enrollment expanded to over 350 students. By 1951, an additional 14 classrooms had been added. When school bussing and integration began changing the dynamics of Nashville schools in the 1970s, many people in Belle Meade began sending their children to private schools and Parmer School attendance dropped. By 1981, it only had 84 students, and was the least populated school in the county. The school closed in 1982, and it was used for storage for Metro Nashville Schools while people tried to figure out what to do with it. The city of Belle Meade discussed, at length, building housing or a park or selling the land to a private developer, but were unsure of effects on neighboring property values or the city's budget. There was debate over the legality of Metro Schools transferring the property to Metro Parks, as well as the jurisdiction of Metro Nashville versus Belle Meade over the property. An arsonist burned down the school in 1985, by way of six small fires set in different spots in the school. The red tape was finally cleared, and the property became a public park in 1986, leaving the stone and brick archway as a reminder of the school's history. Today, it hosts a playground, picnic shelter, baseball field, basketball court, and paved walking/jogging path.