This park is off of the beaten path. It is a nice park that is well maintained. It has a large…read moreshelter with picnic tables under it and a couple of grills just outside of it. There are some restrooms located in the small building that is connected to the shelter and you will find an empty cement slab just off of the shelter. The park features a white gazebo that I do not see having any other purpose other then photo ops. Additionally there is a fire pit and grill in the green space on that side of the park. On the other side of the park is a smaller shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. Parking spaces are not marked very good at this park, but there are more than enough places that you can find to park. I ended up parking between the playground area and small shelter. The park is home to a decent playground area which is lined with wood chips and has benches along its perimeter where parents and caregivers can sit while their littles play. The playground's center piece is a huge jungle gym with a bunch of slides, and bridges. You will also find a smaller jungle gym here a few slides, tunnels and a small canopy. There is a huge canopy in that area without anything under it. Other of the parks playground equipment includes a bank of toddler/expression swings and another bank of traditional/ADA swings. The equipment is very nice, looks relatively new and is in great shape. The entire park is well maintained. The park has a decent amount of well maintained green space around that would be suitable for picnics, playing catch, or a soccer/football game. Just be aware that the much of the green space next to the playground area is private property and is marked as such. Even with out that large plot of land, the park has more than enough green space for you to have fun on. This hidden gem of a park, may not be a destination park but is worth a visit if you are local or in the area.

This park can be found one block north and a few blocks west of the stop sign in Clayton. This six…read moreacre park appears much larger because there is private property connected to the park with a lot of lawn. The actual park has a large shelter (which can be rented) and a smaller shelter back by the playground. There are some mature trees on the southeast corner, but not what enough to call a woods. There has been a recent addition of a gazebo which makes for frequent photographs. A parking lot exists next to the large shelter and a small driveway leads back to the smaller shelter/playground area. It doesn't have lines drawn for parking spaces, but is wide enough to turn your car around if you decide to park there. Review #808

This may be a small park, but has enough to keep you entertained. It was established in 1972 and…read morewas originally 8 acres. However, a few acres sold for industrial development through the years and the park is currently less than 4 acres. The park gets its name from the intersection that it is located, LaSalle Street and Clayton Ave. It has its own large private parking lot. There is also some street parking available as well. The park features a large patch of green space that would be suitable for activities such as soccer, football, playing catch, flying a kite, throwing a frisbee, or having a picnic. It is well maintained. There use to be goal post at each end of the field, but they are long gone. There is also a shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. There is an adequate splash pad at the park that has some benches around it that caregivers can sit on while their little frolic in the water. I visited the park during the winter, so the splash pad was closed for the season. The park has a small restroom near the splash pad that has a rubber duck mural painted on all of its side. The center piece of the park is its playground. It is a decent playground on a bed of wood chips. The equipment is a bit older, but in decent shape. The equipment in the area includes a spinning net tree climber, a bank of traditional swings, and a large accesible jungle gym with a bunch of slides, tunnels, bridges and monkey bars. There are benches around the playground area that caregivers can sit while their little ones play. This is a nice neighborhood park that has a lot to offer. It could use a few upgrades, but is still fully operational and you can have a real good time here. I have definitely seen a lot worse. This park is definitely worth a visit, if you happen to be in the area.

I was visiting a friend in the Twin-Aire neighborhood of Indianapolis and stumbled across Clayton &…read moreLaSalle Park, a relatively small urban park located at 401 S. LaSalle in a neighborhood best described as a mixture of residential and industrial. This is a definite low-feature park with a splash pad being the relative highlight along with a fair amount of greenery that is mostly bordered by a working class neighborhood, shipping trucks, and manufacturing/industrial use buildings. The park reminds me a lot of a smaller park relatively close to my own home, though in my case the apartment complex next to the park is vacant and much creepier. As the late Yelper Ken N. noted in his 2018 review, Clayton & LaSalle shows some definite wear and tear. It seems to be a "summer" park primarily with the splash park on the north side of the park, a shelter with picnic tables, and a playground on the southside of the park. There's a permanent restroom open during park season, essentially summer, and parking available in a northern area and somewhat to the west. The greenspace could be fairly nice, though there's nothing resembling trails here or anything resembling sports fields. The greenery could easily be used that way, of course, but it doesn't seem to be officially designed for it. I've often expressed concerns that Indy has a habit of planting decent looking parks and then not actually taking care of them. Clayton & LaSalle is a definite example of this as what could easily be a shining light in this area is instead proof that this area is largely forgotten in city planning. While I don't have kids, one of the questions I always ask myself when visiting a park is "Would I bring my kids here?" The answer here is definitely a "no." While area kids still benefit from it and the playground itself remains functional, between nearby vacant buildings and the obvious wear and tear of the park this park is closer to a 2-star park than a 4-star at this point. It definitely has potential and with the nearby 201 Studios being developed perhaps there could be some improvements. Essentially, Clayton & LaSalle Park is a small neighborhood park that serves the families in this southeast area of Indianapolis. This entire area is a working class area with a lot of smaller businesses emphasizing manufacturing and industrial industries and there's a lot of vacant buildings that surround the park. The folks I met while around here were friendly and if I lived in the area I would use the park, but there's nothing about Clayton & LaSalle that makes it a destination park and Indy definitely needs to clean it up. This park falls under the umbrella of Indy Parks.

During a recent visit to Lacy Park, I was dismayed to learn that for some reason someone had…read morereported this vibrant neighborhood park as closed. It is not closed. It was impacted by the current health pandemic (as was most of the state of Indiana). However, Lacy Park is alive and well and on a recent weekend when I visited it was definitely being utilized. Lacy Park is practically the definition of a neighborhood park. This 2-acre Fletcher Place park is nestled in nicely at the corner of Greer St. and East Street. In fact, it was originally known as Greer Street Park until being named after Edna Balz Lacy in 1995. The park itself was established in 1917. While Edna Balz Lacy may not seem like a familiar name, her impact on Indy is rather profound. She was an Indianapolis native who started off as a teacher in 1972; in 1934, she married Howard J. Lacy II (son of U.S. Corrugated-Fibre Box Company founder Howard J. Lacy). Lacy took over the company from his father in 1952. He passed away in 1959 and Edna took over the company and led it for 24 years. In 1972, it became Lacy Diversified Industries. In 1973, she established the Stanley K. Lacy Foundation in memory of her son. The Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series is one of is many contributions to Indy and it continues to this day. Edna passed away in 1991. Lacy Park was developed to reflect its diverse heritage. If you notice, its gazebo is painted red, white, and green to reflect the Italian heritage of the area at the time. Along with playgrounds and picnic areas, there's a sand volleyball court along with four bocce ball courts that were contributed by the Italian Heritage Society. The group hosts bocce ball leagues here. Holy Rosary Italian Festival is also located in this neighborhood that is easily within view of Lilly and is close to downtown yet feels like a little bit of a wooded oasis. This is a small neighborhood park that remains as welcoming today as it was designed to be in the early 20th century. It continues to be considered a "family park" - a reflection of Lacy's own emphasis on family including ensuring that her business continued to stay within the family. While this is not really a destination park, for those near downtown needing to get away for awhile this is a perfect place to get away. If you're looking to have a near downtown picnic, Lacy Park is a great place to do so.

This park is a very small, only covering 2 acres. It does not have a parking lot, but there is a…read moredecent amount of street parking available. The park has a decent gazebo with a picnic table under it. The gazebo could use a coat of paint. There are also a few picnic tables scattered across the park. The grounds could have used a little TLC. I do not know if the parks department has stopped for the season, or if this park was just missed. In the front of the park you will find an adequate sand volleyball court. There is also 4 dirt boccee ball courts near the back of the park. They did not look very inviting though. The park has a small jungle gym with some slides, a larger jungle gym with more awesome slides, a bank of traditional swings, and a bank of toddler swings. The playground is lined with wood chips and the equipment is a bit on the older side. It has definitely seen better days. This park has a history dating back to 1917 when it was known as Greer Street Park. It was renamed the Edna Balz Lacy Family Park in 1995, to honor a notable local businesswoman. Fun fact: One of Indianapolis's first recreation centers was built here at this park. The park has a strong Italian heritage background. The gazebo is actually painted in the Italy flag colors, red, green and white. Also, the boccee ball courts were a gift from the Indianapolis Italian Heritage Society. They hosts spring, summer, and fall bocce ball leagues on those courts. This is an ok park to visit, if you are in the area. But last many of the features, and maintenance of the newer mega parks. It is definitely a gem if you live close by, but is probably not a park that you would drive to to bring the little ones, or run. I saw the park getting most of its use with kids on the playground equipment for a bit and it was also popular with people walking their dogs.

This is strictly a nature park. The park has nothing to offer outside of trails, a bridge, fields,…read moreand a creek. The park has an adequate parking lot that is easily accesible. There is no paved path to get to the park from the parking lot and you will have to trek a little hill. The parking lot serves as the trail head to the Worthsville Road Trail and there are plans to connect the park to the trail system at Central Nine Education Center. There is a bridge that is covered in graffiti. I am normally not a graffiti person, but the artwork gives the normally average bridge some personality. This bridge is not complete and consists of only beams. It can be used to cross over the creek, but it will take some skill. If you are not feeling adventurous and want to get over to the other side there is another dirt bridge, a little further down that you can use. The park sits on 10 acres and has about 5 miles of trails. It is a wide open park and in addition to the creek, you will see a small little island that serves as home to some ducks and fields of bright yellow flowers. It is a low maintenance, low risk park that lacks a playground, bathroom, or other amenities, but it still works. With this park, it is what it is.....a pure nature park. The trails are ok, but the grass is tall in some places. I guess it has not gotten enough traffic trampling through ye. This is not a destination park, but a place to go to get in touch with nature. Its trail system also has some value. The parking lot has lighting and the park is relatively new and does not get many visitors (They do not even have a sign up yet). I guess that it is so new that the word has not got out yet.

This is a great neighborhood park that we like to visit when in town. The best part here is the…read morenewer splash pad area. Since its super old and rusty, it's usually empty, so the kids like it. There are 6-8 covered picnic tables to use out of the sun. There's also a few bike racks, park benches and an indoor bathroom. I'm not sure I'd let the kids go in, but it's there. Visit in a hot day to run out some energy and cool off on those super sunny days! It's never really packed and the water is controlled by pushing the button to start. Kids love it!

This is an "Ok" neighborhood park. They have a very small splash pad, that is very basic. It just a…read morecement pad with in ground water spouts and a bench right off of it. There is a "meeehhhhh" playground with some older equipment. You will find an accesible jungle gym with a slide, a tilted sky spinner, a bank of traditional swings and a bank of toddler swings (however some are missing). The area is lined with wood chips and has a bench to sit and watch the littles. Behind the play area is some small green space where you can play some stuff like catch, kick a soccer ball or a small game of football. Like I said, the area is small. There is a half decent walk path at the park, but it is also small and not really good for working out or getting your steps in. There is a also a picnic shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill right out side of it. Near the front of the park is where you will find the small unisex restroom facility. It is not open during the winter though. There is free street parking in front of the park and along adjacent streets that are within reasonable walking distance. This park could use a little investment. It has potential but is a bit outdated. It is not a bad park if you live within walking distance from it. Otherwise, I would not travel here just for this.

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

Just a short drive from the State Fairgrounds is a block-sized park with a nice sized hill and some…read moremature trees. Apparently this park is a haven for birds. It looks like just about any other bare lot with trees. It may be a place for bird watching, but with a title like this, I expected some information kiosks or some thing useful to people stopping by the park. Frankly, I'm not sure why this block is named this way. It still is a nice place for the neighborhood. Who doesn't like a calm and shaded woodland within walking distance? But it isn't a destination for anyone else. No benches, no shelter, no playground, no information. Oh, well. Review #720

Hidden away on a quiet little side street, near the Fairgrounds & right off the Monon Trail. Set…read moreaside in 1925, it remains one of the very few urban bird sanctuaries in the US. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much. But get out of your car or off your bike. Look at the interesting varieties of trees, both young & old. Walk the uneven dirt path, concentrating on the uncut native flowers, grasses, & bushes in the interior of the preserve. Suddenly, you're not in the city anymore. You hear the birds, you feel the breeze, the sun filters through the leafy branches. This is the way I like it, mostly undeveloped & undisturbed. Surrounded by a charming neighborhood with well-kept houses, it's a lovely little oasis in the middle of Indianapolis.

Orange Park is a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of park that falls under the umbrella of Indy…read moreParks. It's not a park that I'd have gone out looking for, however, I was on the southside resolving some errands and, quite honestly, got lost coming back. I looked over at one point and there was Orange Park. So, I stopped to check it out. Orange Park is definitely a neighborhood park with a relatively small playground, some benches, some green space, and that's about it. You can find parking along the street, but this is far from a destination park with nothing else to really do. Orange Park was established in 1993. It did receive an upgraded playground in 2024, though it tends to be pretty modest even after the upgrade. This park is a one-acre park. It's a little bigger than a pocket park, but not by a whole lot. The park is on the Southeastside of Indy. The park's playground targets kids aged 2-12. There's definitely nothing for teens here. For what it is, Orange Park is perfectly fine. There's no reason to go out of your way to visit it. However, it serves its purpose for those who live in this area.

Southeast of Fountain Square is a neighborhood playground and open space park. Located on Orange…read moreStreet, it is easy to understand how the park got its name. There are a few pullover spaces along the street for convenient parking if you are headed eastbound. The park's south perimeter is lined with mature trees for shade, but the park itself doesn't have any shade by the play areas. There are some benches, but no shelter is available. The playground has a few remaining pieces including a small fort, some swings, and a climbing structure. As I moved around the park, I could see timbers remaining from some forgotten purpose that had the equipment removed and has become reclaimed by the lawn. Although there isn't a lot to draw visitors here currently, it is hoped that as the area becomes home to more younger people wanting to live near Fountain Square, the park will get some needed attention to make it an asset for the neighborhood. Review #2862