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.

At first glance, Lt. Graham Edward Martin Park seems like a relatively small park. As you drive in,…read morehowever, you begin to realize just how big it is (65 acres) and you can't help but notice that major improvements are in process. The park was established in 1979 and named after one of the first African-American offices in the U.S. Navy. After the Navy, he went on to coach varsity football and baseball from 1947-1982 at Crispus Attucks High School. Prior to its current life, it was known as 16th & Fall Creek Park. The park is definitely experiencing significant upgrades right now. The downside to that is that it looks pretty darn awful right now. It has shelters, basketball courts, softball diamonds, tennis courts, and playground equipment. It has a lot of green space. There are significant playground upgrades coming, and the plan on file includes paved, walkable pathways. When I was at the park today, there were a couple IU Health vehicles. Others would join in. It kind of seems like a weird location for a park as it's just west of the Methodist Hospital and it's mostly an industrial area. However, I drove to the back of the park and noticed a pretty decent residential area not far away. If upgrades weren't in the works, this would easily be a 2-star park. Here's hoping the upgrades make a big difference for this promising but seemingly neglected space. In terms of accessibility - there's not much here. Everything right now is pretty faded and worn. There aren't really workable paths, so a wheelchair user would struggle here. Again, however, the upgrades will help and will offer some improved accessibility. I did not see any public restrooms here, however, I didn't wander a whole lot.

The park was originally known as Fall Creek Park. It is over 100 years old and was renamed 10 years…read moreago to Lt. Grade Graham Edward Martin Park after one of the first African Americans who became officers in the United States Navy.  This seems to be the park that time forgot. The park is surprisingly big, covering about 67 acres, and has covered pavilions, basketball courts, playgrounds and lots of grassy field area. There is a fair sized parking lot near the basketball courts and a gravel area to park near the playground. There is also free street parking available. The tennis courts need some severe TLC and are barely playable. The fields are not very well kept either and are in need of some grooming. The park has a full and a half basketball court. They are very nice. They are the best thing about the park. There are benches on the side of the court that you can sit and watch games. The playground is accessible and is a bit worn. There is a swing set, and a decent sized jungle gym. There is also a very metal merry go round there as well. There are two covered pavilions with picnic tables under them at the park. However, grills were noticeably missing. This park is in desperate need of help and really needs some maintenance, grooming, and upgrades. There was no one there while I was there, except for someone playing in the field with their dog. This park has so much potential, but I it is now, I would probably not visit here if I did not live in the adjacent neighborhood.

I visited Martin Luther King Memorial Park in early April 2026, right after they finished…read morerenovating parts of it. They expanded the outdoor exhibits, including the Landmark for Peace Memorial, an art piece depicting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy with outstretched arms. They also added lights to the basketball court area and new walking paths, and reopened the Visitor Center, although it was closed when I visited. The playground at MLK Park is still relatively new, even though it wasn't a part of the remodel. It has fun things for all ages, like musical instruments, swings, a huge netted climber, a merry-go-round, and a small playground structure for little kids. The ground is that rubber padding that cushions falls. If you like murals, then come on over to this park, because it got it some murals. There's a mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy (of course), but also a mural depicting the "Masters of Disaster," a student chess team from IPS 27 that became national champions in the 1980s. How cool to be good at chess, and also get your mug on a wall in a park!

MLK Park is undergoing a major upscale renovation. I stopped by last week to monitor the progress…read more The park is home to a fabulous sculpture depicting Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King reaching out to each other. The sculpture sits on the ground where Kennedy delivered a moving speech on April 4, 1968, after the assignation of MLK. A nearby historical marker describes the importance of the speech. Many visionaries contributed to the Park and Memorial conception, including the Simons Brothers, The Pacers, politicians and artists. The sculpture was designed by Indiana artist, Greg Perry and cast by Daniel Edwards. I find the sculpture exceptional and moving. A modern Memorial Center is under construction just north of the Statue. The Center will house Park staff and exhibits about MLK and civil rights. An MLK quote is inscribed on the Center wall "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that," Several contractors were working during my visit and the Center is behind closed fences during construction. It is hard to say when the Center will open, but I would guess Spring of 2026. A modern and colorful playground is also on the park grounds with climbing structures, swings and more. The made of the playground is soft matting material to improve safety. A swimming pool and basketball courts are also contained on the park grounds. Lots of green space is maintained on the park grounds. Landscaping efforts are in progress between the statue and Center with new walkways and signage. There is free street parking surrounding the park. Park use is free (not sure about pool use though). Several interesting murals of MLK surround the park. I look forward to visiting with my granddaughters when the Center opens. This is a moving Memorial and fabulous resource for the city.

The secret is out: Eskenazi Sky Farm is the perfect spot for a stunning skyline view of Indy…read more How to get there: Drive to Eskenazi Health, park in the parking garage, ride the green elevator up to floor 7, turn to the right, and BOOM. You're on the roof. Not just a roof, but a roof covered in plants that the hospital actually uses (very cool). There are benches up there that you can sit on and you can even bring food up there to enjoy. Why not?! It's free for the best view in Indy.

Such a precious hidden gem!…read more My bosses made me aware of the sky farm earlier this week. We brought lunch from Duos to the farm in the sky. There are so many little plants growing on the farm. Rachel is the director of the farm and she was able to show us some plants and explain what the space is used for. She let us know that people undergoing treatment are able to take the veggies grown to their own homes. The dietician staff helps to show those checked into the hospital healthy ways to prepare the food picked from Sky Farm. So grateful that I was able to enjoy this hidden gem! Check it out for sure!

During a recent visit to the Haughville area, I stopped by this six-acre park located on Indy's…read morenear westside. This park has existed since 1922 and gets period upgrades. Currently, it's got a splash pad, playground, shelters, and basketball courts. This is the definition of one of Indy's more residential parks. You'd never drive out of your way to visit Haughville Park, however, it's settled well within this neighborhood and serves the neighborhood well. There's an obvious section great for play, however, there's also a nice section where adults can relax with mature trees. There's also a restroom facility that is fairly well maintained. While the park has seen some issues with crime, it's near a police station and this does help amplify the safety factor. All the way back to Mayor Hudnut, plans have existed to really upgrade the park. Generally, it seems to be a popular space for neighborhood groups to help out. You can also see the work of Lilly employees in upgrading the park (including the photo with a mural I included with this review). This is your usual "dawn to dusk" park. Police at least try to enforce that pretty consistently. Overall, this is your fairly average neighborhood park. Parking is decent and it's well situated in the neighborhood. There's zero reason to go out of the way to visit here, however, for those who live in the area it's a solid if unremarkable neighborhood park. While i often wonder about the name origins for Indy's parks, in this case it's super obvious as Haughville has existed as a neighborhood since the 1830s with parts of the neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.

This park has many cool things to do. From the moment you pull into their paved parking lot off…read moreMichigan Street, you can see a lot of colorful options for the kids. A couple nice basketball courts are on the west side of the park near the police station. Just north of the lot is a splash park and permanent restroom facility. Farther into the park are shaded and lawn areas, a nice sized playground area, and the for north end has some mature trees for those who would like a little more peace and quiet. Review #656

I've been going to this gym for a few years now so I can say I have a pretty good ethos for my…read morereview and as to why I appreciate this gym. I am only a basic member, so I can't vouch for the extra features like the pool and the sauna and the other classes. I go mainly for the weightlifting equipment and the open spaces. I like how there are two fitness greens in the gym which both offer plenty of room to exercise. The variety of weightlifting equipment is also pretty good, with a lot of different machines and cable stacks. The free weights are also pretty well stocked. My favorite area is the Olympic weightlifting area, which has four platforms and six squat racks which also have platforms. This area has a lot of mirrors so it's easy to keep your form in check. I have never used any of the class spaces but they all look really well kept from what I can see. They even recently updated one of their studios for weightlifting classes! I've been going there so you know I'll be back again!

BEWARE. VASA IS KNOWN FOR HIDDEN FEES GALORE. If you aren't planning for this to be a permanent…read moregym, I just can't recommend it. I joined the gym knowing there'd be a 25 dollar cancel fee, however do note they like to charge you for a extra month when you cancel Therefore, if vou know when you are cancelling vour membership, cancel it a month in advance so you won't have to pay twice for the same month or a month you can't use. Not a good pption for college students home for the summer. You could just pay for day passes but at 15 bucks a month, card onlv, and ar annoving slow tablet you have to meticulousl plug your information into every time isn': particularly eniovable to do every day. n addition to the cancellation fee and the nonthly fee, if you haven't paid the 77 dolla charge for annual maintenance, it charges you his 60 dollar balance when vou try to leave. My 'riend cancelled before paying the 77 but ye ended up having to pay over a hundred dollars just to stop going. The rest of us had to pay 45 bucks. additionally, the pool has been closed for like 2 weeks straight and upon asking the staff, they are unsure when it will be back as well as unsure what is wrona with it. Sometimes the staff is friendlv and other times thev aren't On a more positive note, this gym has gooc equipment like a nice pendulum squat (besides the rotting pad on the preacher curl machine), sn't really busy before noon, and the lube guy goes around often to make sure the machines are beina maintained well. Even that beina said t's not rare for the leg extension or chest fly nachine to be down for repair, leaving only one of those very popular machines open for 5C people to use :. Overall, good gym choice if you split it with someone else or are planning to stav for a lona time, otherwise it iust isn't worth the money Side note, the lighting isn't great for posing anywhere if you care about that

GREAT YMCA location in Downtown Indianapolis. I dropped in here mostly to swim since IUPUI had a…read moreswim meet in their pool, but I stayed to work out too. The pool is just 25 yards, but otherwise good and not busy. The locker room is very nice and clean, one of the better gym locker rooms I've ever been in. The upstairs workout area is also good, with basically everything you could need, including squat racks, cable machines, free weights, etc. They are missing a ski erg, I would like to see one of those. Staff was super friendly. Overall, a great gym in Downtown Indy!

I just signed up for a YMCA membership and enjoyed checking out this location close to work. They…read morehave clean women, men, and family locker rooms. A spacious program pool, lap pool, sauna, and hot tub. A massive fitness area with treadmills, Ellipticals, stair climbers, weights and more. A indoor track for walking and running. Three full size basketball courts used for programs such as pickleball & more.

I am starting to see a trend with Indy Parks. They build parks by elementary schools so that they…read morecan use them, I guess. This is another city park that has been commandeered by an elementary school, in this case Stout Field Elementary School. The playground was packed with students from the school while I was there. I think it was actually worked into their schedule. Anyway, the park is relatively small and has a small parking lot. The park is about 14 acres. There is also a half decent full basketball court at the park. I have seen better and I have seen worse. The park has a small restroom facility as well. There is a huge green space with a picnic table on it there. The green space/open field can be used to play catch, soccer, football, throw a frisbee, or other outdoor activities. There is also a single shelter with picnic tables under it. The best part of the park however, is its nice paved walking trail and playground. The trail is a decent size. The park does has what appears to be a very nice splash pad. It is small but has a lot of colorful parts and things that shoot water. However, I visited the park off season and the pad was already shut down. The playground has a couple of saucer swings, a futuristic merry go round, a set of traditional swings, and an awesome jungle gym with ladders, slides, rock climbing walls, and monkey bars. It is very nice. There is a small jungle gym for the smaller kids that is shaped like a truck and has a cargo net and a couple of slides. You will find benches that parents can sit and watch while their kids play in this area. The playground is lined with wood chips and as an added bonus they have a musical instrument piece of equipment with blue congos, shakes and other instruments There is also an electronic game (NEOS) that kids can play that has them running around chasing lights. It is programmed with 8 different game modes. The park has some gym equipment by the playground area. There are a few pieces, not much, like an elliptical, chest press, and a lat pull. It is a decent park, especially when the neighboring school is out. It is well maintained and the grounds are well kept. The littles really enjoyed it. It is very accessible an open.

This park has a lot of fun equipment for the kids. My children thoroughly enjoyed the trip…read more However, I picked up tons of trash upon arrival - nasty used masks, water bottles, ink pens, soda cans. Yuck. That was a little disappointing to see. I'd recommend showing up with rubber gloves and a trash bag if you don't like you're kids playing around a lot of trash. The restrooms were locked. That's disappointing since it's well after May 1 when they should be open. Also, note the park is located next door to a public school, so it's constantly inundated with classes at recess. My kids love that, but it's worth noting if you're looking for a quiet spot to play. We will go back, but when schools aren't in session, and prepared to pick up trash in a sanitary fashion prior to playing.