Watkins Park is a pretty perfect city park -- and I'm a bit surprised that I am the first person (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. read more