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.

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.

St. Bernard School is a private Catholic school that has existed since 1866, and has been in this…read morelocation in Hillsboro Village since 1905. St. Bernard Park was established as a city park in 1996. Now, whether or not it was purchased or donated, I've been unable to find definitely. In 1996, there were talks of turning Elmington Park into a "Cancer Survivors Park," with monuments and art and plaques, but neighbors felt it too bleak and it was overthrown. The idea then went from Elmington Park to St. Bernard Park, where it again was overthrown by the neighborhood. The park sat, overgrown and undeveloped for a few years. The street facing view was renovated with a paved sidewalk, benches, and newly planted trees, celebrating a grand reopening in 2011. At least once every four or five years since it's acquisition, there have been talked about what to do with this park. Metro Council has meetings, neighborhood associations have meetings call mom and it's not hard to see why. The location is perfect; it's a cute little pocket park, with ample parking. There's no reason it shouldn't be a bigger attraction. Right now it just kind of exists. The most recent plan is to create a sculpture garden with art installations. There's a grand plan for it on Metro Nashville Parks' website. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. But for now, this is a nice respite near the trendy Hillsboro Village for a quiet walk in the park.

For as large as the Hillsboro neighborhood is*, I haven't spent much time in it in years. Each time…read moreI do, though, I tell myself that I need to walk its sidewalks more. Part of the reason for my lack of regularity in the area stems from its, largely, residential makeup. I don't have (m)any friends who live in Hillsboro so I don't have much reason to check it out. Wandering around places like St. Bernard Park, however, makes me regret that fact a bit. The park, from what I can tell, is part of the nearby school. If not an official part, it has to be grandfathered in; it's right next store. Abutted by the school, condos and Cape Cods, it's easy to label the park a neighborhood spot... and it is. I doubt anyone will take the time to travel across town to visit St. Bernard Park. It's pretty but it's not magnetic. If you live in the area... it's a different ball game. St. Bernard is a sleepy park perfect for a casual stroll to catch up with a friend, take a private phone call or walk a lazy dog. It's not too large but it has enough interesting features to keep your eyes busy and enough benches to allow you to sit for a spell and take in some passive nature. Despite being off a major street, it's surprisingly quiet. Parking is easy to come by, either using street parking or the few designated spots to the side. I was taken by the bridge feature. It's been relatively dry of late so there was no water to walk above but I enjoyed the detail. The presence of cattails and weeping willows add to the pleasant landscape, promoting daydreams and idle thoughts. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I arrived to St. Bernard Park but I enjoyed the time I spent there. I can't say that I'll be a regular but if you live nearby, I'd recommend you spend the waning days of autumn making a loop and paying attention to the flora details. There's a rhyme and reason to it. St. Bernard Park is, yet, another excuse to explore your metro. *Yep, I'm one of those weirdos who delineates Hillsboro from Hillsboro Village from Belmont. They're different neighborhoods, people!!

This park opened on the site of an old rock quarry, and was named Rock City Park, in 1966. It was…read morerenamed in 1972 to South Inglewood Park. It has 19 acres, a community center, a playground, public restrooms, picnic shelters, baseball diamonds, football/multipurpose fields, and a paved jogging/walking path. This park underwent an extensive renovation in 2008, and it still shows. The park is well maintained, and the fixtures are nice. The back end of the park is very hilly with a rolling terrain, which I'm sure will be gorgeous in bloom this spring.

South Inglewood Park isn't large and it isn't especially fancy. It doesn't even remotely approach…read morethe size or beauty of Shelby or Centennial Park, but it is a park, and I'm strongly pro-park! It does have two baseball fields and a pavilion, and if you live in the Inglewood/Cahal/Stratford area, it's a nice place to get out and enjoy the weather. Occasionally I like to get take-out from a nearby restaurant (like Chicago Style Gyros or Bailey & Cato) and picnic at South Inglewood. It's usually pretty abandoned, though there are occasionally kids or locals running about. South Inglewood Park is in a part of town that isn't...well, upscale. I've never seen any shady activity going on in or around this modest little park, however; though I wouldn't recommend going there at night. South Inglewood is really small, but it's pretty neat. Besides, who can complain when they squeeze a nice little park into your neighborhood?

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.

I would love to know what the story behind the Edgehill Community Memorial Garden is. It's a huge…read moreplot of land right behind the Nashville Public Library Edgehill branch on the corner of Edgehill and 12th. The Garden has a playground, a swingset, a baseball diamond, two shelters, some benches, some asphalt walking paths, and a concrete slab that looks like it could have been a basketball court at some point. But mostly the garden is just just grass. It was neat to see a bunch of kids from the nearby apartments playing there after school, but I wouldn't want to be in the garden after dark. However, the space is probably safer and friendlier now than it was five years ago when the park was founded by Reverend Dick Allison and the Organized Neighbors of Nashville.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most unique parks in Nashville. It's only three acres, and was…read morefounded in 2013, but this is a GEM in East Nashville. There are several natural water springs in the area, and this plot of land was a bottling company for the water. It went out of business and the land was bought by the Nashville Parks Department. It then became this lush, overgrown, naturally wooded area. There are trails that snake around and loop around. Be aware of the shoes you wear, because there are some bits of broken glass around, but you will forget you are in the middle of busy bustling East Nashville. You will get lost, and feel like you are in a much bigger state park on a hike. It's an amazing experience, and there are signs around notating the history of the land without being too touristy and intrusive in the overall experience.

4.5 I had no idea…read morethis existed and, unless you live in the neighborhood (heck, maybe unless you live on the street), you probably don't either. Lockeland Springs Park is one of the most successful green reclamation projects I've encountered in Nashville. It gives life to the belief that the metro is made up of incredible green spaces in (most) every neighborhood. When I arrived at the dead-end, I saw a sign and that was it. 'Was this a joke?' I wondered. There was, what appeared to be, a path... but it looked a bit sketchy. I figured since I was coming here in the light of day and kids were engaging in organized play at the local school playground, my potential screams for help would be heard by *some*one and I wouldn't be Blair Witched. So, into the woods (without delay), I went. Wow. I would have loved this as a 9-10 year old. On the grounds of a former bottling plant, the city was able to create a green space that reminded me of A Bridge To Terabithia. The space is strewn with tree canopies, bridges, outdoor classrooms, plenty of wood creatures, streams, a fairy garden, and small trails that are perfect for weekend afternoons of adventure and play. I kept thinking how lucky the neighborhood kids must be to have such a perfect woodland scene for play. On a brisk fall afternoon, I gave in to my inner child and spent some time in a world of imagination I allow to live far too far away from me on a regular basis -- and I smiled all the while. This neighborhood park is utterly charming and spending some time visiting it improved my mood for an entire day. Reconnect with the you who had super powers, explored enchanted forests and/or went on brave odysseys. In a world filled with more than enough adult stressors, respites like Lockeland Springs Park are gravely needed.

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.