Monday, October 10, 2011
Phillips Watkins Park: A Review
Posted by Betsy Phillips on Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 8:18 AM
Size of Park: Medium large
Crowds: Me and a kid on a bike, later that kid and his friend on a bike
Approximate Age of Patrons: My age and ... maybe 12?
Topics of Conversation: "Is that a pit?" "Yes"
Stray Dogs Seen: None
Types of Vehicles in Parking Lots: Mine
Perceived Safety: Fine, except for all the vans
Number of Gunshots Heard: None
Dog Friendliness: Fine
Number of pitbulls sighted: Just mine
Accessibility: Fine
Incorporation of Local History: Fine
Recommended Patrons: Kids, people who like trees
There are some of the most beautiful magnolia trees I've seen in a city park. And not just one, but 10 or so. They've done a great job of putting benches right where you'd want benches (especially right outside the water part, so that you can sit and watch your kids play). The old stone wall still surrounds the park and the whole thing feels somehow historical and very fresh.
The community center is a little drab, but it's not ugly or anything. They've also got that new, attractive public housing across from the park and it looks great. It really looks like a neighborhood and not warehouses for poor people. You can even see the Capitol building from the park. Just being in the park, you really feel like you are in Nashville.
But those don't really detract from the park.
I felt a little unsafe because there were so many big white vans driving by. I counted seven before I realized that it was not a fleet of kidnappers, but church vans driving around picking up people in time for 11 o'clock services. So, yeah, that was a little embarrassing.
I thought the playground equipment was really cool. I also noticed that they had red plastic on one of the jungle gyms and it was not yet faded. I don't know if that's because it has a little shade or maybe they just lucked out. But it stood out in comparison to other parks.
If you're not from the neighborhood, I don't know why you'd go this time of year, but in the summer? When the water's on? This seems like a great place to bring kids.
