## Yelp Review: Northwest Park Annex **Rating: **…read moreWe really love coming here because it's so accessible. There are always plenty of parking spots, and the trail is super easy to walk since it's all paved. One of our favorite things to do is open up the Merlin app while we walk, it's a great area for birding and it's cool to hear all the different kinds of birds in the trees. There is also a little river creek that runs right along the path, and the sound of the water is so lovely and relaxing. The water looks very clear, and we've seen people and dogs getting in, though we aren't 100% sure how clean it is. Still, it's a beautiful, peaceful spot and definitely worth a visit! The trail seems very clean and very well taken care of, just sometimes after a rain it gets floody in some spots They have a small restroom by the parking lot and the stalls are open so not sure about that but everything else is 5

Nice paved trail. Very flat and level, pretty much no elevation gains at all. Paralleled a creek…read morefor a fair amount of it. Lots of flora and fauna to try to identify. Not many people on it at mid day on a Wednesday.

Always great to walk in this space as close to home but like being in a forest. It gets pretty busy…read moreand the path is narrow so have to often step off or into the underbrush. It is a friendly group though so usually not an issue. We took our rescue dog and it was a bit of an issue when someone walking had two dogs off leash. They were calm but to prevent a scuffle I had pick up our dog. Not great but it helps to be mindful of others as this is a city/urban park. The picnic areas are few but nice and there is a lot of space to wander. A fun spot!

This "park" is pretty nice for being in town! It had rained so it was slightly muddy and the…read moreinclines could be a bit slippery but the trail is well kept and easily marked. It's nicely tree covered and I've even seen a few owls and wood peckers the Bochum always make for a good walk! Quiet and peaceful with little rises to get the blood flowing - go for a walk!

I live not far from Indy's Ellenberger Park, an Irvington landmark designed by George Edward…read moreKessler and opened in 1909. This makes it one of Indy's oldest public parks. The pool opened in 1930 and in 1962 an ice rink was installed. The park encompasses 42 acres and includes two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, football/softball/baseball areas, and has played host to the popular Irvington Farmer's Market. It's also a popular spot for Indy Parks concerts. Those into geocaching should note the park actually is host to multiple individual geocaches. The park is actually surprisingly undeveloped. It has rolling hills, a popular spot for winter sledding, and a good amount of the park doesn't even have sidewalks. It's remained quite natural over the years with lots of mature trees. As a wheelchair user, of course, this can be somewhat frustrating given that a certain amount of development is needed to be accessible. While I love Ellenberger Park as a place to visit, there are geocaches I can't reach and places where I risk tipping over if I venture to them. Trust me, I've done it more than once. The park is close to most Irvington area restaurants along with the adjacent Pleasant Run and nearby 10th Street. The Park is named after John Ellenberger, whose family owned much of the land in the area and who'd been generous with the community and had often let residents use the land. In fact, there was controversy when the park was "officially" established as it required a tax hike. People couldn't figure out why they were being asked to pay taxes for something they'd already been using for free. But, they did. The park temporarily changed names, but residents again protested and it returned to Ellenberger Park as it has been since the early 1920s. Ellenberger Park lacks sheltered picnic areas and public restrooms. There was talk of creating more parking, but it would have cost the sledding hill and that was too steep a price to pay (Sorry, couldn't resist). The ice rink was closed in 2009 due to needed repairs that were deemed too expensive. Even the ball fields don't have seating with them. Ellenberger Park is that rarity - a rather large park more focused on nature than activity. While I can't quite go a 5-star because of accessibility issues and some general upkeep concerns, it remains a place I visit often.

This park is huge covering about 42 acres. It dates back to the early 1900s. It is a nice park,…read moreespecially for walker/joggers. There is adequate parking, especially by the pool. The park has a very nice paved trail to run. It trail is pretty flat and is rock/dirt. There is also more woodsy trails available to hike if you so desire. That trail runs along a small creek. Additionally, You will find benches and picnic tables scattered across along the trail across the park. I did not see any restroom facilities around the park. I did however, see a few porta-potties. The park's tennis courts (2 sets of 4) are in need of repair. The nets are decent, but the courts themselves are ragged. It has a unique set up, The fence is tall in the back and short on the sides. It makes it easy to watch, but I can imagine some balls sailing over the fence. The park is home to a huge green field that is well maintained. There is where you will find a football field, or at least two opposing goal posts and two baseball/kickball fields. Those fields are the pure basic and they do not offer many amenities or features. The field can be used for activities such as playing catch, frisbee, soccer, kite flying, and field hockey. It was surprised to see that the park had an aquatic complex, however, it is not operational and was empty. It does look like it has a lot of potential though. There is a small playground at the park that consist of a swing set with an older set of swings and an accessible jungle gym that has parallel bars and slides. The ground is lined with wood chips. The park is also home to a sand volleyball court and some of the most bold squirrels I have seen. They are not afraid of people at all. The volleyball court is decent, nothing special. The Irvington Farmers Market, day camp, community water gun fight and some concerts are hosted here. It is a nice park to play sports or workout. The playgrounds are a bit lacking and would probably not be as fun for kids.

it was a fun amazing place for me I thought of it as a gym big fun and enjoyable loved itread more

This is a fun little park, right near the post office on Southeastern. I noticed the splash pad…read morearea on my drives past it coming to and from the post office and took my visiting friend and her four kiddos there one day. They were much more impressed with this park than they were the 100 Acre Wood we went to first. Apparently, splash pads are the coolest thing ever. ;) The park itself is fairly small, but they do have bathrooms (locked or stuck shut the day I went, for some reason), some picnic seating, swings and playground equipment, and of course, the splash pad. If you're nearby, it's worth a visit!

This park is a good size for Southport area. The parking lot has plenty of spaces. They have a…read morecovered picnic area. Some of the playground equipment is older and some of the newer stuff is missing belts. They have a basketball court and a softball/baseball area. My toddler is a simple guy and enjoyed picking up the sticks and running around. So I'll give it 4 stars,

This is the definition of a traditional park. It is a small park with its own private parking lot…read more It has a medium sized shelter with picnic tables under it and a couple of grills next to it. The shelter has seen better days. There is also a field with a kickball backstop. The field does not have any markings, base lines, or mounds. It is just an open green space with a back drop. So, it can be used for other field activities such as soccer, football, frisbee, flying a kite, or playing catch. The playground equipment is in decent shape for the most part, but could probably use an upgrade soon. There is a set of monkey bars, a merry go round, a huge spiral slide tower, a metal slide, a bank of 3 see-saws, an expression swing, a hilly balance beam, a metal climbing pyramid, a bank of traditional swings, and a bank of toddler swings. Behind the swings are a couple of picnic tables and some benches. It looks like there is a merry go round that has been fully taken over by dirt and weeds and looks more like a garden The park has a full basketball court that is decent. The court is a good shape and the rims have nets. The court has benches along the side for resting or spectators. and there is a set of bleachers over there that it shares with the field. This park is alright. It is not like the new mega playgrounds, But it is one of the better ones in the area. I may not have the flash or pizzazz of the newer ones, but it can provide fun for a couple of hours.

Beckwith Memorial Park falls under the umbrella of Indy Parks and is located in what is known as…read morethe Martindale Brightwood neighborhood. The park was established in 1970 and is a smaller park at 5.24 acres. It's pretty much the definition of a residential park - it is located between the Blackburn Terrace Housing Development and the Wheeler Boys & Girls Club. For those who know Indy history, this park is named after Frank Beckwith, an Indianapolis attorney and civil rights advocate whose parents had grown up as slaves. He became the first African-American to run for President in a primary. The park is pretty simple, though it is pretty well maintained. It has playground equipment, football fields, basketball courts, and a shelter. As Ken N. noted, this is really most logically accessed through the housing development - and, yes, there are still speed bumps galore. I was only here briefly as there's simply not a whole lot to do. It's not a destination park. It's genuinely developed to serve this neighborhood - and for the most part, it seems to do that well. I have a similarly designed park not far from my home, however, the park by me is a little bit too hidden for my liking. This park has strong visibility so that parents can keep track of their kids. Overall, this is a solid mid-range park that serves its neighborhood well. However, for those seeking a more destination park or a park with more features this definitely isn't it.

This park is one I would like to give a higher rating, but because it is located where the only…read moreaccess is by going through an apartment complex loaded with speed bumps every 100 feet or so, I found it easier to get lost than to find the park! I was driving around 30th and Keystone and couldn't find an entrance from either main street, so I angled northeast on Baltimore Avenue and drove by the main entrance to the complex. I saw 32nd and turned toward the direction of the park and got caught in the maze of turns, angled buildings and bumps. (I would hate to have to get out of here in a hurry!) Anyway, I found the park and it appeared to be in good condition with new basketball courts, a playground and a single shelter. There was a large trash spill from one of the trash barrels, but that should be an easy fix for the parks department or the neighbors. But I have enough trouble dodging potholes so going through the endless speed bumps make me think I would rather move on to one of the other parks unless I lived here. Review #693

This is a nice clean park with well maintained facilities and trails. There is ample parking for…read morethe park at its parking lot and along the street in the adjacent neighborhoods. The blue river trails run through that park. They have a nice playground, a ball field, tennis courts, picnic tables, grills and restrooms. It is one of the larger parks covering 10 acres. They also have nice shelters that can be rented. 2 hours - $40, 3/4 hours - $60, 5 or more hours - $80. The park is peaceful and a nice place to take a stroll, work out or just relax.

Although I visited the park on mowing day, I came away feeling this is one of the nicer parks in…read morethe area. There are large shaded areas with picnic tables and benches. There is a playground and baseball diamond here with a shelter and restrooms conveniently located nearby. The Little Blue River runs along the opposite side of the road, so it is easy to cross over via a metal bridge that spans just below a mini-waterfall (about a foot or two). Because the water flows quickly through here, swimming and wading is prohibited. The park needed some trash pickup and hopefully the maintenance crews took care of it after mowing (better if they did it before hand!) Sadly, it is a shame that people can't be bothered to throw away their own waste. It makes the park less enjoyable for those who come by later. Review #861

Relaxing,well kept property and playgrounds for a neighborly feel…read more No recent pics to post.

Given that I am in a new town for a month, I figured I would explore my surroundings. My pup was…read moredue for a much needed long walk filled with sights and sounds to stimulate her senses as I was kind of cooped up in the house I was staying in in Saint Albans, Vermont. Don't get me wrong, there was a park or two in Saint Albans, but the major one (Taylor Park) was a bit of a walk aways. It was beautiful with a vast expanse of open land and they held a Farmer's Market there in the Spring, but it was at a distance from where I was, so I didn't frequent there as much. The park I am reviewing now is 9 minute walk from the apartment I am staying at. This park was absolutely amazing and rivals that of AD Barnes Park and Tropical Park in Miami, FL where I grew up but Riley Park is like ten times better! As I entered, I didn't expect much except some large canopy trees, oak trees, birds, and maybe on occassion running into some butterflies, and following down a winding path. As I kept moving forward, I first cane across some very well kempt tennis courts and it wasn't like one or two only but like 7 or 8 and on top of that they offer free tennis cardio classes on Sunday to the community. That was like the first tally mark in my mind in terms of Yelp checkmarks. The park itself continued to seem very clean. There wasn't a surplus of dog poo everywhere or debris or litter of any kind. I then happened upon some more greenery and then what I came to learn was a bike park. This was thee coolest thing I have ever seen at a park. Guests can practice for free I assume on the turf. What made it so sppealing to me was that the gravel itself was super new and dark and also well kempt. Whoever the custodians are for this park deserve to be recognized because this park is at least 40 acres I read online! So the bike park/ramps weren't the only astonishing thing abiut this place. As I made my way around, there was also this bridge that connected to another more elevated area of the park (so please be mindful if you are someone that has trouble walking up steps or hilly areas to be careful). It was a beautiful red bridge kind of like one you would see in the woods somewhere in New England. It sat atop a bumbling brook where moss, ferns, and probably some other creatures one can't see would traverse. Once yoh make your way across the bridge, there was an acquatic park, yes, an actually water park with a pool. If I recall correctly it is named The Kathy Dowling Acquatic Center but don't quote me on it. I didn't get a full view of it as I didn't know if I could bring my dog to that area, so I refrained as I wanted to abide by park rules/policies. I walked paat it but I could see a few large colorful closed tube water slide. The kid in me would have totally gone on one of those lol but I wasn't in proper attire to do so. Plus, I aas walking my dog. What made the walk more fun were the woodland type creatures I encountered along the way like the squirrels my dog would try to chase, some ducks floating in the pond, and dragonflies (as well as beautiful butterflies of course). I had to get a better view of the ducks because I love ducks, birds, penguins, blue jays, etc. They were all huddled and congregated together and I didn't wish to disturb them but it's been awhile since I have seen a majestic Mallard. There were some pretty tall trees in the area as well near that pond as well as a Rock Garden. I liked how they had descriptions of the various landmarks or designated rest areas as you mKe your way around the park. So by this point, I had almost made my way around the park. There were some playground areas for kids with swings and slides that seem like perfect play areas for birthday parties. I am sure they probably have some covered shelter areas to host parties as well or other types of gatherings. I am not sure if they would be free to use or cost money to rent. I passed by a basketball court as well. Another cool area that I had to take a photo of was the skate park. I couldn't believe they have one to use, and for free. Now I myself don't skateboard (I tried to many years ago as a kid but failed lol) but I just was so amazed that these places were available to use for free! My jaunt continued to another brook/pond area as my dog insisted on sniffing around there . She is mighty persistent and she must have really loved the park as she urged me to take her around it again for a second time This time though, I got to see things I didn't notice the first time and yes this was all on the same day. It was probably about a 45-60 min walk tops but I didn't mind as it wasn't super hot or raining and I needed the exercise. I used to walk around parks or grassy areas or jog a lot more and have stopped in recent years, but it was so nice to be in nature, I obliged. I noticed they had these signs with stakes in the ground called "postcards" where they would highlight a major milestone in the parks history. It was a nice added touch.