Azafran Park

A recent study had shown that less than half of Nashvillians lived within a ten minute walk to a public park. Which, to me, makes sense. I certainly don't. I live in an apartment, nestled amongst many apartment buildings. The closest park to me is a six minute drive, but a thirty two minute walk. Because of this, Nashville has been working into putting smaller, popup "pocket parks" in neighborhoods. One of the first of these to be built is Azafran Park.

This park is tiny, at less than an acre. But they use this space well. When I first walked in, my first reaction was, "There's no way taxpayer money paid for this." There's a sculptural maze, a mural, multiple sculptures, a splash pad, and a drum circle. And I was right, kind of. This particular park was originally a car repair shop, and was picked because this neighborhood has the largest concentration of immigrant families in the county. Because of the ambition, this particular park received donations from many private companies, including the HCA Foundation, the Walt Disney Company, Vanderbilt University, and the Rotary Club of Nashville.

This park opened in 2018, and hosts a farmers' market. The mural in particular includes coins from all around the world, to represent the multiple countries represented in the neighborhood. It's absolutely beautiful.

Name: Azafran Park

Address: 2187 Nolensville Pike, 37211

History: 1 out of 5

Walkability: 4 out of 5

Kid Like-ability- 5 out of 5

Date Night-ability- 2 out of 5

Charm: 5 out of 5