Been coming here for YEARS and I still haven't gotten bored, which says a lot because I get bored…read moreeasily. Farmers market season? I'm here every single week like it's a scheduled personality trait. The food is phenomenal dangerously good. It's not a "go hiking, break a sweat" park, it's more of a lay on the grass, rot peacefully, people watch kind of park. Very cute. Very chill. Also a solid date spot if you're trying to seem outdoorsy without actually doing outdoorsy things.

Sevier Park is a nice enough park, though somewhat small…read more There is a community center attached and the overall park has a pleasant enough vibe. I had my lunch here, sitting on a little bench at the basketball court. There are also tennis courts. All in all, a nice enough park.

This is a beautiful park only few minutes drive from downtown. The park is huge, free to explore…read more It has several large murals in multiple underpass bridge, walls and boundaries. There's a big children's playground, a sand volleyball courts, and picnic benches. There's a dog park as well. There are free parking spots right along the curb of the park, with 2 hours limit. At the entrance of the park there are multiple gates built with steel beams. The park seemed to be safe and well lit. Even after dark, we were comfortably hanging out in the playground and taking pictures around the park. The underpass with the big mural has big light posts on each side, so the pictures come out nice even at night time. The murals at this park are so colorful. Of course the most famous one is the 5 famous singers. Then there's the graffiti one at the railway underpass. Then there are multiple other colorful ones that look really amazing. We took a lot of pictures in front of all of these amazing arts.

What a cool park we stumbled upon in Nashville! I would definitely make a point to visit this…read moreplayground area with kids, even though we didn't see a lot of parking close by. There is a parking lot near, but not directly in front. There is a very nice gated dog park, sand volleyball court, covered benches, drinking fountains and some historical park information.

Harpeth Knoll Park... exists. It has the same bright colored, plasticy playground equipment Metro…read moreadded to most of its playgrounds in 2005. But that's about it. The land itself was purchased by the Metro Board of Education in the 1960s. They tried to sell it in 1976, but couldn't find a buyer. However, it was at this same time, in the 1970s and 1980s, that the neighborhood began to really develop. This part of Nashville isn't even on maps until the 1960s. The name of the park derives from the fact that it is, in fact, a grassy knoll. There's a small playground, a beautiful art installation bench commemorating the 2010 flood, and a very depressing looking baseball area. It's definitely not big enough for Little League or anything regulation. But this park exists in 10 acres, approximately 80% of which is just a field of grass, unencumbered by shade. We walked about half a mile around the perimeter, and enjoyed the sunshine. There was little to no paved section, so our walk was in the grass.

3.5 You know what I…read morelike about parks? They're peaceful. They're a place of refuge from the chaos of traffic, the noise of the city center and the confusion of the world. In times like these, we could all use some peace. Take some time to take a walk and reconnect with nature. Leave the cell phone at home, chart a course and remember what it was like to walk on green grass -- barefoot, even. It's important. Harpeth Knoll isn't my favorite park of the metro system but it has its charms. First of which (for me) was the drive out to it from the east side of town. Nashville's a pretty green city but the southwestern edge of the metro takes things to a whole 'nother level. HK is a small(er) park in the middle of an old(er) neighborhood and stuck between the past and present. The overgrown baseball diamond and boundary of mature evergreens tell the tale of an older park. The new playground, park benches and art piece seating, however, imply that some new life and attention's been given to this old girl. What I think is the standout feature of the park, though, are the views. The spaces are wide and open and the mature trees dot the perimeter of the space, not the center. That means, in addition to being a perfect set up for kick ball, if you stand in the middle of the park, you can look out at gorgeous green hills (or, 'mountains' as little kids may call them). Harpeth Knoll isn't a destination park. It's a neighborhood/local focal point, perfect for letting the kids burn off some steam, reading a book as the sun massages your shoulders and walking barefoot in the green grass as you look out at new hills to climb. On days like today, any of those are good reasons to visit. It shouldn't, though, take days like today to do so.

Bordeaux Gardens Park was established in 1964, and has 12.26 acres. It has a playground, picnic…read moreshelters, baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a paved walking/jogging path. This park is not the most welcoming- there's no parking, a fence around the perimeter, and many warning signs advising of the "no drug" and "no weapon" policy. The land itself is 12.7 acres, and was originally owned by the County Hospital. The people of Bordeaux at a council meeting requested the land to be a park, so the County Hospital leased the land to the Park Board in 1964. The park itself is pretty- it underwent a beautification project in 2010. The neighborhood doesn't seem to have a high crime rate, and the neighborhood association is ran by a group of strong retirees. I'm unsure why the park is so hostile. However, it's well worth the visi

Nice playground for kids and grassy area for if you want to play fetch with your dog!read more

Founded in 2012, with 112 acres, this park has picnic shelters, and a paved walking/jogging path…read more It's a very large, undeveloped land with greenery and walk ways. The park itself is only about thirty acres, but it's the gateway to the 80+ acres of the Whites Creek Greenway. Joseph Brown Mullins was a self made, successful African American land developer in the area in the 1920s and 1920s. The greenway itself borders a fine line between "lush and undeveloped" and "messy and unmaintained", so it really will depend on if you're a glass half-full, or glass half-empty kind of person. There are two loops, and one one-way path across the way to Hartman Park, and it isn't marked or anything, so check a map before you come and have a plan.

I don't know where the greenway ends and the park begins. I didn't see any distinctive signage to…read moredelineate the two. That lead to a confusing visit. Greenways are too large to try to take on the way that you would a park. I think I would have enjoyed Mullins Park more had I known where I was going and what I was doing. As it was, I sort of felt dropped in to the middle of a greenway with a lot of overgrown vegetation. Truth be told, the overgrowth reminded me of Children of the Corn and it sort of creeped me out. Despite there being a paved path that goes the length of the greenway, the isolation of the park, the lack of people taking advantage of the park (although it backs up to a neighborhood) and the 'wrong turn' vibes I got while exploring on my own, I didn't want to spend much more than I had to and I got the heck out of dodge. Again, I think a contained, defined park system would make more sense. From what I could gather -- and what I experienced -- the park is the lip of the greenway and it's just too large to take on in an afternoon. You should know where you're going and what you're doing which takes away some of the point of checking out a park. All the above said, I wouldn't label this as a destination park. I would imagine that locals have a better sense of what's going on and where to go than I did. A couple of closing thoughts: 1.) I enjoyed seeing a large amount of butterflies doing their thing. Seeing them made me realize I never see (or, pay attention to) butterflies out and about. 2.) I don't spend a lot of time in Bordeaux and I should explore it more. It's deceptively close to Downtown but feels a world away. It offers a suburban feel with city access. I wonder if the realtors have realized this...

Tom Joy Park was founded in 1991, and sits at 6 acres. It has a playground, a picnic shelter, and a…read morepaved walking/jogging path. It sits behind an elementary school. This property has an interesting history. This land was originally purchased in 1882 (over 91 acres total) by Tom Joy and his family to create a family estate and elaborate greenhouses. As a florist, Joy's Flowers is today one of the oldest florists in the country. Tom Joy even became the director of the Society of American Florists. He died in 1937, and a parcel of the land became the Tom Joy Elementary School two years later, presumably donated by Tom's widow. The school itself was built in 1939, and by the 1980s was due to be condemned and replaced with a new community center. The neighborhood organized and fought, for a couple of reasons. They knew that a new building would be ineligible for grants and funding. They knew the building could be saved with some elbow grease, and they also knew they needed a "cause" to organize the community around. They prevailed and Metro Nashville not only helped to save the school, but they were able to pump $78K into building this park. Today, the park is a small spot of land, and has a cute little pavilion. The playground equipment is a little dated, but charming.

According to the sign in the park, Tom Joy is a neighborhood. What? I can't be the only person new…read moreto this info. Before my trip to Tom Joy, I'd lumped a lot of locations in this side of town into the 'Highland Heights' neighborhood. According to signs, that's not accurate. Whether the neighborhoods are of realtor origin or had been there and ignored by people outside of the block-radius, there's a lot to the northeast side that hasn't been well-documented on Yelp (and other Nashville-related publications). That's a shame. Literally, it's a shameful situation. There's more to Nashville than a few neighborhoods which get written about over and over and over again. I try to do my best to write about them. Join me. Anywhoo, back to Tom Joy Park. This is a neighborhood park, next to a school. I understand why these exist but they always make me feel a bit creepy to go to, seeing as I don't live in the neighborhood and don't have kids at the school. It makes me feel like I am a walking 'stranger danger.' I guess that's another distinction between neighborhood parks and destination parks. The park itself is a decent-sized circle/oval with young trees dotting the perimeter and a giant mature tree by a corner. Since it's level, flat and, mostly, open it's a perfect place for kids to run themselves to exhaustion and for teachers/parents to keep an eye on them without extending much effort. From a kids point of view, the crown achievement of the park is the playground. It looks fairly new and there are a couple of areas to explore/dominate. From an adult/parent point of view, there are benches for sitting, a pavilion for lunching in groups and a well-paved, clearly-defined circular path for walking or running (but, probably walking). Tom Joy Park isn't a park you're likely to seek out if you don't live in his part of town. If you do, however, it's a perfectly fine place to go for a concentrated walk or to bring your kids so they can let off some steam. And if you find yourself on a Saturday afternoon with nothing to do and some Nashville wanderlust in your heart, it's a perfectly fine place to spend some time exploring your metro. Do this. I promise there's more to the city than Downtown, Germantown and Green Hills. And for all those 'East Nashville' types, this is a good time to remind you that 'East Nashville' is an area of town made up of neighborhoods... neighborhoods (evidently) like Tom Joy.

Decided to ride out to Granny White Park with my 13 month old to burn off some energy and get some…read moresunlight in before bedtime. It was the perfect night. This park is excellent for toddlers- so much to play with and experience. My son can walk but this park would also be great if you had a crawling baby. There is a smaller children's area that is turfed and has many different play items that kept my son's interest. He did not want to leave. Lots of park are difficult to take this age to just based on there not being enough equipment for them to play with while also not being safe/hazardous for toddlers. Would highly recommend this park!!! Pros: - fenced in - so many swings - clean bathrooms - lots of parking - fun and enjoyable

I go here often on weekday mornings with my three kids (ages 4, 3, and 1), and it's probably the…read morebest park in the Nashville area for young kids especially if you have multiple children. Parking is incredibly easy since the lot is huge. The playground is fully fenced, which is one of the biggest reasons I love coming here. At many other parks there are creeks, busy walking paths, or playgrounds located too close to roads. Here, the playground is nicely separated from other activities, making it much easier to keep multiple kids safe. The restrooms are nearby and have always been clean during our visits. The playground itself has plenty to keep my kids entertained, and I especially appreciate that I can let my 1-year-old explore without constantly worrying about dangerous drop-offs or easy escape routes. The only areas that require a little extra supervision are the large blue slide and the spinning play feature. The park is nicely shaded and has several tables around where you can sit and enjoy a snack or lunch. I believe you can also rent the pavilions with tables for parties. If you have toddlers, preschoolers, or several young kids to keep track of at once, this park is hard to beat. It's safe, well-designed, and one of our family's favorite places to spend a morning.

Truth in advertising: it is a playground. Even though the signage reads 'Monroe Park' there's not…read moretoo much park of which to speak. The area (speaking geometrically) is, about, two city lots. On said lots, you'll find some benches, a decently-sized (and well-maintained) fenced-in basketball court a few mature trees, and said playground. The playground is more of a jungle gym. It's not particularly large nor new... but it's not tiny nor is it old and falling apart. Abutted by houses and apartments, this is a place to let the little ones burn off some energy after school or on a weekend.* However, given the proximity to Jefferson Street, the new brownstone/3-flats going up across the street and smell of more new construction on the way, it's hard to say what the future of the playground will be. As of now, this is a nice neighborhood (not destination) playground in an up-and-coming (sorry. I don't particularly care for that phrase either) part of town. If you live in the area and have some little ones, bring 'em by. It'll be interesting** to see what happens to it in the coming years. *I would also say post-church would be a good time for running around (there are two churches within spinning distance) but the kiddos would be in nice clothes and no parent is going to let playground foolishness occur in Sunday clothes. **A loaded term if ever I wrote one.